Letters for Aug. 3, 2015

Letters for Aug. 3, 2015

Restrictions on visitors would help

I agree with the proposed changes to Haena State Park to limit the number of people there at one time. The statement that many local people don’t want to go there because there are too many tourists is not only true of the park, it’s true of the whole island. I wonder if we could somehow limit the number of “visitors” on the entire island? Like many parks through the country, you make a reservation. Our infrastructure is about at the limit right now.

You stop any new building of hotels, don’t issue any more vacation rental permits and only allow the number of people visiting the island to equal the capacity of existing tourist accommodations. Then everyone is always full. No loss of revenue. And everyone, visitor and locals alike, would have a more pleasant and less crowded experience.

If additional revenue is needed maybe we should petition the state to build a new large multi-purpose prison to house various levels of offenders. Build it right next to the KIUC solar distribution center in Anahola. It would fit right in with the existing architecture of that structure. No one would even tell the difference.

This could be a new shift in the way we utilize our visitor industry, solve our lack of roads and make life pleasanter for all.

John Humphrey

Hanalei

Consider shuttle, parking fee for Haena

Regarding proposed Haena changes, rather than a visitor center and constructed boardwalk, really altering the face of Ke’e, there seems a glaring solution that doesn’t need all the modifications being proposed.

The solution is an honest to goodness North Shore shuttle or bus system, operating during peak summer months every 15 minutes during high volume times, coupled with tourist parking fees at Ke’e of $20-$30 per vehicle.

There needs to be financial incentive for the average visitor in a rental car to not drive the 15-30 minutes to simply park their car for the day at Ke’e. There’s only one main road here, people. Public transit honestly is a joke, and it doesn’t have to be.

I wonder what the catch is? Rental car companies bought off the system to keep their cash cow flowing at the expense of all our residents?

If I could catch a bus every 15 minutes to the end of the road, I’d take it. For the county to try a shuttle during the winter, and then pull the plug for low ridership, when they’d have excessive ridership in our summer months — that seemed a set-up for failure.

A 600-plus page study? Really? I just gave you the cost saving answer in 250 words. Honestly, cut the crap please. Make it easy to take public transport and expensive to park.

One year later, there will be smiles all around, or continue with a master plan that spends money and irritates most everyone else but contractors. Time for a change in thinking.

Jenn Tyler

Hanalei

County not disclosing important information

County government continues to treat the citizens of Kauai like mushrooms — keeping them in the dark and piling manure on their heads.

We are informed that we cannot be told whether a police officer, who was charged with DWI and placed on leave, is on paid or unpaid leave. That is a total fabrication and that information is made available all of the time when public employees are placed on leave in other places.

Next, we are told that the case has been transferred to the state Attorney General because of a potential conflict of interest. However, we can’t be told what that conflict of interest is.

Lastly, Michael Kocher died after being hit by a car and then struck again by the responding officer. But, we can’t be told the identity of the officer.

This stonewalling of information which the public has every right to know is unacceptable and those responsible need to be held accountable.

Linda Estes

Koloa

Roads being poorly managed

Lunacy strikes! Kauai’s roads on the North Shore, East Shore and South Shore are in horrible shape. We received substantial funds for maintenance and repair, and what did we do? We butchered a fine Nawiliwili Road, fronting the Kukui Grove shopping Center. Meanwhile, the rest of the island languishes in dangerous, damaged roadways. Hard to believe! This simply screams for a county manager!

Dick Schulz

Princeville