What’s the difference?
When Hawaiians peacefully protested the desecration of Maunakea, Gov. David Ige and Mayor Harry Kim unleashed every law enforcement agency in the state to drop the hammer on them. Now with “visitors” arriving from the mainland, they deploy the Tourism Authority, which has no law enforcement authority or powers, to monitor them for the alleged mandatory 14-day quarantine. What’s up with that?
In WHT, it was reported that four tourists were cited for violation of that quarantine. Anyone familiar with crime statistics knows that this is tip of iceberg and multiples of that four also are violating the quarantine order without getting caught every day.
We want and need this thing to be over. Stopping incoming potential sources of infection should be priority No. 1. Have some courage and make the mandatory quarantine, well mandatory. Place all arrivals in a hotel, at their expense, monitored by DOH. Just the announcement of this policy alone will stop 99% of arrivals.
As the bonehead states open up prematurely, you can bet Hawaii will see an increase in arrivals and potential virus vectors. Let’s not wait until we get a travel-related cluster that shuts us down again for months. Don’t buy the political argument that they are exploring the legality of such a measure. They sure didn’t worry about that when they deployed police in riot and SWAT gear to Maunakea to arrest our kupuna.
Joseph Appleton
Waimea
Green waste disposal is essential
What is going on? I read the WHT article, April 30, regarding new transfer station restrictions. It stated that the transfer stations will be open May 1 with limitations. Talked to some of my friends who are off work and they too rejoiced in that their green waste material is stacking up since they have more time now to manicure their yards.
I worked all morning chopping up my green waste to fit the box of my truck, ate lunch then went to the transfer station. It was closed. I then returned home and contacted some of my friends in the county to learn what is going on. I am told that the green waste boss was working? The question I now have is, if green waste is not an essential part of county operations, why is the boss working? If green waste is not essential, then his job is “nonessential.”
I also checked and yes, the Police Chief is working and so was the Fire Chief confirming that their departments are essential to county operations. We taxpayers should stop paying property taxes if the county leadership consider us nonessential to the extent that we don’t get the services that helps us maintain our properties so we can be taxed to cover their salaries.
I need to stop now.
Leningrad Elarionoff
Waimea
Open green waste facility now
Message to Mayor Harry Kim: Please reopen the Kealakehe green waste facility immediately. Many of us do our own landscaping and have nowhere to take our green waste now. “Social distancing” is not an issue at the disposal area. Let’s get that facility open, so we don’t have to drive many extra miles to go to Puuanahulu.
Ron Raridon
Kailua-Kona
Still waiting
On behalf of my dearly departed mother who died a year ago, I would like to thank our Federal Government for the stimulus check we just received for her.
I’m still waiting for mine.
George Lucas
Waikoloa
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