Letters | 9-26-14

Proposed incinerator is a fiscal and social disaster

A perfect storm is heading toward the Big Island, and this time it’s not coming from Mother Nature. This one is coming from the mayor and a couple of special-interest groups and its acronym says it all: GIP — the Garbage Incineration Project.

I am not against all such projects — an incinerator near a major city with an unlimited supply of nonrecyclable trash might make sense. But a project here would be a fiscal and social disaster for the 30-year life of the estimated $150 million project. Here’s why.

Because of our small population we will probably have to reduce recycling in order to feed the incinerator a set amount per day or pay huge fines to the company that runs it, which is exactly what is now happening on Oahu. And because it will require most, if not all of the garbage our island produces, the county will have to add dozens of trucks per day from North, West and South Hawaii to bring the trash to the Hilo incineration site, and then bring most of the toxic ash residues back to the west-side dump because the Hilo dump is not currently permitted for toxic ash. So if you like toxic ash heaps, higher taxes and more garbage trucks on the road, you’ll love our new incinerator.

So why is this happening? I think it comes down to two words: campaign contributions. It’s no secret that Mayor Billy Kenoi aspires to higher office and, as we have seen over and over, ambitious politicians will ignore the will of the people to please potential campaign contributors. At the last public hearing, 49 of 50 testifiers opposed the project. But Waste Management Inc., Wheelabrator, Covanta and Green Conversion Systems Inc. are all large multinational corporations with deep pockets when it comes to supporting people who do them multimillion dollar favors.

But there is one last hurdle — next year the County Council must approve the project, and in 2008 the council comissioned a task force, then followed its advice and rejected a similar proposal. That’s why the mayor and his PRP super-PAC associates on Oahu are going to such lengths to get rid of the strongest voice against the project who will be on the council next year — Margaret Wille. Did they think we wouldn’t notice that the mayor’s hand-picked east-side planning commissioner is pretending to be a west-sider in order to run against her? Did they think a smear campaign run by the same Oahu prodevelopment cabal that admitted in court to slandering Ben Cayetano would influence voters in South Kohala? Or is playing by the rules just not a priority for them?

Maybe its time for Karen Eoff, Dru Kanuha, Valerie Poindexter and Greggor Ilagan to show the tiniest bit of spine and say no to the mayor for the first time since they joined the council, a move that would save their own political careers. Because if they don’t, they will be the ones who will feel the wrath of county taxpayers in 2016 when the incineration and all its miseries begin, while Kenoi takes his money, moves to Oahu, and runs for higher office.

Matt Binder

Waimea

Puppies shouldn’t be sold on side of the road

Am I the only person on the west side of Hawaii Island whose teeth just grind every time I drive by those individuals who are selling puppies on the roadside of Queen Kaahumanu Highway? I can only assume there is no law against this as it occurs more often than I can even remember.

My particular angst is those who sell the pit bull puppies.

In my own neighborhood there are two such dogs, tied up to short ropes, by the side of the house, with no exercise, no real human contact and certainly no enjoyment of life.

If you want to purchase a dog, contact a reputable dog breeder to understand the temperament of the puppy and learn the history of the dog’s breed.

Let’s stop this indiscriminate selling of animals by the roadside.

Barbara Hussey

Kailua-Kona