Letters 11-26-14

Subscribe Now Choose a package that suits your preferences.
Start Free Account Get access to 7 premium stories every month for FREE!
Already a Subscriber? Current print subscriber? Activate your complimentary Digital account.

Wasting helicopter time on marijuana?

Wasting helicopter time on marijuana?

It was a splendid read about the University of Hawaii at Hilo researchers using a drone to map the potential paths of the Kilauea lava flows. I really feel that the Federal Aviation Agency should lighten up on the drone regulations when public safety is so clearly involved. However, in the same Nov. 21 article, was the chilling reference that Hawaii County Civil Defense manned helicopters were “unavailable” to provide Civil Defense officials an in-person, bird’s-eye view of the situation on the ground.

What was glaringly obvious to every taxpaying chump on the ground in all of the Ka’u district was our county helicopters were unavailable because the helicopters were spending valuable “blade time” chasing growers of the terrible, evil Maryjane weed.

It’s bad enough to think of all the wasted man hours and assets, but to have a complex weave of orbiting fullsize rotary wing machines repeatedly whop-whop-whopping over your house while armed ground crews are invading people’s property is just infuriating.

Somebody clearly has their priorities backwards.

Richard Swann

Captain Cook

What is HMSA thinking?

I have been with Hawaii Medical Service Association for more than 50 years and it has served me well. But now that I’m a senior and on a fixed income, HMSA has decided to more than double its rates and make it very hard for me and thousands of others.

Walking into HMSA’s new state-of-the-art building in Hilo was like a slap in the face. I heard HMSA also has two others on the island.

Does HMSA have any idea the burden it is placing on senior citizens and others? If we pay the premiums, can we afford the medication?

Does HMSA care at all?

Haley Bushner

Waimea