A belated, heartfelt mahalo
A belated, heartfelt mahalo
I regret not having had the wit to get the names of the two truly gentle men who helped me find my feet and my wallet when I took a tumble at the Lawa‘i 7-Eleven on Jan. 9.
They deserve better than a simple “mahalo,” but that is the best I can offer. Much gratitude to them and to all the others like them who make up the Kaua‘i community of caring folks. Indeed, we live on one of the blessed isles.
Best wishes to all for a blessed new year.
H.M. Wyeth, Anahola
Candidate-credential column was ‘hyperbole’
Gary Hooser’s column, “Qualifications for council candidates restrictive,” published 1/12/22, states that Kaua‘i’s rules to run as a candidate for Kaua‘i County Council are too restrictive, as residents must have been registered to vote on Kaua‘i for two years preceding an election to run.
Hooser’s claim that such restrictions disenfranchise Kaua‘i residents is hyperbole.
Residents who are responsible voters would be eligible at age 20, after two years of registering to vote, which can be gleaned at the age of 18. Regarding the requirement to be a registered voter on Kaua‘i for two years, Kaua‘i should be appaulded by its constituents. If a resident is not an active voter, defined by their failure to even register to vote, perhaps they aren’t the most-suitable candidate to represent the island.
If Hooser really feels differently, perhaps he should present a real case of potential island leadership that is unfairly ineligible under such policy.
Thanks!
Morgan Myrmo, Honolulu
Morgan; let’s say you decided to move from Honolulu, where you apparently live now according to your letter, to Kauai. You would not be eligible to run for County Council for 2 years, despite your obvious knowledge and interest in Kauai politics. Why shouldn’t you, or anyone who is a register voter here, be restricted from running for office? Don’t you have an immediate stake in what happens on our Island as soon as you begin living here? I don’t understand the 2 year restriction. It assumes too much, like anyone who hasn’t lived here for a full 2 years doesn’t understand Kauai’s issues. Obviously, someone who lives in Honolulu is current on our issues, like you.
I believe the two year requirement is to prevent newcomers who don’t know the local culture from taking office and changing our island character to suit their mainland point of view.
The amount of garbage that has accumulated along the roadside since reopening the island is a sign of the lack of respect for the aina by people who don’t even know what aina means. We certainly don’t need people like this making decisions for the rest of us.
I believe you’re mistaken about the source of garbage, Robert. Tourists don’t come to Hawaii to build palette bon fires on the beach, then abandon them after they’ve tossed enough empty Corona bottles into them for someone else to pick up. In the 20 years that I’ve lived here, the only garbage I’ve seen tossed out of car and truck windows is propelled by local arms. The tourists don’t come here with the intention of abandoning cars along the road or on our beaches. That’s the signature of Hawaii’s homeless locals. just about ALL of the trash you see on this island where it doesn’t belong is of local doing. The people who spend small fortunes to visit Hawaii have infinitely more respect and reverence for Kauai than most of the people who were born here, and they aren’t going to waste their vacation time trying to find inventive ways to leave garbage in the bushes next to abandoned mini vans.
Robert,
I highly doubt the increased trash you now see is caused directly by visitors. More likely locals who are now also on the move since the island reopened. Visitors don’t travel this distance and incur all the cost to trash this place.