Letters to the Editor: July 23, 2021

Council needs to take a closer look at Public Works happenings

I’m dismayed that Neil Azevedo has been placed on leave for 30 days.

Neil is one of the hardest working county employees with a lot of irreplaceable institutional knowledge. Yes, he is still supposedly employed, but this whole thing has been mishandled by Mayor Mitch Roth’s administration.

I’ve heard two different stories as to what happened. One of the stories stated that a family emergency necessitated that he temporarily step away. The other story I heard is what was published in the paper, which stated that he was suspended for 30 days.

There is two aspects that I find troubling. This is the second high-profile personnel issue that has cropped up since the new administration has taken over. The other aspect I find troubling is “a source” reportedly stated he was suspended — even though there is no concrete proof this occurred.

I hope the Council takes a closer look into what is going on in the Department of Public Works.

Aaron Stene

Kailua-Kona

Doing nothing about climate change will cause more harm

Mahalo to Megan McArdle’s July 20 opinion column on carbon pricing. Some politicians seem to think doing nothing about climate change is harmless; it is not. Doing nothing will cause more harm, medical issues, trauma, and financial hardship. As Hawaii heats up, our low-income ohana will suffer most, with an increasing need for air conditioning and fans, resulting in higher utility bills. Those who cannot afford this equipment are left with the real danger of heat stroke and other health risks, especially our kupuna. Putting a tax on fossil fuels shifts the cost to them, where it belongs, and then returning the tax revenues to our residents in the form of dividends or rebates offsets this cost. The cost of climate change unfairly burdens those who can least afford it. Doing nothing can be a death sentence. Doing something, like putting a tax on carbon and returning that money back to residents, gives us a fighting chance.

Susan Gorman-Chang

Ewa Beach, Oahu

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