Letters for Thursday, January 18, 2007

• Use a cane road

• To the healthy life

• Why the costly quarantine?

• Speaking of Koke‘e

• The Hawai‘i conspiracy

Use a cane road

Why not use a cane road for the bike path?

The best bike path is one that does not run right alongside automobile traffic. For example, the cane road running from Wailua to Hanama‘ulu is a perfect route, and already popular with walkers, joggers, and mountain bikes. It is safe and roughly parallels the Kuhio Highway but at a safe distance, and it has access points along the highway.

There would be plenty of room to make the highway four lanes, and cars and bikes each would be safe from the other.

Kapa‘a

To the healthy life

I really agree with Marian Head’s letter (“Health care, or sickness care?,” Letters, Jan.17). I wonder if we’ll ever have a government and a society where healthcare is looked at at a much larger scale other than being sick/ill, etc. We must not forget there are innocent elderly people who need care as well (time is of the essence).

However we cannot blame our health on just the government.

Health starts at home.

I wonder how the issue over fat content is going over in New York, because apparently some people are so ignorant they didn’t know eating certain foods/drink in excess would make them unhealthy — don’t know if anyone knows what I’m talking about — where they are considering a law against serving food with a certain level of fat. For example, if the law passed, I guess fast food chains in New York would have diet fries.

Either way, health does start at home … within ourselves and our bodies.

Often we hear people talking about how we need to take care of the “aina.” To take care of the aina, we better start taking care of our health.

Health and wellness opportunities abound on Kaua‘i. I’ve seen many free workshops, talks, etc. being offered. If you feel uninformed on what proper health is, talk to your doctor. If you don’t have a doctor for whatever reason, look and see what free opportunities you have, because they are out there.

People should educate themselves about health. It’s for our own benefit. Then you may pass it along to the ones you love, ensuring longer, happier, healthier lives.

Kapa‘a

Why the costly quarantine?

I was thrown for a loop the other day.

I am trying to bring in a dog from the Mainland and I knew that our quarantine laws were stiff and I knew that it was pretty expensive (just over $1,000). Then I was told that we have a quarantine station here on Kaua‘i, at the Humane Society. I called them and they told me that their cost for quarantine was $15 per day so if the animal needs to stay the required 120 days, that is $1,800. I remember when the Humane Society was being built they said that they would make it affordable for Kaua‘i residents who have to put their animals in quarantine. This is clearly not affordable. What’s up with that?

Kalaheo

Speaking of Koke‘e

I have spoken two times during the last two meetings in regards to the master plans for Koke‘e Park.

I now have a new idea or plan that may be a win-win for Koke‘e and all of us too. For the next three years, resolve the leaseholder problems get more public input about needs of Koke‘e and how to best accomplish these goals, and really take care of the park. By this I mean fix and maintain all of the roads, work on the trails, do the improvements already approved for the bathrooms, water systems and lookouts. Buy good equipment to help the hard working state workers who will be doing all of the upkeep. You will then have a realistic budget to allocate enough money for the following years. At the end of the three years set aside the money to do an independent study of the condition of the park. Have the study available for all to see, and have the people of Kaua‘i vote on the new plan. We could either accept it or vote to have continued upkeep with the current facilities and infrastructure. No loss will happen this way.

Additional ideas I have to your plan would be to move the baseyard located near the start of Halemanu Road, move it to the pine forest area on Makaha Ridge Road. Then turn the area it sits on into a parking area and bathrooms for hiking access to Waipoo Falls Trail, and Puu Ka Pele Lookouts.

Kalaheo

The Hawai‘i conspiracy

Businesses in Hawai‘i have historically held a death-grip monopoly on the throats of our consumers. Whether flying interisland with only two choices of airlines, to one cable company, one telephone company, a handful of locally owned gas stations as well as a handful of locally owned grocery stores. The “people” have never had a choice. Now with a new airlines that has begun a fare war for the benefit of the people, new stores that offer greater prices and larger inventory, and gas stations that offer more reasonable prices, Kaua‘i people are finally having freedom of choice. I am no longer forced to go to a mom and pop store to pay an outrageous price for a single item, when I can go to a Costco or Wal-Mart and get several of the same items for the same price. Our local businesses have a sentimental and historical value to our community, but history and sentiment will not put food in our children’s mouths or clothes on their backs. I am in favor of giving Kaua‘i people a choice. I want my children to be able to live, work and survive where I grew up and not be forced to move away to seek a more affordable way of life. One of the greatest things about being an American is being given the freedom of choice. If we try to take away the people’s choice just so that a few local businesses can retain their strangle-hold on the local economy, then there is something seriously wrong with our government.

Kapa‘a