Telescope Less Impact Than Maunakea Access Road Encampment?
Dear Editor, Oct. 26, 2020
I am extremely dismayed by the comments made the anti-Thirty Meter Telescope protest leaders in a recent article regarding the placing the educational Hoku Kea telescope at Hale Pohaku. They’re opposed to locating it there because it will negatively affect the environment and bring additional traffic to the mountain.
These protesters need to look in mirror, as their TMT protest encampment at Maunakea Access Road has negatively impacted an environmentally sensitive area. Their encampment contains rubbish, abandoned vehicles, permanent campsites w/ tents, etc. In addition, there are metal barrels that contain an unknown substance near the permanent camping area.
The state and county have enabled this campsite to remain. The county graded an campsite area with taxpayer funded manpower and materials. This action should’ve triggered a permitting requirement, but did not. I’ve also repeatedly complained to the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, the owner of the land under the encampment, but have only received lip service.
This eyesore needed to be cleaned up yesterday, but it still remains.
I’m afraid nothing will be done until the TMT impasse is resolved. In other words, these protesters intend to hold the entire community hostage with this eyesore until the TMT decides to leave or scrap the project entirely. If this indeed their intention, it goes to show they don’t care about the environment one bit.
The Department of Hawaiian Homelands, and the anti-TMT protesters need to clean up their encampment by Maunakea Access Road immediately, which will allow this environmentally sensitive area heal.
Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
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Rail to be Next Stonehenge
Dear Editor, October 26, 2020
Stopping the rail at this very moment can prove to be a profitable tourist attracting investment for Oahu's not so distant future, and immediately save billions of dollars.
Why is this so?
Due to global warming the waters around the Hawaiian Islands are rising.
Beaches and infrastructure are flooding and slowly disappearing.
Heavily forested areas are clear cut for expanding cemeteries.
High-rise buildings, new housing developments and associated paved areas are exponentially increasing.
The natural environmental attractions for which people travel vast distances to Hawaii are disappearing,
When Oahu’s low lands are under water and unusable, the hundreds of already erected obelisks (pillars) intended to support the aborted rail project will still remain and stand proudly above the flooded plains of Oahu.
As in the case of the unknown original purpose of Great Britain’s Stone Hinge, people will eventually assign a spiritual meaning to the monumental size columns, be willing to travel vast distances and pay premium prices to view and be spiritually moved by them.
Despite all the other negative greenhouse effects impacting Oahu’s tourist attractions; saying amen to "stopping the rail now" can prove to be tourism’s savior.
Stann W. Reiziss
Kailua, Oahu
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“A Republic, if you can keep it” - Dr. Franklin 1787
A response to Charles K. Djou and Dr. Micky Edwards
Dear Editor, Oct 12, 2020
President Donald J. Trump captured the American dream in Making America Safe and Great Again with returning the Country to its roots, “a Republic”. A “Republic” in conformance to our Declaration of Independence and Constitution provided to us by our Founding Fathers.
President Trump has exposed and reversed the Liberal Socialists programs established over the past sixty years which slowly moved an entire Country Left of Center away from the Founders intent. Then, Americans elected Donald J. Trump, with all his personal failures and raw personality, as the President of the United States.
The true Republican is an Originalist Conservative. Charles Djou and Dr. Micky Edwards claimed to be Conservative and yet never an Originalist. For example, an Originalist believes in “Life”. Where human life begins at conception, period. An Originalist believes America is a “Republic”, to be free from oppressive restrictions imposed by government on one's way of life, such as “Same-Sex Marriage”.
It was written, “at the close of the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787, as Benjamin Franklin left the hall in Philadelphia, he was asked, ‘What kind of government have you given us, Dr. Franklin?’ He replied: ‘A Republic, if you can keep it.’” Both Djou and Edwards have forgotten that the United States of America is founded as a “Republic”.
President Donald J. Trump has stated, “Our great Nation was founded by men and women of deep and abiding faith — a faith that has stood the test of time.” (Sept. 26, 2020).
President Trump’s message to the United Nations General Assembly, “My administration is advancing religious liberty, opportunity for women, the decriminalization of homosexuality, combatting human trafficking, and protecting unborn children.” (Sept. 22, 2020).
President Trump believes, “Because we are Americans and our hearts bleed red, white, and blue as one people, one family and one glorious nation under God.” (April 29, 2017).
In less than a term in office as President of the United States, President Trump has nominated three Originalist Associate Justices to the United Supreme Court and will have successfully supported three to be seated.
President Trump has nominated and successfully gained approval of 230 Federal Judges to fill the positions within the Third Branch of our Republic.
In less than a term in office as President of the Unite States, President Trump began draining the DC Deep State Swamp, with laws providing the Administration a less restrictive basis to remove (terminate) a Federal Employee. The result removed over 10,000 Veterans Administration employees and gained an approval rating of 91% from the Veterans being served.
President Trump began arresting and deporting the more than 2 million criminal “illegal” immigrants from around the country and canceled visas to foreign countries that would not take the “illegals” back.
President Trump has initiated the program of repealing existing regulations and limiting new regulations which increases productivity in the Private Sectors.
In less than a term in Office as President of the United States, President Trump has withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP).
President Trump has restructured the American economy by providing opportunities for all its citizens (not by ethnicity, religion, or status), he has restructured NAFTA with the USMCA (Jul 2020), he has restructured the China Trade Agreement Phase I (Dec 2019), he has restructured the Pacific Asian Trade Agreement and the European Trade Agreement by placing America First.
