Questions:
Turkeys, turtles and road projects
I have a good friend who has asked me to write asking “why” in hopes of clarifying three questions that bother him and it seems many other people:
The invasive turkey problem: These “things” (animals) are both useless and hopeless and my friend asks, has anyone given thoughts to crossbreeding these turkeys with one that, in time, would produce a palatable good-eating animal? Should that be achieved the turkeys would then be readily hunted for sport and consumption. My friend says, “kind of a no-brainer.”
There seems to be an abundance, maybe even an overabundance, of turtles feeding off of the shore lines of our islands, thus depleting the source of food stuffs for other pelagic species. Why not initiate a program where the state sells ” turtle tags” for the turtle harvesting? This would be similar to how one would purchase “deer tags” for culling and herd management (at times called, legitimately, hunting) of deer and other game animals. As you can see, simple minds ask simple questions that have common sense answers.
Smart is smart and dumb is dumb. Smart is getting things done. Dumb is silliness getting in the way of much needed progress. So let’s not regress into stupidness. This is in relation to the ongoing fiasco of our road systems in Kona. Are we in the dark ages or what that we (who are the government) cannot get off of our butts and get everyone off of each others’ backs and get the jobs done? I reference Lako Street, Alii Highway and many other projects that are perpetually on hold.
We even have a mayor of Hawaiian ancestry and he can’t seem to be able to rectify those problems relating to Hawaiian matters.
Hawaiians have a saying that fits this picture to a “T.” The word is auwe.
Hugo von Platen Luder
Holualoa
HELCO
Unreasonable rates
As Jay Ignacio of HELCO stated in his letter to us and to his response to WHT, we (the people on the Big Island) will address his statements concerning the high cost of electricity:
He stated that higher fuel prices are raising the cost of many goods and services.
This is true, however, this affects not only HEI/HELCO, but everyone — all businesses here on the Big Island, as well. Yet, other businesses are maintaining their costs nearly the same as before the escalation of importation and other rising costs. With larger companies, i.e., Walmart, K-Mart, Ace, etc., prices are the same here as their mainland prices; in some cases, they are even less.
It appears most everyone is doing what it takes during these hard times to keep things in proper perspective by being frugal and feasible — everyone except HEI/HELCO.
Did you not know that Hawaii residents are paying more for electricity not only in the U.S., but in the entire world? This is outrageous even for a so-called third-world country, let alone one of our own states where the average cost for electricity in this country is 12 cents/kwh.
American Samoa residents are currently paying 23 cents per/kwh and Fiji residents are paying 20 cents per/kwh. Are they buying their oil for a lot less or are they just smarter, less greedy and more resourceful than HEI/HELCO?
Ignacio states demographics is another reason for high costs. This is another display of bad business. We, on the Big Island, don’t see higher costs for other goods and services because they are doing less business here than other places. A reasonable and responsible business will offset any loss with profits elsewhere in order to maintain consistency and its valued customers.
It appears that because HEI/HELCO have no competition, they do not need to discount their charges. In fact, they are doing just the opposite.
I have had much feedback from HEI/HELCO customers and they are fuming about their electric bills.
Is this what HEI/HELCO really want?
If every business here on the Big Island would raise their prices four times, we all know what the results would be. And yet, HEI/HELCO carries on with business like there isn’t any global financial crisis nor any other economic problems, least of all in their own state and with their own people.
Ignacio states that another cost factor is the cost of oil. We addressed this in an earlier letter by stating that oil/gas on the mainland is approximately 30 percent lower than it is in Hawaii. This being the case, HELCO’s fuel costs should be in proportion.
Therefore, the customers in Hawaii should be paying 9 cents for HEI/HELCO fuel costs and not 27 cents per kwh.
Although he states there are many ways to cut an electricity bill, there is just so much one can do to offset intolerable electric bills — and to get the usage down to 300 kwh/month is another useless remedy. Just having the minimum of three fans on continuously would add up to about 150 kwh/month.
Does anyone at HEI/HELCO really believe that the remainder 150 kw could operate a refrigerator, water heater, television, lights, etc.?
The Tiered Rates and Life Lines is a good idea and we would like to believe it was our idea based on our previous letters.
However, the rates and credits establishing the amounts saved are so miniscule it’s absurd and wasn’t worth the effort offering it to customers.
Unless HEI/HELCO become more realistic and competitive with their rates and look at the overall picture instead of how fast they can prosper now, things will only get worse and become more difficult and costly to resolve later.
Max C. Onichak
Kailua-Kona