• Auditor’s office should not be downsized • Fighting obesity? • Pro GMO, plastic bags, Superferry • Toy gun should not be pointed at person Auditor’s office should not be downsized Thank you Walter Lewis for another exceptional article concerning
• Auditor’s office should not be downsized • Fighting obesity? • Pro GMO, plastic bags, Superferry • Toy gun should not be pointed at person
Auditor’s office should not be downsized
Thank you Walter Lewis for another exceptional article concerning the problems going on with our auditor’s office, (“A Better Kauai,” TGI July 12).
There seems to be no doubt that many of those in power, the administration and the council, want the auditor and his office eliminated.
As Mr. Lewis said, “The budget (initiated by the mayor and backed by at least four council members) has the intimidating effect that may have been intended.” That is to paralyze the operations of the auditor’s office! Why?
The Auditor’s Office operated with three highly skilled people forming a strong, three legged stool — auditor, audit manager and a staff auditor. Since the administration and the council have basically cut the budget to fund one of those “legs,” the office can no longer operate accordingly and in the exemplary manner that it has for three years.
The “check and balance” required of the audit process involving the supervisory review of an audit work of the lead auditor followed by an independent report review by an uninvolved auditor is seriously affected.
One could certainly ask why such a successful operation that was approved by the people in a Charter Amendment in 2008, initiated by the council, would now mysteriously be on the chopping block. Why?
The answer appears to be very obvious. Mr. Pasion and his staff did an outstanding job with six audits, highlighting many areas that pointed fingers at incompetent people and operations. The thorough analyses were not expected, and thus, a means had to be found to eliminate an operation that doesn’t fall in line with the old boy system.
I strongly believe that in up-holding the County Charter, (as the mayor and council swore to do) in an ethical and moral way, they have an obligation (to the tax payers) to fund the county auditor’s office in a manner that would allow it to function in a way that it could perform its duties, as set forth according to government auditing standards.
For all citizens of Kauai — our auditor has done a great job representing you so support him when he needs you the most.
Ken Taylor
Kapaa
Fighting obesity?
If this county is so pro-fighting obesity and encouraging healthy eating habits, why was a soda one token and bottled water two tokens at the Fourth of July Celebration? Let’s work harder at this …
Mary Gross
Kalaheo
Pro GMO, plastic bags, Superferry
Please consider this letter to the editor a public tweet to Kauai County Councilmen Tim Bynum and Gary Hooser.
My fantasy and dream is to ride the Superferry to Oahu, purchase farm fresh GMO-select Atlantic salmon and fresh GMO corn on the cob and bring it home to the cosmic Garden Island in plastic bags.
The airlines have locked in a monopoly and charge outrageous prices just to go 80 miles to Oahu all because we have no other way to get off island besides high-priced airfares. Mr. Hooser was instrumental in the Superferry leaving Hawaii, which in turn, created unaffordable airfare prices for the average person to get off island.
Paper has replaced plastic, the original bill was to get people to use re-usable cloth bags. Now, ironically, grocery stores use paper, which in turn, destroys our forests by cutting down trees. My. Bynum co-authored the original bill that outlawed plastic bags and has created a paper bag mess.
To abandon GMO science is like saying global warming doesn’t exist. Both Bynum and Hooser are co-authoring an anti-GMO bill.
I say councilmen Bynum and Hooser may be losers come next election.
Bring back da Superferry and plastic bags and keep GMO science alive. You bet I’m serious!
James “Kimo” Rosen
Kapaa
Toy gun should not be pointed at person
We teach our children the safety of not to point a gun (toy or real) at a person. That is what has made the picture of the little boy pointing a gun at a person in the Make-A-Wish program by KPD disturbing.
It would have been more positive if KPD had him using a radar gun to slow traffic or stop drivers from speeding in a residential area and/or a school zone.
I’m pretty sure that there are many more highlights in a KPD officer’s tour of duty in a day’s work that they could have done to fulfill the boy’s wishes of being a police officer.
Howard Tolbe
Eleele
