VOICES: Here we go again pandemic pop quiz
The PCR test is:
VOICES: Coco Palms — Not a good hotel site anymore
Located next to a four-lane highway, in a flood zone, across from a beach that may disappear, in a community that feels we already have more than enough visitors, Coco Palms makes no sense as a hotel site.
VOICES: Stay home then
Every time I hear people demonstrating, trying to prove a point, or saying negative things, like the government is forcing people to take the vaccines, which to you all are bad, I feel that I just got whacked below the belt, and I just simply go berserk.
VOICES: Group requests public meeting with Kawakami, Berreman
Dear Mayor Kawakami, It has been 16 months since a state of “emergency” was declared in Hawai‘i, and in all these months we have had ample time to evaluate the situation and figure out how to best move forward without continued infringement upon the people’s rights.
VOICES: On body cameras and ‘criminal law’
Imagine having a job where everything you did was recorded on a body cam and could be used against you in a court of law? Your every move is under a microscope. This is what our men and woman in blue have to deal with on a 24-hour basis, 7 days a week.
VOICES: Hawai‘i dog-bite law contains error
In a recently passed bill, the Hawai‘i state Legislature exaggerates dog-bite injuries by more than thirteen-fold.
VOICES: Representatives need to ‘face’ their constituents, really
Sixteen months ago, our county leaders enacted extraordinary measures on Kaua‘i due to COVID-19 (e.g., prohibiting/limiting gatherings, denial of in-person education, mask enforcement, etc.).
HOOSER: Time for moratorium on hotel/resort development
As a former member of the Kaua‘i County Council, I have resisted to a great extent falling into the role of an arm chair quarterback. Today however, I will venture down that path just a little bit.
VOICES: Firearms. For you, me, or everyone else?
According to the US Justice Dept., in a January 2019 document, only 7% of criminals in prison for crimes committed with firearms had obtained the firearm through legal firearms dealers.
VOICES: The Roots of Climate Change
Human-caused climate change started not only with burning fossil fuels but with our exploitation of the Earths’ soil. Indigenous societies, many with sophisticated agricultural systems structured around knowledge of environmental limits, were often violently displaced from their land or forced to accept European farming models.
Socio-politico vaccine pandemic pop quiz
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PAL PAPERS: But for the Grace of God …
The fourth Sunday of each month, we cover relevant topics on housing, sustainability, or current events that impact your life. We then take a deeper dive into these topics on our PAL KKCR Radio Show from 4 to 6 pm the next day – tomorrow, the fourth Monday of the month.
TAX MAN: Secret tax relief on Maui
In a recent article, we spoke of a decision by the government of Maui to broaden the class of properties classified as short-term rental (which happens to be the class of properties with the second highest property tax rate, even edging out hotels and resorts, beaten only by timeshares). We noted that the decision happened at light speed, and we wondered why.
VOICES: Draft solid-waste management plan needs work
A public (online through Microsoft Teams) hearing is scheduled on June 17 (info at kauai.gov/iswmp) on Kaua‘i’s draft Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan. Comments are accepted at solidwaste@kauai.gov through July 19. Here’s my comment: The ISWMP often ignores ‘aina.
VOICES: Hitchhiking could solve rental-car crisis
The rental-car fleet in the Hawaiian islands is said to be short 40% to 50% of what it was prior to the pandemic.
VOICES: Money = decision-making = power for the few
It’s hard for people to understand there is more to life than pop culture, because that is the thing we are engaged in almost every minute of the day.
VOICES: Napali is a paradise once more
At midnight May 6, 2021 (actually it was 0-Dark-30, Friday morning of May 7) I sat in front of my PC awaiting the countdown. I had earlier roused myself out of bed to a chattering music alarm so that I could purchase three of the coveted 900 non-resident passes for some student interns doing their clinical training on Kaua‘i, to allow entry into Ha‘ena State Park so that we could spend the day hiking Hanakapi‘ai Trail and relax later at Ke‘e Beach.
VOICES: Put checks on governmental ‘intrusion’
I love and miss Rush Limbaugh very much. Please log onto YouTube and search William Shatner vs. Rush Limbaugh.
VOICES: COVID challenges brought out best of Kaua‘i
After more than five months, the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall COVID vaccination clinic has closed its doors. From December through May, starting with 200 vaccinations per clinic and peaking at more than 700 vaccinations in a day, a total of 32,194 vaccine doses were administered to Kaua‘i residents.
HOOSER: Kaua‘i last in numbers of women on council
At the risk of entering the volatile realm of so-called “identity politics,” below is a male/female breakdown of those holding elected office at the state and county levels in Hawai‘i. The gender identification is drawn from references contained within the official county and state websites.