• Abercrombie is definition of ‘rubber stamp’ • Apollo Kaua‘i endorsed new KIUC board members • Let’s fly naked! Abercrombie is definition of ‘rubber stamp’ Gubernatorial candidate Neil Abercrombie states (The Garden Island, April 4) “I’ve been an independent change
• Abercrombie is definition of ‘rubber stamp’ • Apollo Kaua‘i endorsed new KIUC board members • Let’s fly naked!
Abercrombie is definition of ‘rubber stamp’
Gubernatorial candidate Neil Abercrombie states (The Garden Island, April 4) “I’ve been an independent change agent all my life, a proud Democrat. I’m nobody’s rubber stamp. Nobody tells me what to do.” Unfortunately for the would-be guv, as well the state and the nation, Mr. Independent votes the straight Democrat line — year in and year out. The American Conservative Union, a monitoring group, gave him another zero for his total lack of “independence” from the party line. In other words, he was unswerving, yet again, for his subservience to the most radical left congress and president in history, as well as Big Labor, peaceniks, global-warming dupes, race hustlers and unilateral disarmers. That’s the definition of a “rubber stamp.” As was Senator Akaka — who was named the worst member of the upper chamber by left-wing Time magazine.
We now have $40,000 in debt for every adult, teenager, toddler and infant in the country. And that was before the passage of Obamacare — the suicidal and unconstitutional atrocity that, just for starters, will add 16,500 “public-service employees” to the IRS alone. In the absence of a major course correction, the country is headed for certain financial collapse. And this congressman has done nothing to stop it.
As for Abercrombie’s bluster about no teacher furloughs, he would, and will, do exactly what the teachers tell him to do — and like it. Governor Lingle did it because she was forced to.
Hawai‘i would be much better served if he returned to his pre-politico career, i.e., driving a Honolulu taxicab.
John Burns, Princeville
Apollo Kaua‘i endorsed new KIUC board members
Apollo Kaua‘i would like to extend our congratulations to the three newly elected members of the KIUC (Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative) board: incumbents Carol Bain and Allan Smith and newly elected member Jan TenBruggencate. All three of these candidates were endorsed by Apollo Kaua‘i as individuals aligned with our mission of providing greater sustainability by moving toward renewable-energy-alternatives to fossil fuel.
With these board members, elected to three-year terms, we can foresee our electric provider moving to be a more-transparent organization with greater emphasis on social responsibility, a more rapid movement away form the use of foreign oil and a stabilization of rates long in to the future.
Apollo Kaua‘i looks forward to working with this energized KIUC board.
We would also like to thank Pat Gegan for being a proactive “citizen activist” with his keen interest in our islands energy needs. Perhaps next year he will be considered to replace an outgoing board member.
It was a pleasure to see these committed, educated, passionate individuals run for KIUC board.
Pamela Burrell, Kilauea
Let’s fly naked!
You really want to fly safe? Then this will be the solution. Is it unreasonable? Not more than the article “On full-body scanners” in the Editorial Roundup of TGI 4.1.2010. According to the article TSA has been moving at a snail’s pace installing them. But it is more interesting why and how these scanners became suddenly a necessity.
As you may remember there was an alleged terrorist plot on a flight to Detroit last Christmas, when a Muslim man allegedly smuggled onboard some explosives in his underwear, but an American hero wrestled him down preventing a disaster. So, this was just about three months ago. That’s when the American media started to promote the need for these full-body scanners for American airports. Interestingly, however, the article states that the money to pay for the scanners had been approved by more than a year ago, that is more than seven months before the event that allegedly triggered the need for these scanners. Money from the federal stimulus fund that is meant to stimulate the economy. The Department of Homeland Security announced that they would purchase 950 of these full-body scanners, at $190,000 each, so this will be a $180,500,000 price tag to the tax payers. But let’s see what you get for your money.
According to the specifications of all three U.S. manufacturers these scanners are capable of taking full-photographic pictures of your body without your clothing. Homeland security experts tried to minimize the privacy concerns by saying that genitals and private areas would be smudged on the image the scanner operator can see. I would believe it if all travelers were of the same size, but the private parts of a seven-foot man and of your 12-year old daughter are not at the same height, thus the scanner operator would have to smudge those areas either with a joystick or by maneuvering the height of the podium after he has located the genitals on the image. But then what’s the point? He has already seen it all, plus he can press a button and take a full-photographic picture before the smudging. Isn’t he supposed to see whether you are hiding anything in your private areas? The smudge would defeat the purpose.
Oh, by the way, none of the manufacturers can guarantee the foolproof detection of explosives. Let’s get real! There are about 5,000 civil-use airports in the U.S. If only 950 full-body scanners will be installed in the next two years (at least two per airport), 4,500 U.S. airports remain unprotected. In this case the stimulus money appears to be stimulating fear only. There is a better way to save the U.S. economy. Let’s all fly naked! And we can sell all existing walk-through scanners at a garage sale.
János Keoni Samu, Kalaheo
