Keep prisoners behind bars
I think releasing criminals is a very bad idea. Most criminals will go back and commit the same crime again if they are released. If they could have been rehabilitated while in prison, then yes, let that small number out but not the rest. It took the police long enough to catch them n the first place. Why waste taxpayer money over and over again?
Further, I read that the prison population so far was coronavirus free. Wouldn’t they be safe staying in prison then outside? I hope the justice system uses common sense and keep the prisoners locked up.
Colleen Wallis
Kailua-Kona
Respect teachers
DOE stated our teachers got paid for a week without any work. This for the extra week of spring break due to coronavirus. There are teachers who spent many long hours over their entire spring break, along with the next week they “had off,” establishing a system for teaching without being in the classroom. No easy task. Especially when many students in South Kona do not even have computers at home and share only one cell phone per family.
Now Gov. David Ige wants to cut their pay by 20%. Our teachers are already notoriously underpaid.
Teachers have a crucial job in educating our children … our children who are the future. Their education is absolutely vital. We should have respect and appreciation for teachers. Part of showing respect and appreciation is by paying them a decent living wage.
If paychecks must be cut, cut paychecks for office staff, DMV employees, secretaries, and the highest paid state employees like Ige, and governmental department heads.
Those making higher wages can go with a bit less. But for teachers who are already underpaid and any other government employees who are barely making a living wage, leave their wages alone so they are not under threat of loosing their living spaces and/or joining the Salvation Army and Food Basket lines.
Cindy Ku’upua Whitehawk
South Kona
Wasted money
It’s a small drop in the bucket, but boy could we use that $8 million-plus that our mayor, Harry Kim, wasted on the TMT. Most all of us would agree it would have been better spent then on lava recovery, the elderly, schools and homeless and now more importantly spent on the COVID-19 virus. It was money down the drain, what do we have to show for it. Time to retire Kim.
Carole Abarcar
Waikoloa
Did they even think?
Today, I decided that since I had run out of room in my garage that I had to make a run to the transfer station and dispose of the household garbage, cardboard boxes, and metal cans that now filled a 35-gallon container.
Upon arrival at the transfer station, I noticed that there was no metal container or green waste container. I asked the attendant why they were not there and her answer left me dumbstruck. They were trying to reduce the need for people to go out during the stay at home order.
So, what are we supposed to do with the normal daily accumulation of waste? Let it pile up? This is not only a capricious and stupid decision; it accomplishes nothing except creating greater inconvenience to the citizens of the County of Hawaii. If the county will not provide curbside service for garbage then they must keep the transfer station open for all types of waste that does accumulate for the average household, which includes the metal cans and green waste. Do they think that landscape plants will magically stop growing and therefore not need to be pruned, lawns not mown? Did they even think?
John Pierce
Waikoloa Village
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