•Patience and aloha
•Limit lobbyists’ influence
•A plastic bag is a plastic bag is a plastic bag
•Furlough Mondays?
•Talk, talk, talk
Patience and aloha
After reading Mr. Gair’s letter (“Princeville pavers,” Letters, Oct. 7) I thought I’d share my approach to our current challenge.
I’ve been trying to keep a positive attitude in regards to our traffic hold ups due to road work and tree trimming and creatively go with the flow when I have the choice.
I try to take care of my business in the direction the traffic is moving. I’m even resorting to networking to see who is driving where and might be able to pick something up for me (like dog food from Kilauea). And remember that places such as Foodland are open before and after the road work crew is working.
This is road work that needs to be done and that we will benefit from once it’s finished so planning and being patient is ultimately the smartest approach and the best for our health. I have found the police officers directing traffic — especially at Kapaka Street — to be tirelessly helpful and courteous.
I’ve also found that time waiting in line can be excellent for people watching or cleaning out your purse or catching up on phone calls (with your hands-free device, of course).
A tourist asked me about the traffic while gassing up at Princeville Chevron earlier this week and I suggested patience and aloha — traits we could all probably draw upon more.
Petrina Britt, Princeville
Limit lobbyists’ influence
Today we have the best Congress that money can buy. Democrats and Republicans alike cannot resist the seductive scent of lobbyist money.
The obvious solution, of course, is to limit the amount of money that lobbyists can donate to individual congressmen. The present system is tantamount to legalized bribery. The question is, how can this be done?
The present stalemate over health care reform is a good example of the short comings of the present system. The majority of Americans want a public option to compete with private insurance plans.
Sen. Baucus of Montana is not about to bite the hand that has fed him and the other members of the Senate a nice chunk of money. He and his congressional colleagues are victims of the present system, which requires obscene amounts to finance their campaigns for reelection.
An initiative by the League of Women Voters or other such organizations would be a good way to limit the amount of money that lobbyists could donate to individual candidates.
Harry Boranian, Lihu‘e
A plastic bag is a plastic bag is a plastic bag
The sponsors of the bill to “outlaw single-use plastic check-out bags from retail establishments” finally got majority support for one of their many proposals. It was good to see their happy faces on the front page Oct. 8.
The proposed ordinance is supposed to be a “step forward in solving an environmental crisis.” Presumably, without plastic bags given to shoppers specifically by retail establishments, plastic bags will be less seen strewn along our highways, thrown into streams, the ocean and our landfills.
When the law goes into effect in 2011, retail establishments will be penalized if they continue to offer plastic bags to shoppers to package and carry their purchased goods from the store. Their goods will, instead, be put in biodegradable paper bags which do not have the convenience of a carrying handle and which could break while being transported from store to car to front door.
The ban, however, does not completely shut the door on the plastic bag’s availability and continuing contribution to the “environmental crises.”
This is where the cynicism of the bill becomes apparent. Punish the retailer but not the qualified fundraiser. The proposed law provides no penalty provision for shoppers who bring their own plastic bags or the retailer or wholesaler who sell plastic bags. A plastic bag is a plastic bag is a plastic bag.
Alfred Laureta, Lihu‘e
Furlough Mondays?
Hawai‘i has some of the worst SAT scores in the country and our keiki are now faced with 17 more days off a year to become less educated than they already are.
Why not keep the schools open on a volunteer basis? Keiki would still come to school as scheduled but the community could get together give back and volunteer.
Let’s get together and set an example. Let’s show our keiki and the rest of the world that Hawai‘i cares and that money is not everything.
Ask yourself what you could give back, I am sure everyone reading this has something to teach that would benefit our young ones.
Hopefully the furlough days off will be remedied. However, if not I would like to recommend Mondays as the furlough day in lieu of Fridays as most holidays are always celebrated on Mondays, such as Labor Day, Memorial Day, Presidents Day.
Since Fridays are usually an easier day, that’s why it is called “Aloha Friday.” If the furlough does go as scheduled, Monday is a much better day to learn than Aloha Friday.
James “Kimo” Rosen, Kapa‘a
Talk, talk, talk
I loved the headline in the Oct. 6 edition of The Garden Island regarding KIUC entitled “Time to talk.”
Isn’t that all they ever do around that place?
Joan Peers, Waimea
