Letters for Thursday, July 19, 2012
• Mahalo, warning from Tyson and Grams • In praise of ‘Bugsy Malone Jr.’ • Timeshares could offer better ice chests • Police Commission powers • Serve and protect the public, not the mayor • Time to call on divine intervention
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Mahalo, warning from Tyson and Grams
I am a physical therapist writing on behalf of Tyson Aipa Rivera and ‘Grams’ from Kapa’a. Tyson has been at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu for a little over a month receiving medical care and rehabilitation following an ATV accident in which he sustained a traumatic brain injury.
He has left-sided weakness and has made great strides in mobility over the past weeks in occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech language therapy.
He works hard through his impairments and fatigue, and his perseverance and motivation to get better has gotten him further than many thought he would get.
He has also started to be an unofficial spokesperson on the importance of wearing a helmet to his friends back home.
He is an inspiration to all who have worked with him and we wish him (and his grandmother) the best as he will transfer to Phoenix Children’s in the next few days for more intensive rehabilitation.
For all his efforts he has been awarded the “Hero of the Month” here at Kapi‘olani Medical Center.
They wanted to send out a big mahalo to everyone on Kaua‘i Grams wrote:
Tyson’s ‘ohana,
Thanks everyone for all the prayers and support keep it up as our journey is not over … until Tyson is home on Kaua‘i.
Mahalo,
Tyson, Grams and family
P.S. Tyson said use a helmet!
Jayna Lee, Honolulu
In praise of ‘Bugsy Malone Jr.’
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A child is a curly, dimpled lunatic.”
Times that by 50-plus kids, add music, great directors, fantastic costumes and the result is 50 curly, dimpled lunatics giving their hearts and soul to one of, if not the best, Summer Stars Shows ever!
Congratulations to all the parents, volunteers, artists and most of all to the vision of a handful of talented young directors who, year after year, supply their energy and love to the young children of Kaua‘i.
The best way to make children good is to make them happy. With this show, folks, they made me happy.
Bravo! Bravo!
Ronald Horoshko, Vice president, Hawai‘i Children’s Theatre, Kalaheo
Timeshares could offer better ice chests
After reading the recent letter regarding the use of Styrofoam food containers, I reflected on the use of Styrofoam ice chests.
I live in a timeshare where tourists arrive weekly. After their visits I often see Styrofoam ice chests in the trash.
These foam chests are inexpensive and begin to crumble and fall apart upon use.
There is no potential to recycle them and they become trash. They are dangerous to ocean life if they are left at the beach.
I wonder if the hotels, timeshares and other establishments that cater to tourists could help solve this problem by purchasing the heavier plastic (Coleman type) coolers.
These could be placed in each unit and would be easily washed for the next occupant.
This could be a step to “going green” and protecting our beautiful island.
Holly Harris, Kapa‘a
Police Commission powers
The Kaua‘i Charter now provides that the Police Commission has the authority to hire and fire the police chief, but the mayor has contended he has the power to discipline the chief.
The County Council recently rejected by a 4 to 2 vote authorizing a charter amendment that would allow voters to decide that the Police Commission, and not the mayor, has the disciplinary power.
After the council vote, Councilwoman Joanne Yukimura, who seldom refrains from offering her views on anything, stated: “If the voters approve the charter amendment, it would create chaos in the county, as boards and commission are made up of voluntary lay-people who meet intermittently.”
This statement was as insulting to the dedicated board and commission members who serve our county as it was foolish.
The statement was ill-justified in several respects. It melodramatically and wrongfully asserts that “chaos” would result from entrusting discipline to the body that has hiring and firing power which is the normal pattern in both government and industry.
It insinuates that commissioners described as “voluntary lay-people,” who were appointed by the mayor and approved by the council members, lack the ability to make important decisions.
There is no adequate reason in logic or history to believe that our Police Commission members lack the intelligence or judgment to take or to refrain from taking disciplinary action when required.
The statement says that the commission meets “intermittently.” That is true, but their attention is full time on police matters. The mayor only gives intermittent attention to such matters.
The proposed charter amendment arose because of the dispute about disciplinary authority over the police chief. As councilmembers KipuKai Kauali‘i and Mel Rapozo, the members of the Police Commission and many thoughtful members of the public agree, the charter already confers disciplinary authority on the commission.
A pending lawsuit is expected to confirm this result. If it does not then a charter amendment may be appropriate.
It is unfortunate that taxpayers will have to meet the $20,000 or more costs of the lawsuit because our mayor sought to expand his powers.
Glenn Mickens, Kapa‘a
Serve and protect the public, not the mayor
Why are our mayor, the Police Commission and the County Council spending considerable public tax dollars on operating expenses and lawsuits deciding who has authority and responsibility for Kaua‘i Police Department oversight?
How does this affect the public? Imposing traffic fine surcharges to generate government tax revenues for politically profitable Safe Routes is now acceptable.
Politicians ignore mentioning that every traffic ticket written increases our total state budget deficit — traffic tickets provide considerably less revenue than the total costs of the legal process.
If it is pono to build sidewalks with fine surcharges, wouldn’t $10,000 DUI, $1,000 moving violation, $500 misdemeanor surcharges, or $1 million dollar smoking at the beach surcharges, build sidewalks quicker than $15 per ticket?
Who has oversight when KPD acts as taxation agents? Should a mayor have authority over the police chief? Coconut wireless KPD a ticket quota schedule and the locations for enforcement to raise desired tax revenues? Should public (the Police Commission) oversight and the chief determine priorities and field policy?
Checks and balances resulting from separations of county powers apply to mayors.
It is ironic that we just celebrated Independence Day, the beginning of a long and deadly struggle by men and women who believed that government exists solely by the consent of the people.
In 1776 police authority was a power of the king, not created and controlled by the power of the policed.
The Kaua‘i police have sworn to serve and protect the public, not the mayor.
As a student of American civics’, it seems prudent and proper that a group of my peers, private citizens from diverse walks of life, selected by the mayor and vetted by the council, be given sole authority and responsibility to control the policy, weapons and authority of my police chief and my police department.
No one can serve two masters. KPD serves We the People, not the mayor.
Lonnie Sykos, Kapa‘a
Time to call on divine intervention
Saturday’s online forum had the closest to highlighting reasons why, in total frustration, I offered free rides.
Many of my forum writings have tried to inform and otherwise stimulate the otherwise complacent attitudes of too many residents from elsewhere that have had a hand in the rampant destructions.
Over 40 years that I’ve seen developers come and go, 10-story height restrictions being circumvented twice, Princeville boom, Niumalu-Nawiliwili Tenants, Nukoli’i and placing the Hyatt or otherwise demolishing Maha‘ulepu and Keoneloa Bay, a once pristine and highly sensitive region, add local politicians circumventing laws toward more military presence, her U.S. vice presidential goal and Superferry that was shoved down our throats, and now the continued harassment of recent kanaka maoli, who would have the audacity to stand firm, but are now called criminals, as they poised in front of a backhoe, watching further disrespect and desecration, especially in lieu of septic system install?
It is a sad state of affairs that I’m afraid only divine intervention can correct.
Debra Kekaualua, Wailua Homesteads
