Letters for August 10, 2016

Letters for August 10, 2016

Nakamura is a good candidate

Nadine Nakamura is a terrific candidate to replace the big slippahs left by Derek Kawakami for the State House District 14 vacancy. In addition to her well established professional credentials, my vote is based on seeing Nadine’s community based activities for the past 15 years. For example:

• Volunteering — Recycling Program at Kapaa Elementary School –Nadine was there at 6 a.m. on many occasions helping to sort hundreds of bags of donations. She volunteered while in quite a few rainstorms and was never shy about working in the mud to get the job done!

• Fundraising — When the Dolphin Clubs were formed at Kapaa Elementary School, Nadine was the primary mover and shaker to get it off the ground and sustain it. She wrote numerous grants for thousand of dollars to get the courses funded.

• Soccer Mom -—Nadine was the vintage soccer parent, always helping to organize the snack/drink turns, organizing sophisticated van drop-offs to help parents who had to work evenings, and she never missed a game.

• Advocacy — Nadine never turned away from the sometimes difficult advocacy issues that kids need a voice for. When Nadine was running for County Council she could have easily backed away from some of these issues to “play it safe” but that’s not Nadine. She’s a battler and isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes in.

Nadine did all of this while working full time, raising two kids with her terrific husband, Galen, and helping to take care of elderly family members.

Nadine is a trustworthy, kind, courageous candidate and her integrity is impeccable. She is smart, humble and is an excellent choice for State House, District 14. Vote for Nadine for a better Kauai!

Jack Yatsko

Kapaa

Double-standard on signs

During these months we see political campaign signs everywhere on our island. We see them on fences, roadsides, street corners, buildings, trees and even on utility poles.

These are the signs of our candidates who want to be elected. I know that they don’t need a permit, but when I saw them on utility poles I became curious. I wanted to find out if there is a county regulation for campaigning. Then I found it; it is Kauai County Ordinance No. 723. Section 15-4-6 (2) (B) says among other things that the political sign shall not be posted within the right-of-way boundary of any public road or highway.

Now next thing is to find out where is the right-of-way boundary? Well, the Department of Transportation has already provided that answer for us. They said the boundary is 50 feet from the centerline of the road or highway.

Now, just look at the signs all over Kauai! I can say with certainty that all candidates are in violation of the ordinance at one place or the other. Even the incumbent county prosecutor Mr. Justin Kollar and the new candidate for his position broke this law.

Maybe the campaign ordinance is not really important for the people on the island, but the principle should be. This January I was in the courtroom in Lihue when my Hawaiian brothers were tried for placing their educational sign on an abandoned parcel near the Hanapepe lookout. And the Office of the County Prosecuting Attorney filed the charges against them.

Now, who will file the charges against them and all these candidates who are in violation of the local law on campaign signs? Does the fairness and justice doctrine apply to all? It appears that not to the Hawaiians. If it does, we can expect the courtrooms to be filled with all the candidates in violation. But then who will prosecute them?

Levi Lancaster

KOLOA