Make sure Dems don’t rig outcome ADVERTISING Make sure Dems don’t rig outcome With the election for President of The United States of America growing close, Donald John Trump’s razor thin lead has the Democratic party reaching deep into its
Make sure Dems don’t rig outcome
With the election for President of The United States of America growing close, Donald John Trump’s razor thin lead has the Democratic party reaching deep into its bag of dirty tricks.
We here in Hawaii may be the deciding vote cast in this very very important election. Hawaii is the last state to close its precincts so its very important that there is no funny business. After all, Hawaii has a reputation in the past for conflicted results like running out of ballots, polls closing and so forth — not to mention Obama’s influence here. So to insure that our results are not rigged and to prevent Hillary Clinton from pulling another Al Gore, maybe we should bring in international observers from countries that have no stake in our election.
A country like India for instance. We could have an Indian observer at every precinct and have everyone fill out two ballots, one for the precinct and give one to the Indians. When the polls close, the ballot count should match exactly to prevent any charades by the Democrats. This will insure that the count is fair and elect the best man for president.
James Duke
Honaunau
Republican deserves vote
Republican candidate for U.S. Senate John Carroll is the best, most qualified candidate to fill the position. With decades of experience as a well respected Hawaiian Airlines pilot and lawyer, John Carroll is someone I personally know to be a strong advocate for regular people and doing the right thing.
The Democratic Party of Hawaii is a broken machine that has turned the land of aloha into the land of red tape and political corruption.
John Carroll is the only candidate willing to support local organic food production, tackle high taxes and repeal the broken Jones Act, which makes shipping costs for Hawaii obscenely high. Shipping companies are making all the money, while Hawaiians are getting robbed by the U.S. government’s bad policy.
I hope you will join me in voting for U.S. Senate candidate John Carroll. Let’s send him to Washington to fight for better jobs and lower taxes.
Eric Hafner
Mountain View
Think outside the water-catching box
I just attended a governmental meeting of Hawaii’s Water Department. They plan to drill two more wells near Kona to meet their idea of pulling more water from our island’s aquifer. I asked them to allow me to introduce another choice other than drilling for more water and diminishing the finite water in the aquifer — what we drink and water our plants with. I’m not sure my idea will be seriously considered because, after all, those government people think they know what’s best for us.
My idea is to build a reservoir in Hilo which can catch rainwater. Pump it over Saddle Road into a reservoir to the west side and store it there. Use this water for golf courses or personal use, depending upon its quality. This system is simpler, doesn’t require much electricity, and the source is free (it’s rain!).
When planning for the future, our government gets so bogged down in minutia that they often become ineffective. We don’t pay them to be ineffective. If rules stop them from doing their job for the betterment of the people, then change the rules. After all, those rules that are giving them problems were created by man. Change the darn rules and get something done for the future.
What I’ve suggested is so darn simple but the rules are impediments to efficiency. We need another supply of water which doesn’t reduce our main water supply. Simple.
Barry Willis
Kailua-Kona
Vote registration tips
The state of Hawaii faces a potentially serious disenfranchisement of voters. Having set Monday, Oct. 10, as the deadline to receive voter registrations, the state now is in danger of disenfranchising countless numbers of voters.
Because Oct. 9 is a Sunday and Oct. 10 a national holiday, people who think they are beating the deadline may find that their registration forms are not accepted. The mail-in forms must be postmarked by the 10th, but the USPS is not open to stamp the mail. Any mailed application postmarked by Saturday, Oct. 8, will be accepted no matter when it is received by elections.
Eight other states were, like Hawaii, in violation of federal law on this point. Since national media highlighted the problem, Arkansas and Washington have extended their deadline to Oct. 11. Hawaii could do the same, but at this time, has shown no inclination to do so.
The League of Voters of Hawaii County offers several recommendations. First of all, register online or in person. The Office of Elections in Hilo and in Kona will be open on Monday, Oct. 10. The County of Hawaii sponsors WikiWiki Voter Registration in three locations on Monday, Oct. 10, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Those locations are: K-Mart in Kona, Bayfront in Hilo, and Malama Market in Pahoa.
Forms filled out at those spots are deposited in a locked box and transported to the Elections Office in Hilo at the end of the day. Another option, which has not been publicized, is late registration and voting at early walk-in voting sites. This is the first election in which people may present necessary documentation at those sites and vote. Early walk-in begins on Oct. 25 and extends through Nov. 5. The sites are Kona Civic Center, Hilo Aupuni Center, Pahoa Community Center and Waimea Community Center. For further information, see the state’s election website or call County of Hawaii Elections at 961-8277.
Erica Johnson
Vice-president, League of Women Voters of Hawaii County
