Wanted: Peeping Tom
in white socks
No need to be shy in South Kona, in a “little grass shack” over looking Kealakekua Bay. Rows and rows of Kona Coffee, clothes lines gently dry cleaning, views for miles. It’s where God sends his angels to retire.
There is a certain perceived abundance of privacy up mauka, that’s why I’ve lived here for so long. No need to lock your doors or cover your windows up mauka. The peace and serenity are unmatched anywhere.
Well, that was until Wednesday night when we spotted a Peeping Tom hiding in the palm bushes. My wife had just walked out of the shower, by the time I could yell, he/her had moved to another bush, all I could see was bright white shoes and white high socks.
The security cameras didn’t get a face through the bushes, but next time we will put a face to the white socked Peeping Tom of Kealakekua.
David O. Baldwin
South Kona
Utilizing the blame game
In Wednesday’s West Hawaii Today there was an article that addresses the delays in processing claims. Immediately, officials blamed it on former President Donald Trump. By their own words, the computer system is antiquated to the point that programmers needed for patches or updates, are unavailable. That speaks volumes about Hawaii’s IT condition. My sense it that most state systems suffer a like condition. If not, why would an agency whose mission is to provide financial life support to our most impacted, be neglected?
Blaming Trump for Hawaii’s IT failure is laughable and is simply another example of piling on to an already embattled former president. He received the bill on Dec. 23, 2020, and signed it on the 27th. Do we truly believe those three days created so much havoc. The article makes it sound as if there was a prolonged time element. No, utilize the blame game, lay it on Trump. Exactly what I expect of the state of Hawaii.
Hawaii’s inability to process these claims should be laid at the feet of the Hawaii Legislature for not underwriting a new and modern IT system, but rather pouring untold billions into the Honolulu rail system, now planned to cost $11 billion with a 2033 completion. After all, a 100% error of the original projected cost is not a rounding error. Could we have utilized a portion of said funds on IT upgrades, we probably would not be delaying payments to our most needy.
Pete Webber
Kona
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