Letters to the editor: 05-14-19

Spend money to make visitors want to return

The island of unlimited adventures? Where is that? Is that all the places that were revealed in the blue book? Or will we just send everyone to Waipio or Waimanu to take over all the camping spots. Or maybe Pololu or any of the other really cool places that don’t have any accommodations for extra visitors. Instead of spending money to bring visitors here, why don’t we spend money so they want to come back?

Warren A Hahlbeck Jr.

Waikoloa

County solution always to throw money

So Bill Kucharski, the county environmental director, tells us his department mismanaged Keei Green Waste, is unable to manage getting the facility back into compliance, and has no clue when it might reopen. But, it is not his fault. The problem is that someone else did not give his department the resources to get the job done.

Yep, the same old tired story from the county. If we just had more money and more people we could provide services. If we could throw some more money at these problems, they would be solved.

Look at Harry Kim’s budget proposal. This year the county is spending $1.4 million per day and next year he wants to spend $1.6 million per day. Money will make the problems disappear. Wait a minute, in the paper yesterday Bill said there are management problems. Maybe if we pay him more he will be a better manager.

I have called the county Environmental Department about the Keei issue and what they tell you is, “we are doing the best we can.” Pretty sad when the best you can do results in the public being denied services and waste piles up by the side of the road.

Phillip Koszarek

Captain Cook

What about the citizens we have now?

Two teen boys walking through Bronzeville.

A 12-year-old girl from Michigan visiting her father in West Garfield Park.

Two Chicago police officers who ran toward danger, one in the Loop and the other at a South Side hospital.

Infants in Little Village and Hermosa.

A great-grandmother in her Park Manor apartment.

These are just a few of the more than 530 people murdered in Chicago in 2018, with victims ranging in age from 1 to 93

There are numbers, commensurate with population, like this in other major cities.

What might our inner cities look like if we were spending the billions of dollars on the United States citizens who live there, instead of people who have no claim on our hearts or our money?

I understand why big business wants cheap, uneducated labor, I understand the hope for votes in the future. But why are United States citizens so concerned for the unlawful entry of thousands and thousands of people who do not give a damn for us? They do not care what their kids in our schools do to the education of our kids. They do not care what their filling of emergency rooms does to the care of our citizens. They do not care what repercussions fall on our police officers and the people who are trying to run our cities. We already have millions of homeless people who have no place to sleep or go the bathroom. They do not care what happens to our Social Security or Medicare.

We do not have an obligation to these people. We have an obligation to people who are born in the United States. Why is there so little concern for the kids born into poverty and drug addiction? Do we ever hear from our Senate and Congress, or the people who run our cities that they are seriously working on anything to change the lives of these children? To get better schools, to get a place to buy something green to eat, to give help and encouragement to anyone who shows that they want it?

It seems wasteful to just throw away these people and get new. Are they really throwaway? Will the new people be better?

Sandra Gray

Kapaau

Rich history appreciated

A big mahalo to Chad Baybayan for taking the time to give us a very sensible, historical perspective of the scientific developments that challenge Hawaii today (published May 11). This is a column that I will clip from the paper and attach to my office board to help remind me of the values of negotiation, consideration and understanding as we attempt to move forward for this generation and the next.

Cathy Sinclair

Kailua-Kona

Get involved

How encouraging it was to read WHEA seventh grader Kaden Bruce’s letter where he expressed great concern about global warming. He expressed anxiety and concern that more adults aren’t doing something about it.

To Kaden and all residents of earth; global warming has now turned into a global crisis, because the people in charge of making environmental decisions have done little to nothing to address the issues or are in denial that an environmental crisis even exists.

Kaden asks what he can do to be part of the solution.

My advice to all people of all nations, and especially young people like Kaden, is to get involved, especially politically. Many private organizations are working to save our planet, but they constantly run up against policy makers who often block their efforts.

Vote and support candidates who recognize our crisis and are trying to do something about it. Then, when you are old enough, run for office yourself and help pass legislation that will save our planet for your future and your children’s future.

Dan Sabo

Kailua-Kona