Save our restaurants, reward our community
After driving down Allii Drive in Kona and seeing most of our favorite restaurants still closed and now reading Dennis Boyd’s column in Monday’s West Hawaii Today about what the near future holds, I’m very concerned.
The restaurant industry is one of the largest employers in our county and the state.
This has impacted so many workers and small businesses, and we don’t know for how long.
We can’t afford to wait until the tourists come to help out, but here is something we can do now.
I decided to take my stimulus money and purchase four $25 gift cards from 12 local restaurants (sorry Starbucks), and plan on distributing them throughout the community to the people who have been there throughout this pandemic for all of us.
Think about it. Help our local eateries while rewarding those who have helped our community. Think: Teachers, postal carriers, UPS drivers, rubbish carriers, your auto mechanic, your child care provider and not forgetting all the first responders, police, fire fighters, and health care workers. The list is endless.
Everybody wins! So how about it Kona, if you are able to help, maybe we can set an example for the rest of the state.
Barbara Cameli
Kailua-Kona
Defense appreciated, but attack unnecessary
I appreciate Kathleen McRae’s defense of Ocean View, but her attack on Debbie Cravatta show’s she has no idea who Debbie is or her contribution to the welfare of abandoned animals. It also shows me that she has no idea of the problems people here in Ocean View have created from careless breeding to abandonment of dogs.
Like Kathleen, I also transplanted from Oahu to Ocean View. That first week I rescued “Nani” abandoned on the road. Since then, I have rescued 40-plus dogs. I find them at the dump, on the road, at the shopping center. I have also rescued dogs left tied to starve because some wonderful residents decided to move. I am not the only one, there are people here that have made it their personal responsibility to help these animals in need. Yes Kathleen, Ocean View is a beautiful place with a lot of good residents, but it is also a perfect place for undesirables to live — we have thieves, drunks, drug dealers and spaced out druggies. We have people who are cruel to dogs and others that eat them, yes we have all of that. Have you ever had to call the police over gunshots? No? That’s OK because they won’t show up. But there is also a lot of good people, animal lovers who without the help from Debbie and KARES hundreds of animals would end up dead on the streets or put down.
I suggest, Kathleen, that you go to St. Jude here in HOVE and see the work Debbie and all her volunteers do. You have no idea how much of their personal time and money they donate to the benefit of these animals in need. Maybe when you see this for yourself, you will also roll up your sleeves and support these fine people.
Paul Santos
Ocean View
I will vote my values
I used to think I was a conservative. I believe in personal responsibility, that nothing is free that some people need a hand up but too many are taking hand outs and that not everybody can be a winner. That’s why I am against endless huge corporate welfare. Likewise, I believe that everyone should play by the same rules and equality means equal opportunity and that your destiny should be a product of your choices that’s why I oppose policies that favor the rich and powerful over the common man. I do believe in the rule of law and that it should apply equally to all. That is why I oppose a president and Justice Department that says he is above investigation and can obstruct testimony. I have always owned a gun since my military discharge in the ‘70s, but I oppose military weapons being brandished in the streets to intimidate peaceful protestors. I do strive to see people as people and recognize that in America not all people are treated equally under the law. I oppose killing babies and also believe that no government should be able to mandate anyone of any gender what medical decisions to make about their own bodies. I believe in strong borders and comprehensive immigration reform which lives up to the U.S. commitment to refuges not family separation and concentration camps. I love my country and the view that America should be the leader in human rights and democracy. It is frightening to see the degradation of these values and our march towards an autocracy and constant demonization of anyone who should ask for honest answers from Trump. I am not excited by Biden but I am appalled by terrified by Trump. Yes, I will vote my values.
Rusty Iijima
Waikoloa
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