Styrofoam no joking matter

Thank you to this publication for reporting on Bill 140, banning use of polystyrene, a.k.a. Styrofoam. Also, a big mahalo to the councilwomen who voted for the bill.

Unfortunately, even with overwhelming support, public testimony, and 5,000 signatures for it, it did not pass. Perhaps it’s because one council member didn’t attend the testimony and just showed up to vote against it, with his mind already made up. Onishi’s term limited, so maybe at this point he doesn’t care what his constituents think? Paleka can be found online in a video stating he would be in favor of a ban on Styrofoam in 2014, last month he voted yes, too, and yet he voted no on Friday. The next disappointment was Kanuha, who decided it was easier to slip out the door and not vote rather than doing the job he was elected to do. How is it acceptable to simply not vote on controversial issues? Did he not realize that voting was a large part of the job?

John Matson, quoted in your front page article Saturday, June 4, tried to keep the mood light by using humor to make his point, ultimately this is no laughing matter. His satire unfortunately turned out to be too true. Do you remember McDonald’s burgers all used to come in Styrofoam? They decided to cut down on their pollution by eliminating their Styrofoam packaging in their thousands of restaurants in the early ’90s. We currently have a County Council in which the majority is less progressive than McDonald’s was 20 years ago. I would be embarrassed to be a policymaker and vote no on this one. Good thing elections are upon us, the status quo has got to go.

Shannon Matson

Hilo