• Don’t condemn KIUC with bird lawsuit • Aiona a father, public servant and man of faith • Kilauea pavilion will cause noise, traffic Don’t condemn KIUC with bird lawsuit Shame on you environmental groups for suing KIUC — our
• Don’t condemn KIUC with bird lawsuit • Aiona a father, public servant and man of faith • Kilauea pavilion will cause noise, traffic
Don’t condemn KIUC with bird lawsuit
Shame on you environmental groups for suing KIUC — our lifeline.
You do not kill the source of power that saves lives in clinics, hospitals, care homes, etc. or are you more interested in saving birds over human lives?
Instead of condemning our power supplier, you should offer suggestions and help them improve the situation — get on the Board!
KIUC does not put up power lines to kill birds, but cater to our needs for comfort and survival.
Saw a car run over a bird on the road — do we sue the driver? He tried to dodge it and almost ended up in a ditch which could have caused injury or even death.
Let’s not condemn; let’s help improve instead.
Our public is stressed out enough; do not make it worse with higher bills.
Tom Laverly, Kapa‘a
Aiona a father, public servant and man of faith
I was disappointed to see The Garden Island publish a hurtful and misleading opinion editorial by Kathleen Sands, an associate professor at UH Manoa, albeit in her personal capacity. Her methodically choreographed attack on Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona is full of mistruths and should serve as a warning to your readers that political year “mudslinging” has begun.
As a husband and father with a strong faith in God, Duke Aiona is used to criticism from political opportunists. But the truth is that he supports people of all faiths. He routinely attends a number of faith-based activities, including the Honpa Hongwanji Buddhist Mission of Hawai‘i, which is referenced by Ms. Sands as a group our lieutenant governor would oppose. Each year, Aiona also signs proclamations, along with Gov. Linda Lingle, to honor of a wide variety of religious customs, traditions and ceremonies.
But you wouldn’t know any of that by reading Ms. Sand’s hit piece. You also wouldn’t know that Duke Aiona is a Catholic. Ms. Sands failed to mention it in her 700-plus word letter, even though it was based entirely on the lieutenant governor’s faith.
But Ms. Sands’ letter went further than simply attacking the lieutenant governor for being a person of faith. She indulges in the worst form of political fear mongering by quoting other people out-of-context in an effort to make it appear as though Duke Aiona said the words himself. She also brings up the Constitution as if Duke Aiona is unaware that the United States of America cannot and should not establish religion. As a former city prosecutor, former state judge and now as lieutenant governor, Duke Aiona is not just aware of the Constitution; he has spent his entire adult life upholding and defending it.
Despite her claim to be an ardent defender of the Constitution, it is peculiar that Ms. Sands criticizes the lieutenant governor for exercising his first amendment right to attend a recent rally opposing civil unions. In doing so, Ms. Sands conveniently fails to acknowledge several prominent local Democratic lawmakers, including one very tall county mayor, who also attended the same rally.
The truth is that Ms. Sands has a political agenda, and she’s willing to use inflammatory rhetoric to gain support for her position. Why else would she single out a Republican elected official while omitting several prominent Democratic elected officials from her story?
If Ms. Sands wants a governor who is not a person of faith, she should vote for another candidate. Sadly, she fails to acknowledge the hundreds of thousands of citizens of faith in our islands. And it is insulting that she would intimate that, should any of these citizens become elected officials, they’re not able to openly discuss their faith.
Duke Aiona is a husband, father, keiki o ka ‘aina, lifelong public servant, and yes, a man of deep and abiding faith. He has served as lieutenant governor for nearly eight years, and he is now a candidate for governor, but Ms. Sands’ personal attack wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would it?
Travis Taylor, Friends of Duke Aiona
Kilauea pavilion will cause noise, traffic
As the president of the Kalihiwai Ridge Community Association I represent the 180-plus residents and landowners in this community. Kalihiwai Ridge actually borders to the west of the site where this proposed outdoor amphitheater is to be built yet most if not all of our members have never been made aware of this development until recently.
If this is approved by the County Planning Commission on April 27 then everyone who lives in or near Kilauea is in for a huge surprise. The surprise will be their loss of the quiet, peaceful rural sounds that we all enjoy here on the North Shore due to the multitude of events that will be held at this facility.
Not only the noise but imagine the traffic that will come and go from this site with 300 people who will attend events there on any given day or evening. This proposed development is nothing more than an “entertainment and amusement” facility that should only be found in town or in a location that is zoned for this type of use.
Kilauea is about to be transformed into Kaanapali style development unless you let your planning commissioners know that you as a resident of Kilauea are opposed to this being allowed to be built. This part of our island must be preserved and protected from unwanted and unneeded developments like this one but only you can prevent it from coming to Kilauea.
James Gair, Kilauea, President, Kilihiwai Ridge Community Association
