Big money controlling elected officials
Big money controlling elected officials
We are all deeply saddened by the school shootings in recent years. I think most citizens think something must change relative to obtaining and using guns. Unfortunately unless our campaign funding laws are changed our elected politicians will continue to be controlled by such organizations as the IRA and Koch Brothers. These very lax rules allow control of our politicians by large donors. This was made even worse when the Roberts Supreme Court lessened rules in 2010. The only way we can take back our politicians is through a system where all candidates get the same amount of funding from the government. As long as we allow the big money to control our elected officials there will never be the regulations and laws needed to protect our children in school.
John Gordon, Princeville
Bikes not the solution to traffic
What a great “Other Voices” article Larry Arruda wrote in TGI Feb. 15, “It’s Risky Business To Mix Bicycles, Vehicles.”
Larry is not against using bikes but mixing the use of bikes with vehicles is an accident waiting to happen. That white line along our roads or bike images on the roads are certainly not barriers that will prevent injuries.
We are spending over $6 million per mile to build a bike (multi-use) path from Anahola to Nawiliwili and even though only six miles of it have been completed in 16 years, a bike event like this could have certainly been used instead of a heavily traveled road. When a bike path is built it has rules stating that no motorized vehicle shall use it (except emergency vehicles) so for safety reasons alone why not use it? Certainly the fast riders should not be using it but this event was for casual riders.
One of my best friends who recreational rode his bike was hit three times and finally gave it up before he got killed. And I have other friends who ride bikes for exercise here in the homesteads but not on heavy traffic streets like Rice.
Encouraging people of all ages to participate in an event like this without proper safety precautions (like closing the streets as with marathons) could bring a huge lawsuit to the county if someone were injured.
Thank you, Larry, for a well done, well thought out article.
Glenn Mickens, Kapaa
Big Money is the route of all evil
Mixing bicycles and vehicles on our roadways is a given. It’s not likely that separate bicycle paths will be built around the island. It’s up to EVERYONE on the road to be considerate and share the common space. I ride a motorcycle too and see similar behaviors towards motorcyclists as I see towards bicyclists. Car drivers are not thoroughly trained to look out for other types of vehicles on the road. A licensed bicycle has the same rights and responsibilities as any other vehicles. While I respect dissenting views, that’s the law.
It’s good we have only two anti bike path, anti bike use, writers on Kauai. We don’t have to waste time very often like we all did on these two recent letters. The reason it’s good that there’s two, not one, is that they both can keep giving the “one dumb friend” examples!
Glenn, you and Larry should go rent bikes sometime and check out the bike path. You might like it and it would especially be great for you to find a new hobby besides writing letters to the editor.