• Pirates reach Kaua‘i • Re-think your message • Prescription Cheerios • No more price hikes • Boaters should be careful • Ocean safety awareness Pirates reach Kaua‘i Recently, I took my car down to an automobile dealership for repair
• Pirates reach Kaua‘i
• Re-think your message
• Prescription Cheerios
• No more price hikes
• Boaters should be careful
• Ocean safety awareness
Pirates reach Kaua‘i
Recently, I took my car down to an automobile dealership for repair because the power-steering fluid was leaking out almost as quickly as I could put it in.
The dealer gave me a quote of $1,800 to fix it. That’s right, one-thousand, eight-hundred dollars to fix it. Overwhelmed by the price and faced with the dealer’s warning of imminent and catastrophic failure, I took my car to Steve’s shop in Port Allen.
In one day, Steve found a leaky pressure switch, replaced it for minimal cost and fixed my problem. It doesn’t leak anymore and it doesn’t need any more repairing.
The Somali pirates are alive and well and working at that dealership.
Joe Lindo
Lawa‘i
Re-think your message
Wow, Lenny Klompus is really the senior communications adviser to Gov. Lingle? That explains a lot (“Empty platform,” Letters, May 23).
What is the man even talking about? Sen. Hooser is more involved in legislation designed to help the people of Hawai‘i than anything Gov. Lingle has touched in “almost seven years” in office. From sustainability, to alternative energy, to health care coverage for all citizens of Hawai‘i, Sen. Hooser is there.
Lenny needs to re-think his message.
Kurt Rutter
Kapa‘a
Prescription Cheerios
This is too good to have been made up.
On May 5, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to General Mills for making claims on its cereal boxes that Cheerios can help lower cholesterol.
On its Web site, the breakfast cereal manufacturer says that “diets rich in whole grain foods can reduce the risk of heart disease.” In its letter, FDA called these claims “serious violations” of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
Because of these claims, Cheerios is now considered by FDA to be an “unapproved” drug, and must go through the new drug approval process. This process is not only time consuming, but also prohibitively expensive.
FDA is not questioning the validity of the heath claims made by General Mills, it is merely reminding them that it’s against the law to make such claims about non-FDA approved products. This keeps food producers, vitamin manufacturers and other non-pharmaceutical companies from telling the public about the health benefits of natural products — even if they are true.
For example, several years ago cherry growers were targeted for saying that eating cherries could help people with gout and arthritis, even though there was peer-reviewed scientific evidence to support these claims.
Apparently, FDA seems to think it should be the only one with the right to tell the American public what is good for them. I guess if people can be kept away from information that can help them stay healthy, then more drugs can be sold to help them with their problems after they get sick.
In the meantime, we may soon see our favorite breakfast cereals sold by prescription only.
Bob Swiryn
Kapa‘a
No more price hikes
The price of everything is skyrocketing and how ironic it should happen during a major recession with high unemployment and major bankruptcies.
The price of everything is going up. The grocery stores are 10 to 20 percent higher than a year ago, cable has increased service, the gas tax is set to increase, the hotel tax for our visitors has increased, just to mention a few.
Now, the cosmic Garden Island newspaper reports on Sunday that “Bus, golf rates to increase.”
Golfers at Wailua are going to pay more to tee off and riders are going to pay more to hop aboard if legislation before the Kaua‘i County Council is approved as expected.
During a major recession where almost everyone has less money than they did a year ago, everything seems to be going up at a time when we cannot afford price increases.
What happened to all the stimulus money Hawai‘i received? My understanding is that it was to be used to compensate the public’s needs?
Please contact your council members and plead with them for no more increases at a time when we can barely keep afloat.
James “Kimo” Rosen
Kapa‘a
Boaters should be careful
Kudos to the PMRF crew for the rescue of the 300-pound green sea turtle.
Tour boats and fishermen should be more aware of these sea turtles and fishes. Tour boats shouldn’t be anywhere near these creatures. Most of their ads say you are guaranteed to see fishes and turtles, not to go up and try to have your riders touch them.
Howard Tolbe
‘Ele‘ele
Ocean safety awareness
I assume most everyone was as appalled as I was by Saturday’s Garden Island report that two monk seals have recently been killed on our beaches.
The report described how the death of one seal devastates an entire family structure.
When we are all as appalled by our six to 10 visitors per year who are invited to frolic on our beaches only to die on them, then we’ll know that our ocean safety program has reached its maturity.
Dr. Monty Downs
ER physician,
Wilcox Memorial Hospital
