Letters for Tuesday, December 11, 2007

• What the big print giveth, the small taketh away

• Let’s send a different message

• Money matters

• How to: business Kaua‘i-style

• Greatest Christmas gift

What the big print giveth, the small taketh away

Thank you for stating the The Garden Island’s position with regard to the issue of the Superferry (“Taking sides on the Superferry,” In Our Voices, Dec. 7). The prevailing assumption is unknowingly flawed — the one that TGI, and for that matter, many people in the state don’t know, and should tip the scale for even The Garden Island to err on the side of the proponents for safeguarding Kaua‘i from Superferry’s will.

Within the Superferry bill passed in special session by the Legislature, the governor’s hand crafted words through her Attorney General gut the effectiveness of the special law’s EIS on Superferry. What the large print gives, the small print takes away. In the details, and I can point them out, the EIS to be done only requires an explanation of why Lingle will allow each found impact harm. It also doesn’t fund more ag inspectors to check Superferry, nor stop Superferry from going at established reckless speeds through whale calving waters.

The new law’s EIS is a sham, special interest legislation that has a specific purpose of keeping Superferry going, regardless of the cost. What prudent, sane society in the first place would allow a large new mode of business to operate while a key test meant to see if irreparable harm would be caused is done?

Please, dear TGI, check out your facts instead of staying unknowingly ignorant. The governor’s enforcement of her EIS in the new law is purposefully weak. Then you can clearly join the people holding for the long term benefit of the place we all call home.

John Cragg

Anahola</>

Editor’s note: To learn how the temporary Act 2 environmental requirements in the new law differ from Environmental Impact Statement mitigation when it is established, look to today’s front page story.

Let’s send a different message

Should Gov. Linda Lingle be sued if the Superferry causes harm or damage?

Since Lingle tried so hard to please the CEO of Superferry, and circumvented our judge’s decision and the State Supreme Courts decision?

Should Lingle be personally sued for damages in the event of negative impacts from her efforts?

Can Lingle be personally sued instead of the state of Hawai‘i?

Let’s make our elected politicians personally responsible for their actions.

Why should “we the people” be responsible for civil servants who misuse their positions of responsibility?

It’s time for politicians to know that when they break the law, or circumvent existing laws, they will be held as accountable as “we the people” and they will not get away with it anymore.

We the people have sent the wrong message to those in charge for far too long.

When a politician breaks the law, they should be monetarily sued, and not just voluntarily quit, so that they can go to work for the same people they have been unlawfully benefiting.

Should a lawsuit be brought against Lingle personally, making her pay the damages herself, in the event of the Superferry damaging Hawai‘i?

The Superferry is following her orders.

If an ensuing lawsuit allows damages in the amount of $20 million, let Lingle pay this amount herself, since she is the root cause.

If America is truly free, and all people are equal, then let’s prove it.

Kapa‘a

Money matters

Much has been said about “Superferry economics” in this newspaper, as well as other public forums.

All of these assume that airfare will remain at their present levels (typically $40 each way). Based on these assumptions, a couple flying to Honolulu for the weekend will spend $340 round-trip, including $180 for a three-day car rental. Unfortunately, at least one of the three inter-island airlines is on its way out.

Hawaiian Airlines successfully sued go! Airlines and its parent Mesa for $80 million. That’s about two-thirds of Mesa’s marketing capitalization. If Aloha Airlines is likewise successful in its own lawsuit, it will wipe out the rest of Mesa. And then some.

So cheap airfares will disappear sometime next year. What next? Hawaiian and Aloha will resume business as usual. Anyone who’s been here for more than two years remembers roundtrips easily costing $300 between Kaua‘i and Honolulu. Factor in a 35 percent increase in fuel cost in the past couple years, as well the need to satisfy investors who bailed both out of past bankruptcies, and fares will probably be even higher. (Aloha’s full-fare coach tickets are $174 one-way, on its Web site.) So based on realistic airfares, a couple headed to Honolulu would spend almost $800 for airfare and car rental. A Superferry trip with their own small car would cost $386. If they took their SUV instead, it would cost slightly less than $500.

