• “Green Harvest” or “Big Brother?” • KIUC missing the
point • Just show us the photos
“Green Harvest” or “Big Brother?”
As I laid my 4-month old daughter down for her nap, I began to hear the low pulsating in the distance. Then the noise grew louder and louder, as it flew closer and lower around my neighborhood and then my home in Wainiha. Irritated and trying to make sure my little girl doesn’t wake, I grit my teeth at the realization of “Green Harvest.” They’re back!
I find it odd and hypocritical that this annoying program is still active and receiving funding. As medicinal marijuana becomes more prevalent in its variety of uses and the debate over legalizing marijuana remains on the horizon, why is it considered necessary for helicopters to eerily patrol overhead? I can’t help but feel like “Big Brother” is watching.
And in a time when our nation needs to restructure and prioritize, why does this feel like we are regressing and wasteful?
Instead of funding this unnecessary and invasive operation, perhaps they could allocate those funds toward a better and more immediate State cause. Maybe they could use that money to rehabilitate crystal meth users? Maybe they could use that money to prevent the homeless epidemic? Maybe they could use that money to stop Furlough Fridays and properly employ our teachers? Maybe they could use that money to bring back the schools’ arts and athletics programs?
But what do I know, I’m just a new mom, trying to make sure my daughter gets the rest she needs as a noisy helicopter repeatedly flies over our house.
Lanae Anakalea, Hanalei
KIUC missing the point
KIUC’s Board of Directors was petitioned by its members for a member vote to engage Free Flow Power and hold a special meeting to discuss the process. KIUC responds, “KIUC is working with its outside legal counsel to review the petitions, verify signatures, and certify the results. The cooperative will also begin planning for a special meeting so it is prepared should the petition be certified as having the required number of unique, valid signatures.”
With all due respect, does the Board of Directors realize it is not recognizing the spirit and intent of the petition? I think not!
By sending it for verification of “unique, valid signatures” to “outside counsel,” I feel has deepened the adversarial position with its frustrated members and certainly with me. It had the opportunity to say to its members, “OK, we got the spirit and intent of your message. We will assume there is enough sentiment to proceed without holding up the ballots and checking the chads!”
I want the KIUC Board of Directors to:
• rescind the instruction “to check the chads,”
• stop squandering our money on outside counsel and
• proceed to hold a member vote on the board’s decision to engage Free Flow Power and
• hold a special meeting of the membership to discuss that process.
And I want KIUC to treat the members like family! We ARE its Ohana! Make it official policy in its by-laws! Mahalo!
Tek Nickerson, Wailua Homesteads
Just show us the photos
Stephen Shioi in his recent LTE (Visuals unnecessary) says, “Mr. Rosen’s macabre need to see death images is a little disturbing to me.”
Well Mr. Shioi, It’s disturbing to me that people like Donald Trump, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity will continue their rants as they did with the birth certificate incident until such time as photos are released. Not releasing photos gives way to conspiracy theorists, when Saddam Hussein was hung the U.S. released photos of his death, and there were no repercussions.
When JFK was assassinated we saw that visual numerous times, in the meantime the networks show images of a nice looking man in a turban. Show the bullet ridden body of this modern day Hitler. By showing the photos it may deter someone from acts of violence and will shut up the right!
We finally shut the birthers up and now give way for a whole new spin zone, just show the photos, we are not children, we can handle it.
The controversial filmmaker Michael Moore says, Osama bin Laden was executed and this is the reason the government is not releasing any images of the death of bin Laden?
I believe our president made a great move, taking down Bin Laden and saving the taxpayers millions of dollars if he would have been captured alive and gone to trial.
The world is a better place without this modern day Hitler.
Remember “show me the money?” How about “Just show us the photos,” and remember each picture is worth a thousand words…
James “Kimo” Rosen, Kapa‘a
