Politics and waste Politics and waste ADVERTISING Change is needed I attended the Ka‘u Community Development Plan Meeting Aug. 14 and most of the CDP meetings for over two years. Mayor Kenoi has spent millions of dollars in hiring (and
Politics and waste
Change is needed
I attended the Ka‘u Community Development Plan Meeting Aug. 14 and most of the CDP meetings for over two years. Mayor Kenoi has spent millions of dollars in hiring (and firing) consultants to catalog information about Hawaii Island, a lot of which is already in the General Plan (and census) and cannot supersede it.
This money could’ve provided real services, jobs, and improvements for destitute towns where people live in caves, tents, cars, buses and makeshift homes. The entire KCDP process is a classic example of waste, mismanagement and manipulation; along with the Public Land Development Corp., geothermal, biomass and the brutal slaughter of axis deer (a natural source of food, while we import toxic, commercial meat). It’s time to take back our towns from corrupt officials to protect ourselves, wildlife, aina and lifestyle.
County and state officials want to use Ka‘u and Puna (and other places) to power the entire state, while a lot of residents live below the poverty level without power, running water, adequate shelter, health care or food.
Don’t be swayed and played by eloquent words, family photos and overused endorsements. Their families are living and eating well. Are yours? Poor people should be the first to vote to ensure their protection. That’s what rich people do, and they’re protecting their assets, not their health and well-being. It’s time to stand together and flex our only political muscle, our vote, to deliver a strong, serious statement and a sure, sobering blow to those who are selling us out. Gov. Abercrombie is currently leading the powerful Democratic Party in pushing for geothermal and biofuel, although both projects pose dangers to health and environment, and only serve to keep us enslaved to the profit margins of HELCO.
Hawaii Island has long been targeted to power the state by geothermal energy to be distributed to other islands via undersea cables. While technology for geothermal and biofuel exists, it requires strict and vigilant oversight to be kept safe. Both county and state officials have proven that they lack the capability, expertise, and integrity to manage such risky ventures. They did not take necessary precautions at PGV, nor did they respond appropriately when people and environment were endangered.
Conversely, no one is pushing for wind or solar energy, which is clean and low-impact and maintenance, and allows independence from utility companies. Wind and solar systems can be set up on every island instead of impacting the ocean floor across the island chain.
It’s time to stop the big business-backed political machines and their madness. If left to their own devices, they will continue to destroy our aina and lifestyle. Politicians and corporations count on the complacency and ignorance of citizens to continue to do business without regard for life. The Democrats and Republicans push their agendas, while the people and environment get caught in the crossfire.
It’s sad when government hurts people, but it’s sadder when people let them do it. It’s time to break up the organized political dog packs who scratch each others’ backs, and it’s time to upset and offset the powerful players who are primed and ready to enact plans and policies that will hurt us and future generations. It’s time for a special Bernard Akana election for every office to remove those who are part of the political machines and only pretend to serve us. Hawaii Island has a history of choosing honest, less-polished candidates over slick, smooth-talking sharks posing as nice guys. It is time to hold public officials accountable for their actions and get ’em out. There is an urgent need for real information in choosing candidates other than carefully crafted promotional brochures, websites and ads, which are designed to sell.
We should vote for candidates based on issues, bills and projects they initiate or support, period. This disclosure should be mandatory and placed at polling sites. Also, while sound fiscal management is paramount, government is not a private business, where money is the bottom line. People and protecting all life must be the bottom line in government or the poor, elderly, children, handicapped, animals, environment and other segments of society with less money, power and voice will suffer. The 47 percent of the population do matter and people do die everyday from lack of proper health care, but politicians don’t know these hardships. Building parks and roadways should be par for the course, not great deeds. And, while millions were wasted on CDPs, funds to relocate families living near geothermal wells were taken to build bus shelters. Officials still don’t know what to do with our trash, yet they want to develop geothermal and biofuel. Perhaps more research is needed on waste to energy.
Rock the vote and save our rock with the right vote.
Donna Pabre
Captain Cook
