Where has the money gone?
In passing this year’s Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) budget as presented by Mayor Mitch Roth, the Hawaii County Council will be funding yet another $17.6 million in this upcoming year for more planning and designing of the Naalehu sewer project boondoggle.
Since our current County Council has not requested a legislative audit of where the millions of dollars in Naalehu sewer planning and design money has gone for the past 14 years, inquiring county taxpayers like me are now asking if County Council is going to allow another year and over $17 million dollars to be spent on the same project contractors who will probably produce the same lack of results?
Sandra Demoruelle
Naalehu
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A day for training is reasonable
I am responding to Rick Asbach’s letter on May 3 regarding a “wasted trip” to the transfer station when it was closed on April 28. Mr. Asbach claimed that there was no announcement for this closure. In the West Hawaii Today there was an ad on page 5A in the April 25 (Sunday) edition, and a listing under Announcements on page 2A of the April 27 (Tuesday) edition. They can be viewed on WHT’s e-Edition. And I am sure this closure was also posted on the county website.
While I agree that the county needs to be better organized in how they handle green waste, recycling and general trash at the transfer stations and landfill, I certainly don’t begrudge them taking one day to train their employees. While you, Mr. Asbach, were just one car with green waste, these people have to deal with dozens to hundreds of cars a day, with all manner of waste. And not every person who visits the transfer stations are courteous and respectful. The workers need to know proper procedures, safety protocols, COVID-19 precautions, equipment operations, and so on. Certainly, one whole day spent training all these employees is reasonable.
Please visit www.hawaiizerowaste.org for announcements and updates if you wish to avoid any more “wasted trips.”
Elizabeth Poire
Kailua-Kona
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