• No increase in the GET! • How things work on Kaua‘i • Offended
by those anti-Kilauea Pavilion • Defeat detrimental bill
No increase in the GET!
Kudos to Sen. Kouchi and the W&M Committee for doing their job in setting the stage for all of us to work together to balance the budget without increasing the GET tax.
Now it’s time for us to contribute to the effort. Our families must reach out to members of our ‘ohana who are seniors, single parents or others members who are just having a hard time. We proved that we can do just that after Iniki.
Let’s bring that spirit back and reach out to family members who need help and take over some of the tasks that our state can no longer fund.
We must also be prepared to pay user fees, whether it’s for car rentals, tobacco, alcohol, state parks, or gasoline. These fees will help balance the budget, but they are expenses that we can choose to engage in. If we don’t use, we are not forced to pay.
Through all this, let’s keep our heads up, for we are just in a temporary state. Things will get better.
Ron Agor, Lihu‘e
How things work on Kaua‘i
Regarding the closure of the Kapa‘a Bypass for three weeks, Kay Obloy wrote in her April 8 letter, “Why can’t this work be done at night?”
I’m not sure how long you’ve lived on Kaua‘i Kay, but nothing that makes life simpler for Kaua‘i’s residents ever happens. The whole objective seems to be to see how much more the state and/or county can complicate our lives and add more unnecessary stress to our daily lives.
They figure if they distract us with things like sitting in traffic, then that will take away from us noticing other fumbles they commit. Besides, the longer we all sit in traffic, the more fuel we’ll require; which amounts to more taxes for both the state and county.
You see how it all ties in and how things work.
But while we’re all sitting in that traffic, at least we can enjoy the scenery that most people miss out on seeing while they’re rushing to get to their second or third job.
While sitting in that traffic, don’t forget to enjoy the scenery at Coco Palms, after all it has been sitting that way for the past 19 years; just in case you’ve never had the opportunity to enjoy that beautiful sight. Not!
Francine Grace, Lihu‘e
Offended by those anti-Kilauea Pavilion
I and many friends and neighbors have been deeply offended and extremely upset by some of the ways that those against the Kilauea Pavilion have presented themselves over the past couple weeks, including a very offensive video and the latest: last week’s tactless paid advertisement in the newspaper.
First, I personally know people who worked on the construction of the mini golf when the ad said that the developer did not hire any local groups, so nothing that ad or anything else they have been sending can be trusted.
Also, we all know that true, real “environmental” or “pro-agriculture groups” on Kaua‘i do not have the money to purchase full page color ads — Sierra or Surfrider or any of those groups participate in grassroots movements led by individuals who write letters and talk to each other. They do not run dirty political campaigns, which is what the small group against the Kilauea Pavilion has been doing.
This is not how we do it in Kaua‘i, and definitely not on the North Shore.
I was happy to receive a response by email that corrected many of the wrong statements in the ad. It is too long to print here, but I urge everyone to find out the real details and the truth for themselves.
Then, the opposition has now responded to that response with some more petty statements and more paid advertising on email databases. To this, I say: Stop with the rhetoric, just admit that you do not want it in your backyard. That would take you further than all the lies you have been perpetrating.
I fully support the Kilauea Pavilion and believe that it will be a very welcome and much used facility across the North Shore. More importantly, though, I am disgusted by the actions and lies of those who oppose it.
Amy Poplin, Princeville
Defeat detrimental bill
I am writing to you hoping that there is a way to awaken and inform your readers, my island friends and neighbors, to a very serious threat to their rights, physical and financial well-being.
In our complacency and ignorance, we are allowing big-business interests to write our laws in a way that will strip us of our right to fight for our very own lives, in some cases, and this just to enhance their profit margin.
HB1047, a proposed law being pushed through our Legislature by the health insurance companies, allows them to refuse to provide healthcare at their discretion, keep you from having any say in the decision, and making their decisions final — nothing that you can do about it.
Also appearing as SB1274, (just to confuse everyone) this bill will take medical decisions out of your hands, letting your insurance company dictate what care, if any, will be provided, regardless of medical need or doctor’s orders.
In the guise of an attempt to comply with federal recommendations to standardize, streamline and reduce medical costs, this bill does reduce medical costs, by denying care.
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their own ‘ohana. We are almost out of time. Please get involved in defeating this detrimental bill. Your own health and financial well-being may depend upon it.
Dana Nolen, Kapa‘a
