Letters for Wednesday, April 29, 2009

•Lingle should sign ‘Complete Streets’ bill

•Investigate the whole stinking mess

•From worst to best vacation

•Knotheaded

Lingle should sign ‘Complete Streets’ bill

Kaua‘i Path Inc. strongly urges Gov. Linda Lingle to sign Senate Bill 718 — the “Complete Streets” bill. Passing this bill is an imperative step in creating healthy and vibrant communities in Hawai‘i.

Hawai‘i desperately needs to address transportation more holistically, by taking into consideration pedestrians and cyclists of all ages. Our current roadway systems are downright dangerous.

We currently allocate only one to two percent of our ground transportation improvements budget to better cycling and pedestrian facilities, while bicyclists and pedestrians account for 13 percent of all roadway fatalities. A consequence of this disparity is that Hawai‘i has one of the highest rates of pedestrian deaths for those 65 and older in the nation.

Sedentary car travel has its pitfalls as well. Hawai‘i struggles with childhood obesity and a whopping half of Hawaiian adults are overweight or obese.

Now is the time to pass the Complete Streets bill so that we can create a more sustainable future for Hawai‘i. The current climate of national paradigm shift and government stimulus is perfect for implementing complete streets. People are looking for healthy, low-cost transportation that doesn’t rely on costly, carbon dioxide producing fossil fuel. Together we can work to achieve this goal by creating bike and pedestrian friendly communities, like many other states already have.

Please join us in imploring the governor to sign SB 718 for complete streets in Hawai‘i.

(Kaua‘i Path is a group of Kaua‘i residents working together to preserve, protect and extend access island-wide through the design, implementation, and stewardship of non-motorized multi-use paths.)

Kaua‘i Path Inc.

Investigate the whole stinking mess

Let’s see now. First our Kaua‘i politicians tried to build cruise ship facilities for $24 million at the Kekaha small boat harbor.

This project was actually approved by the state Legislature and signed by then-Gov. Ben Cayetano. But then they dumped this idea. Too stupid.

Then our Kaua‘i politicians (Hooser, Morita, Tokioka and Sagum) decided to dredge the harbor. Good idea but too cheap at $1 million. Our Kaua‘i politicians would only get a small box of candy at Christmas from the contractor.

So our politicians decided on a make work project — take out all the 2,000-pound boulders and install new 2,000-pound boulders. This increased the project’s cost from $1 million to $24 million.

Now our Kaua‘i politicians and our federal politicians too (Hirono, Abercrombie, Inouye and Akaka) would all get a big box of candy for Christmas from the contractor. And maybe some money too (political contributions).

Now I don’t mind politicians getting gifts from big businesses and big unions. After all, that’s why they work so hard for the good of the people who elected them.

But I haven’t used the Kekaha small boat harbor for the past five months because of the make work project and now I hear that the harbor may be closed for another 15 months because the wooden dock needs to be rebuilt.

I think that somebody should investigate this whole stinking mess and find out if there’s any hanky panky going on.

Jerry Sokugawa, Kekaha

From worst to best vacation

In March I purchased a Ni‘ihau necklace with Certificate of Authenticity from a Lihu‘e retailer for $900. They even gave me a book on Ni‘ihau.

When visiting the Kaua‘i Museum I was gently told it was not Ni‘ihau. The shop owner refused to admit it was not Ni‘ihau. We filed a report of consumer fraud with the Kaua‘i police and a complaint with the state office of consumer protection as we found there is a law prohibiting this specific misrepresentation.

At this point it seemed to be our worst vacation ever.

We continued on to Maui. The next week we went to the Celebration of the Arts at the Ritz Carlton. The Kanahele family of Ni‘ihau were there demonstrating shell jewelry making. They were very kind, and all looked at my necklace and agreed it was not Ni‘ihau. They wrote a statement to that effect for me to add to our complaint.

Then, to my great surprise they presented me with a beautiful Ni‘ihau necklace. I couldn’t believe it! In that moment it became my best vacation ever, and one I will never forget.

We come to Hawai‘i every other year, but we won’t be back to Kaua‘i — it will be remembered as the island where we were the victims of consumer fraud.

Bonnie Pierce, Liverpool, N.Y.

Knotheaded

Thank you so much for publishing Gene Lyons’ “You Knotheads” column on April 16. The voice of reason is so refreshing.

Sam Harris in “A Letter to A Christian Nation,” in 2006 called our nation, under Bush, a “lumbering, bellicose, dim-witted giant.” I think Gene did him one better. Knotheaded says it all.

Hopefully, with all new “management” America will turn from the dark ignorant side to the bright light of reason once again.

Bettejo Dux, Kalaheo