Four excellent choices for Kauai County Council
I recently had the pleasure of co-hosting a KKCR “Out Of The Box” radio show that featured a discussion among four candidates for Kauai County Council. I was genuinely impressed by each and every one of these individuals and found myself at the end of the show, hoping that each will be elected on Nov. 6.
Pole wishing: ‘May peace prevail on earth’ – and in space
Last December, a story and photos of peace poles on Kauai caught my eye and interest (thegardenisland.com, Dec. 6, 2017, “Health and Fitness”). I didn’t recognize the byline, but the subject and images captured my imagination.
Tax amendment not what it seems
In the annals of bait-and-switch swindles, a proposed Hawaii constitutional amendment to tax “investment real property” and use the revenue “to support public education” stands out not for its brazenness as much as for the obvious hope that voters won’t bother to read or think about it.
Whacking the mole, starving the beast and punishing our schools
While the adults who are not in the room play “whack the mole” and “starve the beast’, those adults who are in the room (teachers) and the young people whose future is at stake (students), pay the price.
Red, white and blue means everyone
We need to stop the huge division of our country into red and blue. Our nation’s future is not a competition between the winning Super Bowl teams, red against blue. We are forging a path to a future that will benefit all generations, with no one left out.
Coco Palms: Time for a reality check
Amidst the sound and fury regarding the Coco Palms developers, the County of Kauai should pause and consider what it will cost and what we will lose by taking the Coco Palms property by eminent domain.
Coco Palms – Time for a new paradigm
Since that fateful day of Sept. 11, 1992 when Hurricane Iniki blew across our island, the historic and venerable Coco Palms Hotel has sat derelict as a constant reminder. We are reminded daily of that powerful storm, of the numerous broken promises made by various developers and owners since then, and of the impotence of our local government to do anything about it.
School days formula: C+D=LLL to infinity
As a P.S. (pre- instead of post-script), Dear Readers, thanks to fans who responded to the Aug. 17 “Green Flash” about my two “uglies,” in particular, the ulu, breadfruit. Keith, Terri and Jim were all affirming, and other TGI readers met while out and about.
Charter Amendment questions on the Nov. 6 ballot.
Taking ownership of your government, means understanding the items upon which you are called upon to vote on.
‘Honey Expose’ lacked scientific credibility
After reading Jessica Else’s “Honey Expose” in The Garden Island on Aug. 6, I am disappointed that you omitted the most salient details. Even more so, I am appalled that the editor of The Garden Island has published this substandard piece of reporting. A conclusion without supporting evidence is more than worthless. In this era of deception, you are sliding your way into “fake news.”
Get involved and don’t count on government
I enjoyed my friend Gary Hooser’s editorial attempt to define the U.S. political spectrum in The Garden Island the other day. I also enjoyed the annoyed responses. One of the rules of communication and general semantics is that everyone needs to agree what a word means.
Even in campaign loss there are lessons learned
There’s an ‘olelo no‘eau that goes like this: Panoanoa ka ‘aina, manoanoa ka po‘e. It translates to mean, “Scarce is the land, many are the people.”
Political, Judicial, Legislative = #winning
This was a good week for the grassroots on the political front. Actually it has been a phenomenal year on many levels for the grassroots citizenry working hard to protect health and environment, and to expand and improve citizen based democracy.
A healing, satisfying, ugly duo – noni and ulu
Ooh — what is that strange-looking thing? (It looks alien.) Is it a vegetable or a fruit? What do you do with it? These are some questions we residents of Kauai get used to answering about the noni (Indian mulberry) and ulu (breadfruit) growing along roadways and in fields and gardens on our island.
Airbnb’s silence raises more questions
The email that dropped into my inbox late last week was innocuous enough. It announced a “webinar” on housing people displaced by disasters. But then, it turned out that the sponsor of the webinar was Airbnb.com. To me, that refocused the entire discussion.
Conservatives, Liberals and Progressives: What’s the difference?
What does it mean to be a “progressive” anyway? What’s the difference between a liberal and a progressive?
Tighten up government; lower cost of living
For almost 40 years now, I’ve listened to how everyone on the mainland told me how “expensive” it was in Hawaii.
What’s the solution to airport taxi dilemma?
This is to the lady who wrote to TGI who felt cheated by not being able to hire a cab to take her home from the airport to Lihue, because she felt that the airport taxi drivers would instead want a longer run. I couldn’t quite remember what she really said, but I know it had something to do with taxi drivers only wanting longer and not shorter runs.
Democracy comes with a price
We know more about the news than we do about democracy. Does anyone remember social studies or how our government works (when it used to work)?
The lady who would not smile
Back in the ‘60s I lived at the end of the road on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai in a small Haena gatehouse. Though Taylor Camp would soon arrive to decorate the forest with tree houses, at the time I was the only haole (Caucasian) who lived past Rose Harada’s store north of Hanalei. I drove a 1943 Jeep that I bought only because 1943 was the year I was born, and I hoped that Jeep might last as long as I might last, maybe longer (it didn’t.).