Musings Please don’t take umbrage at this piece. With all the really serious problems facing most of us, this is meant as a semi-serious look at some things that may make you happy, angry, sad or ambivalent. These are just
Musings
Please don’t take umbrage at this piece. With all the really serious problems facing most of us, this is meant as a semi-serious look at some things that may make you happy, angry, sad or ambivalent. These are just musings; things that we observe everyday that may or may not affect you.
For example: whoever started wearing baseball caps backward? I played professional baseball and the only player that wore a backward cap was the catcher. Now the catcher doesn’t even wear a cap at all. Nonetheless a backward cap does not protect one’s face, as it was intended, and looks so goofy, I can hardly restrain myself from laughing.
When did “no problem” replace “you’re welcome” from service employees?
Does everyone concur that Dr. Monty Downs, Dennis Fujimoto and James “Kimo” Rosen are all living legends on Kaua‘i for really different reasons? Da Mayor is as lovable as his predecessor, Mayor Baptiste and as ubiquitous.
Why do so many people drive at dusk and dawn without using their headlights?
This one stultifies me: why do people still scoff at the leash law on public beaches? My dog (15 pounds) has been attacked by much larger dogs off leash. One clown had the temerity to declare his dog in a “leash free zone” between the Hanalei Pier and the Pavilion. What?
I love dogs and own two myself, but when unleashed dogs run and play on public beaches, knock over keiki playing in the water or crash through peoples’ beach sites, I blame the owners not the dog.
The greatest customer service employees are at Home Depot; the best service employees are at Bar-a-cuda.
The residents of this island are the friendliest people on Earth. The exceptions are those immersed in the drug culture.
Why did anyone allow a certain North Shore developer to lie, break promises, break up communities, cause loss of jobs and continue his predations without consequences?
These are only my ruminations for today. I hope this will encourage those of you who have concerns to voice them in this forum. I love the 99 percent of us that represent this great nation.
Skip Rush, Princeville
Kaua‘i electric rates remain too high
A fine letter Nov. 3 by Ken Stokes telling how the people are now using less Electricity than they did in the past. And let’s hope that they continue on this path into the future, whether it is by turning to solar, wind, hydro or whatever it takes to get off of fossil fuel.
But let’s look at another avenue of thought that definitely has to be considered.
If I remember correctly when KIUC bought our utility from Citizens Utility they paid $220 million for it. I believe that those involved with the purchase were originally saying that $280 million was the best price we could pay for it. But the PUC and the Consumer Advocate vetoed that price and allowed a final buyout of the $220 million figure — which was about $50 million over book value.
The question I have repeatedly asked our KIUC people is how are we going to repay this debt with RUS — plus I believe another $68 million for a new diesel generator.
Since there is the very real possibility that the big users of electricity on Kaua‘i like PMRF, the hotels and the county will co generate their own power and go off the grid, how will KIUC ever pay off this huge debt? And since solar power and other alternate means of generating electricity are coming on line the problem of paying off this debt is even more unlikely.
It seems that those of us left on the grid will see our rates go from the highest in the nation to the highest in the world and that burden cannot happen to the citizens on Kaua‘i.
Does KIUC have an answer for this question?
Glenn Mickens, Kapa‘a
Quit abusing yourself
and others
A championship belt, some trophies, and maybe prize money are all good to have when winning a competition.
This competition (MMA which has come so popular on the island) has no age limit or gender rules.
It strikes me funny to know that the law has provided us with a child protection agency. They do a great job protecting children against violent physical abuse, psychological and mental abuse, child neglect, and so on.
The law also provide us with judges, attorneys, and police officers who do a fine job protecting us from assaults and terroristic threatening, etc.
Yet when it comes to MMA all of the above mentioned go out to enjoy this kind of entertainment that promote bodily harm — such as a black eye, clover ears, lost tooth and blood, head trauma, death, etc.
All who participate in this MMA should follow Mr. Penn’s lead and quit this type of abuse on oneself and others.
Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele
