Letters for Sunday, February 28, 2021

Letter about supporting local businesses is right on

Mahalo, Dr. Bulosan, for your outstanding Feb. 25 letter to business owners and community members to support our local businesses. I appreciated your direct and specific requests, the thoughtfulness you gave to how we can identify businesses to support (starting with those who have supported us and our causes), and your practical list of easy “to dos” to take positive action. I second your e-motion!

Marian Head, Kapa‘a

What a caring community

Feb. 22, Monday, around noon, I just finished a long mediation in court and (was) feeling great that I was again able to help people make peace in a legal dispute.

On my way home, I dropped something off in the Lihu‘e post office on Rice Street. When I was stepping into the crosswalk to get into my car parked near the Kaua‘i Museum, I was suddenly hit by something, and fell on the pavement with one shoe flying out.

I was quickly helped up by a lady (later I found out her name is Monica Carle of Lihu‘e), then I realized I was just hit by a pickup truck turning right into the street. Fortunately, the car was not driving fast, and it stopped immediately. My head did not hit the ground and I only had minor scrapes on my knee, elbow and one finger.

With Monica’s help I was able to stand up, and she helped me to sit inside the truck, with the driver, an older gentleman in his 70s sitting by my side, shaking badly.

I held his arm trying to calm him down, saying “I’m OK, don’t worry.” A young security guard (later I learned that her name is Mary Chris of First Hawaiian Bank) approached the truck and asked if I needed an ambulance and if I wanted to call the police.

I told her there was no need, I felt fine and I didn’t want to get the driver in trouble. Later, a few policemen came, talked to us separately and gave us a police report card.

While the driver and I were sitting outside the post office, another kind woman came out from the post office with bandages and hydrogen peroxide and covered my wounds (later I learned that she is the Postmaster Junlin Rivera). While waiting for the driver’s daughter, I learned that the driver lost his wife in 2015, had a stroke in 2018, and now suffers from anxiety attacks.

We exchanged names and phone numbers. After his daughter picked him up and my partner picked me up, we parted like good friends. Thereafter I went to Urgent Care for a checkup and was relieved to know everything was fine.

I went home, rested a bit and participated in the KKCR radio show as previously scheduled, giving a talk on moratorium and eviction. That night, the driver and I exchanged text messages to let each other know that we were all fine and wished each other a good night rest and sleep.

In an unexpected accident, so many people came to help instantly with great warmth and kindness. The passerby Monica said: “I was at the right place at the right time. In a single second we just do instinctively what heart says, and mine said that lady needs help. Go now!” A lesson learned: when in crosswalk, even you have the right of way, make sure to look left, right, left; and if there is a light button by the roadside, make sure to push it before stepping in the crosswalk.

And, most of all, I’m so grateful and appreciative that we live in such a lovely caring community!

With deep gratitude;

Sonia Song, Kapa‘a

Biden-Harris only team with chance for success

A battle won, but a war continued. Not just a simple battle. No, this was a gut-wrenching, people-dead-at-our-Capitol battle. Was this the last effort of the “white American male?” I doubt it, but we can always hope this change will remain and help our country grow.

What a change it is. The President, Joseph Biden, is a politician with a broad view of our America. By “broad” I mean years of experience and a view of politics from the head and heart. He doesn’t have the need to grab the almighty dollar as though it’s his life’s last meal. His need is to help his country and the world. That’s a broad view of his position as president of our “melting-pot” America.

His help mate in this endeavor is Ms. First Kamala Harris. I say “first” because she has been the first female African/Indian American female to be elected attorney general of California in 2010. In 2017 she was the first Indian/African American to be elected to the Senate (second Black woman); the first Black woman to appear on a major party’s national ticket, and now Kamala Devi Harris is the first Black/Asian (Indian) woman to be elected as vice president of the United States of America. Wow, that’s big, and a jump forward for our country. Truly an American melting pot.

This twosome have been handed an unbelievable job: The COVID-19 pandemic that has killed over 429,000 Americans as of Jan. 30; an economy in its death throes; an educational system restructured by people out of touch with reality; a country ravaged by white suprematists and politicians interested in their pocketbooks “only.”

Who in their right mind would take on these problems and global warming? We, Americans, are hoping we have the best team and only team that has a chance of success.

Dana Reid, Princeville

Kaua‘i will be an island just for the rich

I’d like to respond to Lauren Johnson’s letter (Forum, Feb. 18), “Housing is out of control.”

I agree with you, and I think you’re right. This is something where the blame is to the Realtors. If there are properties to be sold and the rich buyers want them or not, the Realtors will do whatever it takes to make them very attractive for the buyers to purchase them. So, blame this on the Realtors.

Have you heard of any Realtors trying to sell lands to a company, an organization, someone or somebody with money for the homeless or the poor? Of course not. Silly statement, or a stupid statement? Why? I am not smart, but I ask, because of my ignorance.

Have the state and counties involved where the buyers needs to be five years as residents, rather than the one year Lauren Johnson proposed, before buying properties. Stop the state and the counties sleeping with the Realtors and permitting them to find loopholes to make the sales possible, when it should not.

There were situations where agricultural lands were changed to residential lands. Since I know nothing about this property, was the ‘Aliomanu lands once upon a time an agricultural land? Or am I wrong? If it were an ag land, how was it possible for it to become residential? What and who made it residential? Wasn’t this place a pineapple field, too? So again, blame this on the Realtors.

The Realtors are greedy enough to target and deal with the rich. Do you believe the Realtors would spend a great deal of time with the small potatoes like me for smaller profits when, in an arm’s reach, they are larger and bigger profits to be had? Blame it on the Realtors. Look at Mark Zuckeberg, the Cases, Julia Roberts, Will Smith, the sugar fields at the Kukui‘ula estates and a lot of those rich people who bought properties and sold them them for very bigger profits. Yeah, blame this on the Realtors.

The locals making less than $100,000 a year are being slowly shoved aside and making the ways for the rich. It’s hard and very difficult to compete for choice lands when the rich can easily outbid and outbuy you. All the buyers need to do is to wave those dollar bills, and the Realtors will rush to them. Blame this on this Realtors.

And Lauren Johnson, you could beg, scream, yell and try to find ways for the state and counties for the wealthy to stop the landgrafting until you turn blue, and your only answer from them is that they will look into the matter or issue. You just wasted your breath, and you lose. Just blame this on the Realtors.

You’re right, Lauren Johnson, Kaua‘i will be an island just for the rich. Housing is already out of control. So, blame this on the Realtors.

Ray Domingo, Lihu‘e