Letters to the Editor: 8-20-16

Kim didn’t sink failed project

Ron Baird’s letter to the editor on Aug. 19, which mentions the failed Megasoft project at NELHA, only tells one side of the story.

I did some research on the proposed project. The primary backer, Venu Pasupuleti, had a very flimsy business plan, and didn’t have the appropriate financing in place to execute his proposal, according to several Environment Hawaii articles. In addition, he has an extensive criminal background, and had several tax liens in the state of Ohio, those articles point out. It makes you wonder how extensive Mr. Baird vetted Mr. Pasupuleti’s background.

In short, Mr. Baird’s commentary fails to paint a complete picture of what really happened. Mayor Kim’s opposition would not have sunk this project, as it already had a flimsy business plan and no financing. If it did, Megasoft would be a viable operating entity at NELHA today.

Aaron Stene

Kailua-Kona

Of weeds and walls

With all due respect Mr. Conklin concerning your letter of Aug. 16, I suggest that you give “Mending Wall” a closer reread. Anyone who has had a halfway respectable English teacher knows that Robert Frost was not advocating building or even repairing walls in his poem.

You have missed the subtlety of the poem completely. As far as “watering weeds” goes we need to think out of the box how to help homeless families get back on their feet, while at the same time making a work-for-benefits program for those standing at Costco with their panhandling signs. Maybe pulling weeds would be a good place to start. The connector road median strip on Henry Street and Palani Road would be a good place to start. It is a disgrace.

Rev. Marian Hughes

Waimea