• Peace and social justice • Keep Kaua‘i clean • Too much of a good thing • Safety in numbers • Public dumping ground Peace and social justice On Saturday at Na Keiki O Ka Aina local community leaders, Rep.
• Peace and social justice • Keep Kaua‘i clean • Too much of a good thing • Safety in numbers • Public dumping ground
Peace and social justice
On Saturday at Na Keiki O Ka Aina local community leaders, Rep. Mazie Hirono and the community itself shared concerns and solutions about the future well-being of Kaua‘i, the Pacific region and America.
We are grateful to our congresswoman for her proactive and progressive efforts on our behalf regarding the war in Afghanistan, local agriculture and funding for education and Medicaid. We appreciated that she responded to questions on a range of subjects in a sincere and forthright way.
Panel members Koohan Paik, Kipukai Kuali‘i, Kyle Kajihiro and Andrea Brower came prepared to share facts and analyses, and then dialogue with the audience.
Moderator Carol Bain expertly presided over the whole affair.
We are grateful to Na Keiki O Ka Aina for hosting the forum. This worthy organization that serves Kaua‘i’s children deserves the community’s support. For Kaua‘i Alliance for Peace and Social Justice,
Kip Goodwin, Kapa‘a
Keep Kaua‘i clean
Since Gay and Robinson shut down, the Westside has lost its beauty.
Instead of seeing green sugar fields we see only acres of brown dried fields and dusty red dirt.
Moreover, it’s a lot uglier when driving west down Kaumuali‘i Highway (Hanapepe and beyond). All you see along the way on the roadside is opala.
Come on Kauaians, let’s keep our opala (rubbish) in our vehicles until we get to the closest trash can or green rubbish bin.
Also, keep burning cigerette butts in your vehicle’s ash trays to prevent roadside fires from destroying acres of Kaua‘i’s precious land.
Let’s all give a lot of care and aloha by keeping Kaua‘i clean. Let our pride show and continue to be the number one island tourists will experience and remember. Help put trash in its place, not along the side of the road!
Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele
Too much of a good thing
Social Security in trouble? I’m sure that someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t the Congress been raiding the social security trust fund for years? I can’t remember who it was, but someone high in government called it thievery. It is called “borrowing”, but there is no way in the world the Congress will be able to repay it.
Long before social security in the United States, most western European countries provided “old age pensions” for it their senior citizens. When it being enacted, private insurance companies fought desperately against social security, resulting in the imperfect system which exists today. They are still attacking the present system, hoping to bring it down so that they can profit off American seniors’ economic needs.
The recent health insurance fiasco is a good example of what can happen when we depend on market forces rather than the stability of the Federal Government to maintain vital American social institutions. Too often the cry of “socialism” is raised by ultra conservatives to intimidate mainstream Americans into denying themselves the benefits that European democracies accept as a matter of course.
A healthy capitalistic system has been beneficial in the United States. Unregulated capitalism can be disastrous as it was recently demonstrated. It’s the old story, too much of a good thing can be really bad.
Harry Boranian, Lihu‘e
Safety in numbers
This is starting to be a scary place to live and I never felt that way before.
I remember when I was a kid growing up on Kaua‘i there were few things to fear or maybe I was just naive. As I have grown older I have noticed crime escalate, which I realize may be due in part to our increase in population and hard economic times, but I can’t help noticing our judicial system’s lack of follow through.
How do so many offenders (repeat) go free or spend such a short amount of time in jail? I know that we can blame the judges, police, corruption, prosecuting attorneys, loop holes, but really it comes down to accountability.
Who is responsible for making our island a safer place to live? That would be the people that live here.
I want to stress my confusion on where our priorities lie.
I noticed some time ago many community members banned together in large numbers, wrote letters, held community meetings, protested, and constantly complained about vacation rentals. What was done? Why was this so important? How has it helped? What did it accomplish?
The most positive outcome was our strength in numbers and how persistence pays off. Can’t we do this again, but this time lets fight crime and injustice. This time let’s hold the individuals with the power to make this a safer place accountable when they don’t.
I am not siding with vacation rentals, all I am trying to say is I am not worried about the rental on the beach I am worried about being assaulted on the beach, because a repeat offender got off on a technicality.
Trish Solanda, Kapa‘a
Public dumping ground
Something to check out: Puu Road in Kalaheo (heading west about a mile and a quarter from Papalina Road) is becoming a public dumping ground.
Old beds, auto batteries, old furniture, green waste, and other trash are being dumped on a daily basis — and sometimes right on the road at that!
Can’t blame the outsiders on this one. Witnessed our own local people doing the dumping more than once. No respect for the ‘aina!
Time for public authorities to step in.
Clifford Soares, Kalaheo
