Business permit of begging
I agree with Hugo about making the street beggars have a permit to collect income from strangers. I was required to have a permit and General Excise Tax License to do the same thing at my business. A 30-day permit will cause them to work for their money, just like we have to do. Make them hang their permit at the bottom of their cardboard signs.
If the permit is not current, take a photo with your cellphone and forward it to the police. Many are already receiving social assistance and food stamps already. Accountability and responsibility shouldn’t be too much to ask for.
Joel Michaelson
Kailua-Kona
Mayor’s Cup Senior Softball Tournament a huge success
I want to thank the Kona Kupuna Softball Community (Jackie Rey’s, Palapala, Kona Gold and Kona Legends) for their field preparation and officiating at last week’s softball tournament. They made the six-team women’s division and seven-team men’s division enjoyable for all the participants.
The women’s division consisted of five teams from throughout the mainland and one local team. The men’s division consisted of teams from Rochester, New York, Detroit and Central California, plus four Big Island teams. This tournament contributed $17,481 to the Hawaii Island United Way. The Kona Senior Club also donated their time to run the snack stand for three days and that was much appreciated.
It is estimated those attending the tournament generated over $300,000 in commerce for the Kona Business Community.
Thank you all.
Kerry Crosson, tournament coordinator
Kailua-Kona
Don’t enable homeless
First of all kudos to Hugo von Platen Luder for having the courage to take a stand and wake up Mr. Dorabji and Mr. Sherman!
Have you ever noticed that the myriad panhandlers have specific locations in which they hold their signs stating “Stranded please help,” “God bless you for any help” and everything else they can make up. It makes me sick!
Have you ever seen that they rotate to different street corners from Costco, over to Walmart and on and on. I’m thinking that there is possibly a “drug provider” in charge of this group of panhandlers (the same ones all the time) that takes these people to their assigned locations and in exchange for the money the “enablers” give to them.
Have you ever talked to them? I have and they do not want to work. I suggest you both stop supporting the idea of enabling these people, I suggest you try to get the powers that be to move their ridiculous idea of putting panhandler housing in a struggling business district and get it moved out of town, make these people work for their EBT cards, educate them and give them perhaps six months to get on their feet and off the streets because your thinking is not helping them or us at all!
Have you ever read the “arrests log” in the paper and seen that most of those arrested for horrible crimes are so-called homeless?
I am a person that’s come from a family of immigrants that had to work very hard, learn English and get what we earned and it not from begging but again, hard work, so don’t give me your lack of humanity garbage. Wake up and educate or help the panhandlers move to where it’s cheaper to live. What a concept!
Joani Duncan
Kailua-Kona