Let the people of Kona decide
I live in Kona and everyone I know doesn’t want the Ironman here — the business closures, disruption to traffic-flow, the heightened danger motorists suffer as bikes run stop lights, and merge erratically onto the highway — it’s not welcome — nor do we believe the purported up-tick in revenue is truthful.
The residents who do work in Kona during the Ironman work harder and for less tips! The athletes don’t spend money, their followers park their cars abruptly on the side of the road to get selfies and fly drones around our beautiful island and it’s all way more annoying than cute. I wrote and called Mayor Mitch Roth and told his office that most of us want to put the fate of the Ironman in voter’s hands. Roth’s office told me to write West Hawaii Today in hopes a writer or editor would ask West Hawaii residents their opinion by hosting a public poll. I think the people of West Hawaii deserve a media voice on the fate of the Ironman in Hawaii County — let’s hear what the community says.
Paul Exner
Kona
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Shout-out to the athletes
This is just a shout-out to all of the visiting Ironman athletes who are getting out there to clean up the race course during their visits to our Island. I’d really like to thank them for helping malama aina by picking up rubbish and litter and maybe even sweeping the course.
Graham Knopp
Honokaa
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This ain’t the mainland
This ain’t the mainland … or Paris, Munich or Melbourne and we like it that way thank you very much. Ironman Corp you have a bit of a situation here in Kailua-Kona, and all of the money your corporation makes here and the “boost to the economy” your event provides to our economy needs to be set aside going forward. This year, two race days were two too many.
If you want to continue to host an event in Kailua-Kona it needs to be no larger than 1,500 participants with 750 men and 750 women competing on the same day. If you find that you have a waitlist of additional participants, that’s your problem.
It’s not the problem of the residents of Kailua-Kona or the mayor of our county.
M. Richardson
Kailua-Kona
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Put Ironman on the ballot
How about we put the Ironman (yes or no) on a ballot referendum in the next election? I, for one, have had enough and say aole. What say you voting public?
Robert Kurlansky
Waimea
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Keep electing
the same people
I am really getting sick of the Democratic pundits, and the media characterizing me as an enemy of the U.S. I believe in free speech (that which is being taken away from doctors in California), small government (all that COVID-19 money that is being spent on things other than COVID relief that should be given back the those of us paying taxes), people who can actually do the job they say they will (the Dems in Hawaii have not done anything to truly help the Hawaiians or work across party lines), and those who understand the economy and can fix it (the loss of our energy independence has killed our economic recovery after COVID), and those who are for straightforward clear and expedient regulation (unlike the red tape it takes to do anything in Hawaii). Keep electing the same people and you will keep getting the same result. Nothing being done to fix the problems.
Electing the same people expecting a different result, isn’t that the definition of insanity?
Lisa Wells
Waimea
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Tell us about it
Do you have a story idea or news tip? Is there a community problem that has not been addressed? Do you know someone unique, whose story should be shared and enjoyed with the rest of the community? We want to know. Email the West Hawaii Today newsroom at news@westhawaiitoday.com and share the information with our readers.
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Letters policy
Letters to the editor should be 300 words or less and will be edited for style and grammar. Longer viewpoint guest columns may not exceed 800 words. Submit online at https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/letter-to-the-editor/ or address letters to:
Editor
West Hawaii Today
PO Box 789
Kailua-Kona, HI 96745
Email: letters@westhawaiitoday.com
