Well, I did not visit Kaua’i this winter for my normal three- month Hawaiian trip! I just could not endure seeing Mayor Kusaka’s vision for Kaua’i of muddy, eroded beaches such as Kealia/Donkey, nor to be there to see first-hand
Well, I did not visit Kaua’i this winter for my normal three- month Hawaiian
trip! I just could not endure seeing Mayor Kusaka’s vision for Kaua’i of
muddy, eroded beaches such as Kealia/Donkey, nor to be there to see first-hand
her negative, bully approach to the land use decisions that need to be made to
preserve the beauty of Kaua’i.
Indeed the island must be crying tremendous
tears as Kusaka continues her plunder of this magnificent
island.
Apparently, Kusaka has no clue as to what makes Kaua’i so special
to mainlanders like me or to the local folks who love the island. I wish I
could be there to join the protesters over her ramrodding down the throats of
the Kaua’i people her vision of the future – one which is slowly destroying
what makes Kaua’i so spectacular.
If the people of Kaua’i do not now
take a stand, Kaua’i will be lost forever to the developers whose only
interest is to take big profits from the Island and its people. I cannot
understand the lack of concern for the environment by the Mayor and Council.
They should all be recalled before it is too late!
Soon no one born on
Kaua’i will be able to afford to live there . I wonder how the political
leaders on Kaua’i can sleep at night? Where is their leadership gone? Why is
everyone so afraid of the Kusaka ‘roller coaster’ to say we have had
enough?
We are lucky in Oregon that we had the leadership of Governor Tom
McCall who set in motion a long time ago the machinery that has helped us stand
up to those who would destroy our beautiful state – yet today we also have
those in government who would turn the clock back and plunder our environment.
Beware people of Kaua’i. Do not let the politicians win you over by
saying ‘trust us, we have Kaua’i at heart’ and we know best. The people
attending the numerous meetings on the land use future of Kaua’i have made
intelligent suggestions for Kaua’i of the future – I give them a loud ‘BRAVO’
and I hope everyone will turn out at the upcoming protest and demand a change
in the governmental direction the island is headed – hopefully a Seattle type
demonstration will not be needed, and reason will prevail.
I spent last
winter trying to save the pristine beauty of Kealia/Donkey beaches, but I lost
for the most part the battle as the muddy ocean clearly demonstrates. I wonder
how the fish, Monk Seals and the turtles are surviving in that polluted
water.
Certainly no tourist would enter it! Even though I cannot join in
the march against Kusaka’s vision of Kaua’i, I applaud those who
do.
Robert J. Herberger
Keizer, Oregon
