• Don’t be afraid to ask and receive • Outside influences trying to change Kauai • County manager system would be better
Don’t be afraid to ask and receive
Again, regarding “Women’s Circles” (TGI, Feb. 26).
This subject is obviously one of importance. It is one that is also misunderstood. Somewhere along the path from creation to the present, something went terribly wrong.
Appreciation for being alive has been diluted into afraid to live. So much energy is spent fearing one thing or another. And even more energy is spent instilling further fear.
We live in this world of magnificent possibilities, yet many of us believe what we are told to believe … and far too many of us tell others to believe that same belief.
But to quote a very special piece of truth: “A belief is just a thought you keep on thinking” (Abraham).
Then, to follow that with another very special truth: “Change your beliefs … change your life” (Seth).
It is that simple. If you believe that things never go your way, then chances are, things will never go your way. If you believe in, “Ask and it shall be given,” then you can be certain you will receive what you ask for. Ask! Believe! Allow yourself to receive!
The freedom in receiving gifts is found in having nothing to hide … to relish in what you have asked for. And when the gifts become large enough to be considered “income,” all you have to do is pay the appropriate income tax amount and you will not have to spend an ounce of energy on the fear of doing anything illegal. And when you have nothing to fear, you can enjoy the fun of being alive and the freedom to live life more fully!
Elle Homer
Hanalei
Outside influences trying to change Kauai
As a local, born and raised here on Kauai, I would like to weigh in on the issue of vehicles on the beach. I grew up going to Polihale, Hanalei and other places where it’s a tradition to drive on the beach to where you set up camp and enjoy the day.
I strongly oppose any regulation that seeks to restrict vehicular access to our beaches. This is what I would refer to as a “haole” idea, no offense intended. Every day more of our liberties are being eroded. It’s an outsider’s mindset behind this — a mindset that should stay in Washington.
I understand that there are folks out there who just love submitting to the big government bureaucracy. It’s understandable, there are lemmings in every society.
However, we, the people of Kauai, should not have another ordinance shoved down our throats because of outside influence. Besides, these are not laws, they are ordinances that the people do not have the opportunity to vote for.
We already have enough silly restrictions, like the fact that people can’t talk and drive despite government putting distracting signs up that you have to read while driving. You’ve seen them, the ones telling you not to use a phone while driving. You tell me what’s more distracting?
Frankly, I’m tired of it. The visitor who wrote the initial editorial on this issue should stick to eroding personal liberties in his own state. That mindset does not belong here. Don’t like it? You’d love Oahu!
Dan O’Flaherty
Kapaa
County manager system would be better
Let me say up front that I do not believe that our mayor, Bernard Carvalho Jr., is a bad person. In our encounters over the years he has always been courteous and respectful regardless of our many differences in the way our government is run.
In my view, he has hired many people in critical positions who need experience and education to properly make the right decisions, decisions that they cannot make due to their lack of knowledge. These people are in those positions due to relationships and political favors and thus our system fails to operate in a favorable way.
No one person, president, governor or mayor has the expertise to make all the decisions that affect the lives of their constituents in a positive way. But that person can and should hire qualified people around him who can help make right decisions for the benefit of everyone. And this is where our mayor has failed by using the archaic system that has stagnated our government in the past and in real time.
The total infrastructure of this beautiful island is in a deteriorating mode, whether it is our roads, our solid waste program, our horrendous traffic, the TVR problem or our master plan for maintenance and keeping Kauai operational and beautiful. The mayor’s latest major problem with “gas-gate” would never have happened if he had been given proper legal advice from lawyers he hired to advise him.
My hope is that the citizens of Kauai will seriously consider changing directions from the stagnated “old boy” system to a county manager style of government. Under this system, the mayor would still be elected but would sit as one of the seven council members as the chair; and they, as a body, would hire a person to serve as county manager.
The council would set policy and the vision for the future of the county. The manager would be tasked with carrying out the day-to-day operations as well as taking the county in the direction of the vision set by council. All of this would be done by following the policies, again set by council. Should he not do the job he was hired to do, he could, at any time, be fired, unlike a mayor, who will be at his job for four years until a new person is elected.
There is no system in the running of our government that is faultless, but this system has been successfully proven wherever used, so before we continue on this downward spiral course, let’s give it a try.
Ken Taylor
Kapaa
