• Make their votes count • Natural gas would be better for the environment • Board vote will be justified • Hale ‘Opio should run treatment center Make their votes count With the recent appointment of Councilman Kawakami to replace
• Make their votes count • Natural gas
would be better for the environment • Board vote
will be justified • Hale ‘Opio should run
treatment center
Make their votes count
With the recent appointment of Councilman Kawakami to replace Rep. Mina Morita, the current council has a unique opportunity to choose who will fill the vacant seat.
It would seem logical and the most democratic way to use the recent last election as a guide. Choosing the eighth place candidate as the new council member will help instill confidence and trust in the electoral process.
The voters would essentially decide; their votes would count.
Noelle Cambeilh, Kapa‘a
Natural gas would be better for the environment
We have all been subjected to price rises in everything. Gas and propane among them.
I was wondering if we could consider natural gas, latest exploration has found abundant sources throughout the world. A lot of people on this island cook their food, dry their clothes, heat their water, I fuel my vehicle with propane.
The oil companies I’m sure make a lot producing propane. The conversion from LPG to LNG is relatively easy a lot of appliances are equipped for either application.
The infrastructure for delivery of these fuels is almost identical. Also there is a safety factor, propane sinks to low places, natural gas dissipates upward.
It would be better for the environment if we could generate our electric with natural gas. I think we all could use a little help with our fuel prices!
Gary Gorsline, Kapa‘a
Board vote will be justified
I believe I would be 100 percent correct in assuming that like a majority of KIUC (Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative) members, Mr. Ken Taylor would like KIUC to provide two things: (1) lower energy costs and (2) cleaner energy supply.
The KIUC Board of Directors voted, after much discussion I’m sure, six-to-three in favor of the merits they perceived in an agreement to pursue the joint development of several small hydroelectric projects on Kaua‘i to help achieve these goals.
Unfortunately, Mr. Taylor urges the KIUC Board in his April 7 letter to “reject the FERC process” for the reason that “the FERC process, like all federal processes, is procedural, not substantive … the substance of your testimony is not relevant.”
He then proceeds to itemize “rights” or “concepts” which would be adversely affected or ignored or imposed by this “federal process” such as federal eminent domain, protection of Hawaiian rights, rights of living or future Hawaiians, Mainland company (seizing) water rights, et cetera…. as aids to his scare tactics.
“Federal processes” serve as models for many, if not all state, county or local government processes. To say that “all federal processes are procedural, not substantive,” is hypocritical in light of seeing Mr. Taylor on television (Channel 53) practically at every Kaua‘i County Council or committee meeting offering his “substantive” advice, suggestions or criticisms on agenda items.
This is admirable, but if the “substance of your testimony is not relevant,” why bother at all?
To the contrary, I believe that public testimony, if relevant to the issue or matter being considered by any government agency, is not wasted; it is given the weight it deserves. The substance of testimony in support of the proposed hydroelectric projects for Kaua‘i will not go down the drain. The six-three vote of the Board will be justified.
Alfred Laureta, Lihu‘e
Hale ‘Opio should run treatment center
In the early ‘70s, the Po‘ipu Loren Station was the best example of an adolescent drug treatment facility that eventually moved to the Puhi area Wilcox Estate and finally Kapahi/Lawa‘i houses.
As I recall, this team has advocated almost 50 years and are known as Hale ‘Opio. In my humble estimation and once having worked as a house mom for them, I know they have structured policies and procedures that are almost exactly paralleled with the proposed treatment facility’s intent.
I suggest that instead of allowing other than Kaua‘i people implementing this project idea, that Hale ‘Opio be considered as the primary entity to move this forward, away from Isenberg.
It makes total sense that instead, Hale Opio might consider renovating the old Nawiliwili Road mansion, which certainly needs preservation as Hale ‘Opio once did similarly at Loren/Wilcox sites.
Hale ‘Opio has all the experience and should become the lead entity to work alongside whoever it is that is proposing the treatment facility, in our Kaua‘i back yard.
Debra Kekaualua, Wailuauka, Hawai‘i
