• Take some advice • The words of the
president • Movement started for free bus service
• From one animal lover to another
Take some advice
Two more excellent, common sense letters to the Forum on Jan. 29.
One by Kurt Rutter simply reinforcing the facts given by Mrs. Kekaualua that privately owned taxicabs are part of other community services and should be integrated into our transportation system.
But when our council simply passed Bill 2390 giving the bus system another subsidy of $575,000 (subsidizing this operation costs taxpayers $1.5 million a year) without authorizing someone to first investigate other municipality para-transit taxi services then something is very wrong.
As both Mr. Rutter and Mrs. Kekaualua have said (and both have participated in this system) taxis are more convenient, cost far less to operate than buses, and are cheaper to maintain.
Why must we continually try to reinvent the wheel with every operation instead of taking a page from some community that is already successfully doing it — and end up spending thousands of dollars on consultants?
The other outstanding letter by Mark Bedford questions the source of $1.9 million the BOE has obtained for a softball field at Kapa‘a HS and its need in these tough times.
There is no greater advocate on this Island for sports than this writer but I agree with Mr. Bedford 100 percent that “the money can be better spent to improve education and life on Kaua‘i” and that “the island desperately needs highway improvements, county road paving, alternate energy programs with KIUC — so many things that are more important and benefit more of the people.” So true, and so well said!
The big question arises as to why our administrative and legislative branches not listening to the people and taking the wise advice that so many of them are asking for?
Glenn Mickens, Kapa‘a
The words of the president
Yesterday I was watching CNN when I suddenly saw the U.S. president, Mr. Obama, appearing on the screen and eloquently speaking to the nation.
I heard him say: “The people of Hawai‘i have rights that are universal, that include the right … to determine their own destiny.” Then the phone rang and it woke me up from my slumber. Mr. Obama was still speaking.
Lucky for me in about 10 minutes there was a re-run. I could hear his speech in its entirety. This time he said: “The people of Egypt have rights that are universal, that include the right … to determine their own destiny.”
Hmmm, I wonder which statement was misspoken, or I just had a wishful dream and Mr. Obama never mentioned Hawai‘i in his speech? If so, I wonder what is it that the Hawaiians would have to do to hear this first statement live from a U.S. president with such a national urgency.
János Keoni Samu, Kalaheo
Movement started for free bus service
It appears a few of us are on to something, but it needs to be on the level of the Superferry to provoke more interest in our mission for free bus fares and/or door-to-door taxi ride-share program placement.
I went so far as to e-mail heleonbus@co.hawaii.hi asking information about their program, CCing both county mayors and our council chair hoping to open administrative dialogue. Immediate kind response indicated their deficits and potentially implementing a $1 fare, excluding students/elders.
Big Island has huge spaces comparatively, and respect for the public poor, disabled, homeless, elderly, student populace. Kaua‘i has a somewhat ‘disdainful’ disrespectful air.
Debra Kekaualua, Wailuauka, Hawai‘i
From one animal lover to another
I’m an animal lover. I live in Hanapepe Heights on Moi Road. I have a dog, four birds, some fish, and cats. I have one cat that stays in the house and a few outside cats.
One of my outside cats, my Persian named Coco, had been recuperating from an injury and was being kept in a large wire framed cage in my carport.
Last Monday morning I went outside to feed my cats. None of them were around. This was unusual since they are always waiting to be fed every morning.
I then went over to the cage to feed Coco. When I got there I found the cage still locked but no Coco.
I then noticed that a section of the wire framing had been pulled open. On the ground near the cage I then found Coco. She was dead and torn in pieces.
I then found two pit bull dogs loose on my property. While I did not see it happen, I can only assume that these two dogs are responsible for what happened to Coco. To this day I am still missing some of my outside cats.
I am writing this to warn other neighbors who may own cats or small dogs. They are not safe in their yard on their own property. As I said, I am an animal lover and I do not blame the two pit bull dogs.
I blame whoever owns them for not confining them to their own property.
Roy Buduan, Hanapepe
