• Shame on you, Kauai government • Stop spending money to boost tourism Shame on you, Kauai government A few months ago, I wrote an article for TGI about Salt Pond County Park, the neglected stepchild of the county. After
• Shame on you, Kauai government • Stop spending money to boost tourism
Shame on you, Kauai government
A few months ago, I wrote an article for TGI about Salt Pond County Park, the neglected stepchild of the county. After that there was a very slight, but temporary, improvement — only in the cleaning, but not in the overall condition of the park.
After a couple of weeks we were back to base one — cleaning the bathrooms. There are two bathrooms in the park. One is in the camping area, which is close to the salt beds, and the other one at the distant end of the park. The camping area is used mainly by visitors from foreign countries, plus some local families, and we extend our aloha to them regardless, because they are all our guests.
In the morning the bathrooms closest to the camping area should be cleaned first, because this is what the campers visit first thing in the morning. Interestingly, the cleaning begins at the distant end of the park five days every week, but the camping area bathroom is left for last, except on the two days when a substitute caretaker is there, who cleans the bathrooms first and then goes around to remove the trash in the park.
How come the supervisor does not notice it or does nothing about it?
The problem is much greater. Salt Pond Park is the only popular park with a beach for local families and organizations on the Westside to have larger gatherings, so despite the neglected condition of it, large number of people use it on the weekends. But it is still neglected, and what I have found recently clearly indicates this neglect.
There are public meetings and testimonies regarding the General Plan update, and in the 330-page draft of the General Plan there is no word (I checked it!) about making any improvements at Salt Pond Park in the next 20 years.
The draft shows a goal to expand the park, but no improvements are planned. Now when you think of the millions of dollars reported by TGI as the extra revenue every week from the larger number of visitors on Kauai, and still the county government does not have an intent to improve Salt Pond Beach Park facilities, this is clearly gross negligence.
The draft mentions three times the protection of the so-called Hawaiian monk seals, which they don’t need, but does not call for the improvement of the park. It is not forgetfulness; it is negligence, gross negligence. County officials, you are also responsible for the recreation of the local communities, but you chose not to care for it, especially on the Westside. Therefore, we can give you only an aloha ‘ino, which means “It’s a shame.”
Jeremy Apo, Hanapepe
Stop spending money to boost tourism
State of Hawaii’s: HTA (Hawaii Tourism Authority) annual budget is $90 million.
HTA has accomplished its goal — everyone knows: Hawaii tourist destination.
Disband HTA: Put our tax dollars of $90 million into our schools: Kapaa Elementary needs that library which has a $2 millionshortfall to finish building it (only 20 years behind schedule).
Kapaa Boys & Girl’s Club keiki deserve a flush toilet.
AC for schools and backlog of repairs.
Our parks are shameful, unsafe, inadequate for our children.
No wonder, regarding suicide: “Kauai is second highest in the nation.” (TGI, Oct. 23)
David Presley’s TGI Letter published Oct. 26: “Those in power support growth” is truth.
The fiduciary taxpayers’ money is mismanaged and our children suffer, as do residents and the “visitor,” e.g., tourist alike,i.e., road rage daily and our EMTs are overwhelmed.
Awaken, our slumbering taxpayers.
Bonnie P. Bator and ohana, Anahola
