Kailua-Kona
Superpacs
Paving the way for Chinese control of U.S.
Superpacs are a huge sovereignty issue.
Current law allows any foreign multi-national to funnel money into our federal elections.
What if the Chinese decided it would be clever to buy an American election?
There might never be a better way for them to get value for their dollar, and considering how many they have of them, to China it would have to be a very rational investment.
Under current Supreme Court (right wing judicial activists) doctrine, that is OK.
For China, the biggest problem might only be which side to invest in.
Bruce Baron
Waimea
Kaiminani Drive
No speed control
After many decades of neglect by the Hawaii County administration, Kaiminani Drive is finally scheduled to be refinished.
Like almost everything else the county does, however, it will not be done properly, as there has been no public indication that there will be speed humps, roundabouts, or four-way stop signs installed to slow down the vehicles that currently use it, day and night, as a speedway. Nor will there be adequate police patrol.
Currently, the best thing that can be said about the deplorable condition of the road is that, at least to a minor degree, it does inhibit a few drivers from speeding, as they do not want to damage their vehicles as they hit the numerous potholes and patches of rough surface.
One can easily imagine, and be perfectly correct in their assumption, that once Kaiminani Drive is resurfaced, the speeds will increase even further beyond the speed limit and the road, then smooth and a pleasure to drive on, will become increasingly dangerous to all who live in the Palisades.
One might think because a number of “Hawaii’s finest” happen to live in the Palisades, it receives extra scrutiny by our traffic division, but it seems that over the years just the opposite has been the norm and about the only time you see a patrol car there is during an accident investigation (they are very good at that), or as they are driving to and from home to work or elsewhere.
I guess we will just have to accept the additional speed, noise, exhaust fumes and danger to the usual “unintended consequences,” which is just another excuse for poor planning by the county.
John P. Ackert
Kailua-Kona