President Trump removed the Obama-Biden roadblocks allowing vital energy infrastructure projects, like the Keystone Pipeline (Mar 2017), to move forward and is part of the United States becoming energy independent and expand a $50 Trillion industry.
In less than a term in office as the President of the United States, President Trump has begun the negotiations between the Afghanistan Government and the Taliban, with the objective of removing all United States combat related Military personnel. (Note: Pull out by the end of 2020.)
President Trump has never called, “fallen American military heroes ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’. The lie printed in the Atlantic Magazine (Sep 3, 2020) piece by editor in chief Jeffery Goldberg, has walked back his printed words because there is no collaboration or confirmation.”
President Trump canceled billions in payments to the U.N. “climate change” programs and used the money to fix America’s domestic water and environmental infrastructure. And, he has pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord agreement as promised. (Jun 2017)
In less than a term in office as President of the United States, President Trump demolished the ISIS caliphate in Syria, Turkey, and Iraq. (Mar 20, 2019)
President Trump has resolved many of the Israeli promises made by the United States for decades, such as relocating the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem the Capital of Israel and developed an agreement relating to the expansion of Settlements. (May 2018)
President Trump leveled the participation funding of NATO as promised, and as of December 2019, only Germany has not contributed the agreed 2% of the Country’s GDP goal set at the 2014 NATO summit in Wales.
In less than a term in office as the President of the United States, President Trump has initiated construction of the Southern Border Wall and has more than 700 miles of new Wall completed and under construction (DHS March 2020).
President Trump and Mexican President have agreed to post Mexican troops along the Mexican and United States borders for security and control. (June 2019)
President Trump began arresting and deporting more than 1.8 million criminal “illegal” immigrants “aliens” from the United States since February 2017 and announced canceling visas to foreign countries that would not take their “illegals” back.
And, in less than a full term in office as the President of the United States, President Trump has accomplished many of his promises to Americans, including providing the leadership for the World to identify and develop a vaccine for Covid-19. We have the responsibility to re-elect him to his second term to continue the work in Making America Safe and Great Again as a Republic.
James I. Kuroiwa, Jr.
Ewa, Oahu
A former State Political Director for a Republican Presidential Candidate (Senator John McCain 2000); a Past Chairman of the Honolulu County Republican Party (1996 – 1999); Former Board Member of the National Veterans Network (2011 Congressional Gold Medal for WWII AJA veterans)’ Past President of the Go For Broke Assn (100/442 USAR; a Vietnam Combat veteran 1/502d Inf 101st Abn 1969); Retired Director, Hawaii LECET (Local 368-LIUNA) and; voted for and will again for President Donald J. Trump and his Originalist beliefs as an American citizen.
Related: Djou: Why I'm Voting for Biden
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STOP THE RAIL AT MIDDLE STREET
Dear Editor, October 7, 2020
The rail is a DEAD END PROJECT! The daily riders number will be far less that anticipated.
OAHU DOES NOT have the population to financially sustain the rail. In addition to approx. 5 to 9 years of disruption to the core of the central city area and all the neighborhood adjacent to city center, what else will Oahu have to sacrifice to get that rail done? The rail has already doubled my property tax and it will double again to maintain the rail.
Proof: Evaluate the cities that have more than double the population of Oahu. Even they run in the negative.
For the rail to sustain itself the cost of one ride will be more than the cost of petrol round trip to and from work. Do the math.
DO NOT PUT ME AND THE REST OF OAHU IN DEEP DEBT, JUST TO SATISFY YOUR EGO. GET REAL.
Sincerely,
Harumi Tsukayama
Honolulu, Oahu
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Held Hostage?
Dear Editor, October 2, 2020
Is anyone else astounded by the news that our fumbling, bumbling Hawaii officials are still considering allowing "Trans-Pacific" travelers to pre-test prior to flying here and yet those of us who live here can't leave Oahu to fly to other islands without being subjected to a 14 day quarantine?
Hawaii residents are NOT provided the same travel benefits as those outside our state?
Let that sink in and remember in November not only this year but in years to come!!!
Margaret Peary
Mililani, Oahu
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Hawaiian Homelands Should Be Opened To Other Voice/Data Providers
Open Letter to DHHL
Dear Mr. Aila, October 1, 2020
Sandwich Isles Communications has been the Hawaiian Homelands exclusive voice/data provider since 1995. The FCC then issued an order on July 3rd, 2017 voiding SIC's exclusive license to service Hawaiian homestead areas statewide.
Sandwich Isles ability to service HHL areas since then has come into question due ongoing litigation on several fronts.
Their ability to reliably provide service really took a hit yesterday when the FCC finalized the 49 million dollar administrative fine against them for abusing the Universal Service Fund program. This coupled with the bankruptcy of their sister company Paniolo Cable Company, and the ongoing lawsuit by USDA RUS seeking the recovery of 138 million dollars in outstanding loans, makes SIC's future especially bleak.
The individuals, families, and business living and operating on HHL lands will be the only ones that will suffer if SIC is unable to continue provide voice/data service. This is why other providers, such as Spectrum and Hawaiian Telcom, should be allowed to provide service on HHL lands, especially since the fate of SIC remains unclear at this point.
Sincerely,
Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii