Letters to the Editor: 3-20-16
Escape from people like Bernie
Kudos to Mr. Dickinson for his well-written letter. While most American voters cast their votes based on what they hear from the respective candidates, and not based on personal experience, those with personal experience will never vote for Bernie Sanders.
I escaped from my birth country, Hungary, because of the people like Bernie Sanders running the country, so I know for sure I wouldn’t want to live in a country run by anyone like him. I hope the American voters will never find out what it is like to live in such a country. If they do, then it will be time for me to escape again!
John S. Rabi
Kailua-Kona
TMT = Too much trouble, time, trauma
Below is an excerpt from the sublease agreement between the University of Hawaii and the financial interests supporting the TMT. The document is dated July 28, 2014. My interpretation of this subsection is that the University of Hawaii, i.e. the sublessor, is representing to the sublessee, i.e. TMT, that the University of Hawaii “agrees to use its best efforts to and will immediately and diligently pursue another means to acquiring sufficient rights to continue to lease the subleased premises to sublessee (TMT) on substantially the same terms and conditions herein, but for and additional term extending to, on or about March 31, 2079.”
It’s not hard to understand why the state agencies (DLNR and UH) and TMT continue to seek ways within their approval processes to get around a growing public sentiment against TMT. Hypothetically, this clause permits a person who has a 10-year lease on a property to negotiate a 20-year lease agreement to a sublessee without first renegotiating the original 10-year lease. Not illegal, perhaps, but ill advisable.
In the resolution of annexation of 1898, the United States specifically states that all “ceded” lands were to be held in “trust” for the benefit of the inhabitants. That resolution in reality embodies Hawaii’s first “Constitutional Mandate” under American rule. The “trustee” is now the state of Hawaii and specifically the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Whether one agrees on the merits of the TMT, we all must stand in opposition to a process that permits the “trustee” to ignore its core responsibilities.
Charles Young
Honaunau
Student’s perspective on Trump
As a student of Konawaena Middle School, I would like to share my part of Donald Trump with you:
As we are getting closer to picking our new president, there are still some problems that we need to keep in mind. When I watch the news, I notice that Donald Trump is in the lead with the Republicans. It concerns me because watching him shows me that he is really immature with the way he talks about other candidates and with other problems around the world.
He is also very prejudice when it comes to the Mexicans and the Muslims but I understand that there are some people who don’t make good choices in those two groups. That doesn’t mean that you have to point fingers at everyone. I am worried that if he becomes president, he will bring a negative impact to this country with wars or even rolling back our civil rights.
Now protesters are intruding on Donald Trump’s campaigns because of the things that he says. Most candidates are even calling him a bully. To me, it’s surprising that most people are voting for Donald Trump but it’s scary on how all those people favor his opinions and look forward to his humor which some of us don’t think that it is funny because choosing our next president is a serious situation.
Tyra Bailey (12 years old)
Kailua-Kona
Drought defeating dengue
I see Kona has been taken off the high risk list for dengue. There seems to be an implication that actions by the government have resulted in this change. Well, maybe, but the recent severe drought in this area has radically reduced any standing water available for mosquitoes to reproduce.
I am not seeing any mosquitoes in an area that until recently was overrun, and there has been no spraying here. Maybe we just caught a lucky break and there has been a silver lining to this drought.
Dale Sarver
Kailua-Kona
President operating according to Constitution
This is a response to Barbara J. Ferraro’s letter on March 18, “Next president should decide justice.”
Ms. Ferraro’s first sentence reads: “We the People” should decide the type of justice we want at the Supreme Court through the next presidential election.”
I challenge that. The people have spoken, twice. We, the people, elected the very competent Barack Obama as president of the United States of America. He is still in office and, by the way, a former professor of constitutional law for 12 years at the prestigious University of Chicago.
She goes on to say that Justice Scalia was a strong proponent of adherence to the text of the Constitution. I submit that Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution states that the president shall nominate judges of the Supreme Court. “The President shall nominate”… not some unknown yet to be elected. I can’t see Justice Scalia, the strict constructionist, interpreting that clause any other way.
Ms. Ferraro writes that President Obama shouldn’t be “allowed” to appoint a third justice. Ms. Ferraro can’t decide how many justices the president can appoint. She speaks of reverence for the U.S. Constitution yet challenges its content to suit her political belief.
Barbara Love
Kailua-Kona