DWS doesn’t deserve raise
I would really like to know how incompetence in the Department of Water Supply deserves a salary increase?
The people responsible for the poor service should be fired and replaced with people who can do a better job.
I am ticked off. It is not just the people in Kailua-Kona who are paying for these incompetent people in charge of the DWS. We all pay for the major mistakes reflected by the increase in our bills.
Sloppy work should not be rewarded!
Lisa Christensen
Waimea
Raises simply baffling
It appears that a mutual admiration society continues to exist between Takamine’s water board and Okamoto, chief engineer, and his deputy as they are receiving a 5 percent raise in 2019, which is in addition to their raise of 8 percent for this year for a total increase to Okamoto of $16,000. This is for “how well the two men performed.”
Normally, a performance goal is set and the person has to meet or beat expectations. So, let’s look at performance. As of last month, four pumps have been down for two years. There has been 362 consecutive days of 25 percent restriction. The pump that dropped to the bottom of a well never was recovered or discussed since. New pumps were inoperable and not quality controlled before shipping from the mainland. Extra cost to the system was added with the drilling of a new well. Was the performance goal lowered to meet what was done or not done?
Justification for the raises was “keeping the numbers competitive so as to attract quality candidates when current occupants decide to retire, resign or are relieved.”
Maybe it’s time to start attracting candidates!
Don Zero
Kailua-Kona
Shocked that Obama
makes history tagline
My nephew came over the other day and we practiced “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” to sing at his holiday recital for Holualoa Elementary School. His teacher gave all the students a hand out with the words to the song.
I was shocked and very disappointed. They have added the words “and Obama” to the end of the song. This is incredibly prejudiced. Spreading opinions through these small voices is inappropriate. The song officially doesn’t include anything past the last line that goes “Then all the reindeer loved him, and they shouted out with glee, Rudolph the red nose reindeer, you’ll go down in history” …
We (over 50 years ago) used to sing out at the end “like Washington or Columbus” — the founders of our country. We no longer do that thanks to politically correct morons — and it’s ridiculous to add “and Obama” to the end before such greats as Washington or Columbus.
Come on people, stop using our children for such abuse. My nephew will not be saying “and Obama” and he’s embarrassed he’s been asked to do so. This school is overstepping its authority.
The school doesn’t even pledge the allegiance anymore — so what gives them the right to pledge to Obama?
Anne Hamilton
Keauhou
