Letters 7-4-14

Visitors really aren’t carpet baggers

Visitors really aren’t carpet baggers

I feel Robert Herkes wrongs many with his broad dismissal of off-island “carpetbaggers” concern about reef fish. A carpetbagger is a person seeking unscrupulous advantage.

I would like to see more fish on the reefs of West Hawaii. I would like to see fewer fish taken for aquarium use. But as for advantage — year after year I take only pictures and bring only money.

The people of the Big Island are making a judgment about sustainability and the value of reef fish to their community. I can only hope their combined knowledge brings wisdom.

Mark Proctor

Burnaby, British Columbia

Garbage burner would pollute West Hawaii

If you stop off the highway at the lookout next to Ocean View town, and look off to the west, you will see a thick cloud of vog from Kilauea Volcano. The tradewinds push it away from Hilo and it lingers there over the Kona (lee) side of Hawaii Island.

Now the Hilo government wants to install a garbage burner in Hilo with a nice tall smokestack. All the nasty, poisonous vapors from that stack will be coming around the island just like the vog, and hanging around for the breathing pleasure of the downwind residents.

And please don’t try to bamboozle us with sweet talk about scrubbers and filters, maintained by a bunch of baboozes who don’t have to worry about inhaling that stuff. The trade winds blow all the stink away from their homes, so no worry, eh?

Richard Swann

Captain Cook