Curious voting
record for candidate
OK, I admit that I am a political nerd. Whenever the Campaign Spending Commission issues a new report, I go to their website that very day and look at who is getting money from whom, and what they are spending it on.
On July 12, I saw something I never saw before. One candidate, Jeanne Kapela, disclosed that she used campaign money to buy 16 airline tickets from Hawaiian Airlines. A candidate reimbursing themselves for even one airline ticket is rare, and this was 16!
I looked into it and found that until very recently, Kapela was registered to vote in Honolulu. It seems that she was buying tickets to come to the Big Island to campaign here, and then fly home! Upon further investigation, I found that Kapela has never voted in a single election, not even the 2016 presidential election. It seems that Kapela is not really a resident of her district and is not really committed to the political process. But I bet she has a very stylish carpet bag!
Matt Binder
Waimea
President aids global warming
I read your article about Trump’s plan to eliminate the protection for some species in favor of opening up land for pipelines and drilling.
Perhaps just global warming is already at work reducing the survival abilities of many species and our president is just helping it along by also denying global warming even exists. I would not enjoy a world that no longer has the wonderful array of animals and plants we now enjoy.
What a sad planet we will inherit if he gets his way and precious land and animals end up becoming extinct.
Colleen Miyose-Wallis
Kailua-Kona
Put empty buildings to good use
Another empty building in beautiful Kona! How about using this building with the bathrooms and electric all intact for a very meaningful purpose?
First, partition areas about 10 x 10 off and use them to provide a great alternative to our homeless folks. Whether they are the usual homeless or restarting from Madam Pele doing her work, we can make a difference in their lives.
I’m sure you might get some flack from the existing businesses by K-Mart, but we could easily help so many and not have the beginnings of a tent city.
Just a ready-made facility only re-figuring separated spaces. What a concept, helping those to get off the streets behind buildings and out of the bushes.
People from service agencies can rotate as on-site managers and keep things running smoothly.
Some residents can rotate duties to include sweeping, cleaning bathrooms and emptying trash cans. This can often add to an improvement on self-esteem.
Let’s do this one together, folks!
Susan Baggley
Kailua-Kona
Know your heroes, WHT
The troops marching in the Fourth of July parade as shown on page 4A of the July 5 WHT paper are Marines, not soldiers —major difference.
Bill Ludwick
Kailua-Kona
