• Summary of ‘gas gate’ in order • Still dreaming after all these years • Cow dung blessing in disguise
Summary of ‘gas gate’ in order
Walter Lewis again proves that he is the best citizen advocate for good government we have on Kauai. His semi-monthly column (TGI, Feb. 14), “Question on mayor’s status still unresolved” proves this. His methodical analysis of the latest episode on the way our Kauai government malfunctions is classic.
For those of you who have followed this latest scandal, it is a matter that deserves the attention of every thoughtful Kauai citizen. Mr. Lewis goes into details of this event but for many, a summary may shed more light on this ongoing debacle.
First: Beginning in 2010, our county auditor did an audit of fuel usage by county employees that uncovered irregularities.
Second: His investigators found that a gas card for a county vehicle was given to the mayor and was being used for his private vehicle.
Third: The investigators went to the mayor’s office and asked if this allegation was true.
Fourth: With the advice of the county attorney, the county chief legal officer of the people to protect their interests and not his appointer, the mayor used his Fifth Amendment rights refusing to answer.
Fifth: HRS 78-9 states that if a government employee fails to answer a question about his conduct as to government affairs or property before a legally constituted authority, the employee’s position shall be terminated.
Sixth: Our auditor performed his function honestly and efficiently and uncovered the scandal. He is now being sanctioned for it. He has filed a lawsuit seeking recovery for this injustice.
The public needs to voice their outrage with what is happening and demand that those responsible for this “gas gate” be held accountable.
The mayor should accept the legal consequences for his conduct and leave his position, but if he does not do so the voters in November should deny him the opportunity to continue to abuse the office.
E Lynn Spears
Kapaa
Still dreaming after all these years
More headlines I would like to see:
– The “Keep Your Pants On” movement has swept worldwide, stunning population experts. In a widely viewed webcast one analyst exclaimed, “Human populations have stabilized and even dropped since the ‘Pants Back On’ movement took off. There is definitely a correlation between population numbers and pants.”
– In a ripple effect, GMO attorneys on Kauai have decided to drop their lawsuit. One weary lawyer explained, “Since human populations have stabilized, we really don’t have any reason to promote GMOs. Besides, it was too much fighting and not enough fun.” Later in the day, a huge line dance erupted on Rice Street, with GMO attorneys and council members Hooser and Bynum linking arms and dancing along with the crowd of several thousand.
– The 30-year waiting list for lands promised to native Hawaiians has been slashed to a 10-day wait.
– “All titles and deeds should be delivered within 10 days,” stated one HHL board member. Wishing to remain anonymous, another board member commented, “A 30-year waiting period is absurd.”
– Following the hugely successful introduction of the hydrogen powered car “Zoomie,” imports of oil from the Middle East have dropped to 10 percent of former levels. President Obama issued an order to pull back all U.S. warships from their positions in the Persian Gulf, immediately easing worldwide political tensions.
– On Kauai, Commander General of the Pacific Missile Range Facility stated in a formal press release: “The base will only be involved in military defensive operations from now on. All beaches will be open to the public.”
I’m still dreaming …
Molly Jones
Kealia
Cow dung blessing in disguise
Front page (The Garden Island, Feb. 26) “Dairy farm on Kauai.”
It seems every time you turn around every issue that we face as a community has a huge divided following. On one hand, you have Hawaii dairy farms investing $17.5 million on a planned dairy for the South Shore. Proposed are 1,800 dairy cows, on 582 acres of land, that will generate 80 pounds of manure per cow per day, which in turn develops 144,000 pounds of manure per day on site.
Wow, no wonder Bridget Hammerquist, a retired attorney in Koloa with a background in biology, said “it’s a disaster waiting to happen” as well as others who are ready to get on the bandwagon to stop it in its tracks.
When I read the numbers on this proposal the first thing that came to mind is that’s a lot of cow dung, about 52,560,000 pounds of cow dung a year! Question is what do you plan to do with it?
When I researched the typical scenario of dairies in the world, low and behold there were thousands of them who are currently making enough electricity from the methane to power their entire communities.
It was amazing to read the benefits the cow dung can bring to our island. Between solar, wind, batteries and cow dung, we can have reasonable electric rates and no more diesel fuel. It will be what’s needed now for jobs, environment and the future generations for the entire state.
Steve Martin
Kapaa
