Letters | 4-16-15

Let’s look at other forms of government

In light of the latest disclosures regarding the misuse of the county’s money, we need to consider the other forms of government that are widely used throughout the United States and Canada. The two types of government are manager/council and mayor/council.

In the manager/council form of government, the elected council hires a professional manager to manage the day-to-day activities and implement the policy set by the council. A manager brings technical knowledge, experience, academic training, management expertise and a dedication to a public service career. A mayor, on the other hand, is a political person, may not have training and may not have the goal of public service at the same or similar levels of government throughout their career.

A mayor/council form is found in such governments as Toronto, Washington and other strong mayor cities, such as New York.

A brief Google search on the differences, strengths and weaknesses of these forms of government, would be a wise exercise for the citizenry of this island, followed by a public discussion.

Barbara L. Frankin

Honokaa

TMT a tool for the future, not the past

I personally feel that the ancient Hawaiians who risked their lives to expand their understanding of our planet would be excited and pleased that Mauna Kea is being considered as the staging platform for the TMT.

The history of man is full of evidence of our curiosity and search for knowledge, to now be able to extend this search out into the heavens using this most magnificent tool should be our destiny. The TMT will reach further and see more clearly than previous telescopes by a factor of (in some cases) up to 100, it is not “just another telescope.” This opportunity to enhance our exploration capabilities must be taken.

Tommy Tinker

Kapaau