(These are based on fares in early September.) Would the additional transit time be worth the $300 to $400 in savings? For the average working person like me paying their own bills, probably.

Emmette Honjiyo

Kapa‘a

How to: business Kaua‘i-style

In this entire Superferry issue, I would like to take an entirely new angle at it. Over the years since ‘Iniki, Kaua‘i has been subject to many businesses claiming to be all things to all people. A very few of them have succeeded in having excellent reputation among workers on the island, as well as following through on most if not all of their promises to the community. They enjoy relative peace and prosperity on Kaua‘i.

Kaua‘i is a tough place to do business for a reason. We are very picky as to which businesses will succeed on this island, and which ones won’t.

Oh you can shove it down our throats, but here’s the poi of it.

Will you have employees? It only works if you are able to get employees who are actually from here. If they are not happy or satisfied, feel disrespected or dissatisfied or underpaid, you will either have a rotating door, or the usual “who cares, cause we don’t get paid enough and they don’t care if we go” worker slowdown attitude Kaua‘i is famous for.

But on the other hand if you have truly embraced the community of Kaua‘i, been upfront with them, tried to pay a decent wage, and be empathetic and receptive to our local style of doing things, you are rewarded with a successful business that we would all fight to keep on our island.

Here is how you don’t do business on Kaua‘i: fear, intimidation, manipulating public officials, making promises you can’t keep, disrespecting the environment, culture and people, bullying your way in, making headlines, packing meetings, lawsuits, protests, division of the community and of the state for that matter, and causing general bad feelings all around.

In fact, that is not a good way to do business in any state, or small county anywhere in the world.

The idea that I’m trying to make is, just like politicians, when new business owners make promises that they cannot possibly keep with any sense of reality, that, I feel, is the worst. Take Hemmeter for example when he promised to “employ the entire island, and raise every ones income level to that which each and every Kaua‘i resident could own their own house.” (Editor’s note: Hemmeter opened Kauai Lagoons in 1987 with an ornate 840-room Westin Kaua‘i hotel) Where is Hemmeter? Just took one hurricane, and he flew away. Thankfully, the Marriott Hotel came in. They are known as one of the best places to work on Kaua‘i, and people scramble to work for them. They came in with reason, sense, and listened, listened, listened. They are rewarded with great, loyal employees, and an excellent reputation islandwide. Many resorts have followed suit, to the benefit of their longevity and profit margins.

With the Superferry, we have a lot of grand promises, again, just like Hemmeter, whom Superferry CEO John Garibaldi reminds me of. In his own mind he feels that he is the magnanimous and generous pontificate giving the masses peace and prosperity while putting a pig in everyone’s imu.

Anne Punohu

Kalaheo

Greatest Christmas gift

In a techno world, the sounds of the seasons are a reflection of the times. The jiggling of money has been replaced by the “swooosch” of the sliding plastic cards. But as with every generation, this time of year is an opportunity to “wow” the kids. It’s bad enough that the work place demands so much time away and big business is aware of this fact. Computer games abound and every parent would give whatever it cost to get the very latest, the brightest, the loudest system available.

But I have a better idea for a gift for your child, simpler, yet to many parents difficult. Sit your children down in a quiet room. Look them straight in the eyes and tell them you love them more than anything in the world. Assure them that you will always be there for them no matter the odds. Hold them and hug them and give a gift that is abundant in motivation, security and continues to give each and every day once the holidays have long past. It is as much fullfilling to the giver as well as the child … give it while you can because the only “swooosch” you will hear will be by the turning of your head when you realize one day that your children are no longer children. I give this gift to my sons often because it was so graciously given to me by my parents … plus it doesn’t require costly batteries.

Eduardo Valenciana

Lihu‘e