Governor must quit pandering to interests of protesters
Gov. David Ige’s administration, and to a lesser extent, the County of Hawaii, are doing a poor job handling the ongoing Thirty Meter Telescope protests on Mauna Kea. The governor’s proposed changes to the stewardship of Mauna Kea offended both the protesters and the individuals who’ve helped preserve this sensitive area.
The protesters were mainly unhappy the governor reaffirmed the TMT’s legal right to begin construction, but there were other aspects of the revised stewardship plan the protesters were not pleased about. They were also unhappy about the removal of one-quarter of all the existing telescopes and imposing access restrictions to the summit area, among other issues.
The governor’s stewardship also offended the individuals who’ve helped preserve Mauna Kea. It was like a slap to the face when the governor stated the University of Hawaii and Department of Land and Natural Resources have been poor stewards of Mauna Kea. There were issues with the stewardship of Mauna Kea in the past. However, there has been immeasurable improvements over the past 15 years. The execution of the Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan in 2010 was one of the highlights of these recent improvements.
Ige’s administration also dropped the ball as far as dealing with these ongoing TMT protests. His administration has allowed these protesters to illegally encamp at Hale Pohaku for the past three months and obstruct access to the summit area. Yes, these protesters have a constitutionally protected right to protest, but they shouldn’t break the law in the process.
The elephant the room is the ongoing Hawaii sovereignty debate. The latter has Trojan-horsed itself into the current debate over the Thirty Meter Telescope. The state and County of Hawaii are playing softball with these groups as a result. For example, the Hawaii County prosecutor is considering dropping criminal trespass charges against the first wave of 21 protesters in lieu of initiating hooponopono with these individuals. This will entail holding discussions with the governor, the University of Hawaii, Thirty Meter Telescope, DLNR, etc.
The Thirty Meter Telescope has undergone a seven-year public vetting process. These individuals had ample opportunity to express their concerns about this project during this time. In short, this is simply another stalling tactic that is being employed by the opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
As it stands now, the Thirty Meter Telescope has the legal right to initiate construction until the appellate courts say otherwise. I hope Ige gets a backbone and stops pandering to the interests of these protesters.
Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona
Mahalo to Kona Elks Lodge
Auntie’s Angels and the low-income seniors living at Hualalai Elderly Housing want to thank Kona Elks Lodge 2616 for its very kind and generous grant donation. The grant will be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables to be shared with our kupuna at the monthly Soup Kitchen n Pantry, held on site.
With three phases and almost 100 units, our numbers are high and our needs are great and this, along with our monthly request from the community for fresh produce will help in eliminating senior food deficiency. Mahalo nui loa for your support.
Jan Benlein
Director, Auntie’s Angels
Big Island