Trump why and how
Dear Editor, Nov 7, 2024
Who would have thought that a serial adulterer sex maniac twice divorced multi felon orange obscene obese bad haired nasty lying crazy dirty old man could seriously run for president 3 times and win TWICE?! Only in America!
When our Founding Fathers designed a democratic republic nation of equal OPPORTUNITY so that “anybody could grow up to be president”, surely, they did not in their most horrendous nightmare imagine THIS!!!??? Or did they? What a country!
And I thought letting felons vote would be controversial! Holeeeee!
Granted, we all have held our noses and voted for candidates we didn’t like but this is more like wearing a gas mask to vote!
However, Trump was clear in his major messaging (border security, tax cuts, economy) like a sad broken record that kept repeating some good lyrics but with an offkey voice and a tired melody. Harris was like a god-awful drive thru intercom at a cheap fast-food joint where you couldn’t understand her message no matter how hard you tried.
VICE PRESIDENT Harris was in an obvious brutal civil war with her PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE self. She was savagely caught and crippled in a campaign of contradictions Voters perceived that her positions were: Biden’s mind is super sharp but he’s senile so I’m running, Biden’s economic policy is great for America but I’m going to fix the economy when I’m president, I “quietly” WELCOME illegal immigration but I’m going to build a border wall if elected!
As bad as BOTH candidates were, hopefully Trump will have learned from his earlier defeat to refrain from his crazy side (probably not) and the worst scandal we get from him is more dalliances with porn stars.
But are we as voters at fault? Why DON’T we have a candidate that can UNITE the country?
Leighton Loo
Mililani, Oahu
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Big Island General Plan a Word Salad
Dear Editor, Nov 5, 2024
I’ve been to four Planning Department meetings giving testimony on the Big Island General Plan (GP) 2045. It’s amazing how the place is not packed with locals in an uproar. Many people have received letters from the Planning Department telling them their property’s land use would change with the GP to “recreation,” which means their property value would drop when they go to sell, or will it to their family.
The GP includes things like “acquire property,” and “limit vehicle miles traveled”. What right does the planning department have to take people’s land, and violate the Constitutional right to travel?
A testifier called the GP a “word salad”. With things like, “The council shall enact zoning subdivision, and other such ordinance which shall contain the necessary provisions to carry out the purpose of the general plan,” she isn’t off base.
This plan has “zoning” written 74 times. Yet, we’re supposed to believe that it won’t change zoning. It doesn’t literally change it, but it is the means for the change in the future.
They have a section called, “Bulk Regulations” which has even more rules and fines for homeowners, as if there are not enough hoops to jump through. If homeowners like being told what to do with their property, then this plan is perfect! If they don’t, I hope they’ll be at the next Windward Planning Department meeting on December 5th.
The Windward Commission chair asked me what I would like to see changed and I told him to bring back the Hawaiian apua’a system and instead of “incentivizing” compliance, which means higher taxes if you don’t comply with the GP, “incentivize” people to grow more food so Hawaii can once again be self-sufficient.
Mahalo,
Michelle Melendez
Hilo, Hawaii
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$80M is a lot for HPP park
Dear Editor, Nov 3, 2024
I hope the good people of Hawaii Paradise Park get a great community park and I hope they get it a lot sooner than the four more years anticipated.
That said...
About 13,000 people...men, women and children...live in Hawaii Paradise Park. Divide that number into $80 million and the cost of the park comes to $6000 per person or $24,000 for a family of four.
I don't care where the money comes from...Federal, State, local or donors...that is an OUTRAGEOUS sum to spend on a park. Ask the people of Hawaii Paradise Park if they would rather have that long delayed park or $6000 per person...about $24,000 per family...in cash to help pay their bills.
Maybe I am not understanding this proposal properly...or maybe my math is bad...Please show me how this even remotely makes sense. And I would love to hear from our County Mayor, before I vote, as to how he feels about the proposal.
Aloha,
Don Hurzeler
Kailuia-Kona, Hawaii