• Bike path
• Solar heater letter
• Congress must censure Bush
• Bike path in Wailua
Bike path
To Doris Ashe’s letter to the Forum (3/19) “Bike Path In Washington” I can only say, Bravo! I am one of the biggest opponents of this bike path that will cost 30 to 40 million dollars of our tax money —yes, mostly Federal funds but nonetheless our money —to build it. It is refreshing to cut through the rhetoric and hype and find out from someone who was there exactly what the negatives of this project can be.
With just an ounce of pro activity we can use Mrs. Ashe’s words as a blueprint for NOT building this path. Accidents, sexual attacks, indecent exposure —realities that proponents of this path don’t want to address. There are many many more but her examples are really vivid.
We don’t have the enforcement people to patrol this path —this is a fact and thus it will be a disaster waiting to happen —with law suits to follow.
Thank you Mrs Ashe, for your words from the real world and I hope someone in authority is listening!
Glenn Mickens
Kapa‘a
Solar heater letter
We were very offended by the tone of R.S. Weir’s letter (TGI 3/21/04) regarding SB 2682. His wild rhetoric and disparaging remarks serve no purpose and fail to disguise the weakness in his arguments against this legislation.
There is nothing “euphemistic” in calling solar water heaters energy efficient. We installed a solar water heating system on our home in 1985: it immediately cut our electric bill in half, and has been working perfectly since. Even homeowners with a high electric use should realize a 30% reduction in their bill and fossil fuel consumption, which is what this is all about. Yes, it would add a bit to the cost of a new home. Using Mr. Weir’s high figure of $5000, it would amount to 1.7% of a $300,000 house, but you will begin to recoup this cost with your first electric bill and actually save money over the lifetime of the system.
Requiring this proven technology on all new homes will accomplish several positive results: it will reduce the cost of individual units because of the larger market created, it will encourage new small businesses to compete for this market, and it will help shift our dependence on oil to renewable resources.
We’re grateful to Senator Hooser for addressing this issue.
Stephen and
Sharry Glass
Wailua Homesteads
Congress must censure Bush
President Bush misled Congress and the American people about the need for the invasion of Iraq. People continue dying in Iraq, adding to the casualties of 650 coalition troops (550 American service people), 3,200 injured and thousands of Iraqi civilians and soldiers have been killed. For what good reason?
The Bush administration was not honest with the American people about the reasons for going to war and the cost of the war. Pres. Bush said that the United States “must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof-the smoking gun- that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud…We have every reason to assume the worst, and we have an urgent duty to prevent the worst from occurring. “(Washington Post, 1/28/2002).
That was not the message he was getting from the CIA. CIA Director George Tenet said, “Let me be clear: analysts differed on several import aspects of these programs of those debates were spelled out in the National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq. They never said there was an imminent threat.” (Transcript of 2/5/04 speech at Georgetown University).
Even Bush’s own top weapons’ inspector, David Kay, called on the administration to admit that there are no weapons of mass destruction. “I think in this case, the evidence is out there to the extent that the president really needs to say to the American people, we made a mistake.” (NBC, 3/15/04).
Regarding the cost of the war, the Pentagon’s year 2005 budget does not contain any money for military operations in Iraq or Afghanistan. The White House won’t ask Congress for that money until January 2005-after the November presidential election (Knight Ridder Newspapers, 2/11/04).
Congress has the responsibility to hold Pres. Bush accountable for his actions, and should censure him for misleading the American people.
Helen Mehl
Koloa
Bike path in Wailua
Dear Mayor Baptiste,
I hope I am not a lone voice crying in the wilderness!
I don’t think it is a good idea to have a pedestrian/bike path crossing along the beachfront from Wailua Bay to the Sands Hotel. There is not enough space between the pristine ocean beach and the buildings.
I have enjoyed watching the turtles in Papaloa Bay and the monk seals that sun on the nearby beach (in front of Lai nani). We believe that traffic (bike or many pedestrians) would disturb the tranquility of the waterfront and scare away the wonderful seals and turtles.
Please do not do anytmng that will drastically change the precious environment of the beaches of Kaua‘i.
Look what has happened on O‘ahu and then on Maui. Let us learn from their over building and too much human interference. Let us keep Kauai a special, unique island —the last chance in the archipelago.
Ruthie Mondt
Kapa‘a
