Letters 1-8

Keystone pipeline

Oppose the proposal

I read today (Jan. 5) the reprint editorial from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in support of the Keystone XL Pipeline proposal. If I may, I would like to offer another viewpoint.

Saying no to the Keystone XL Pipeline would be in the best interests of Americans. The pipeline poses excessive risk and questionable benefits. The pipeline would run through six Midwestern states and across the Oglalla Aquifer, which is a greater asset to American than the proposed pipeline will every be. Tar sands oil is highly corrosive and the oil would need to be thinned with other petroleum distillates. It would be piped under pressure and at an elevated temperature. Seal failure or pipeline rupture can certainly be expected. Indeed, the first Keystone Pipeline, which has been in operation since 2010, has already had 12 spills.

The editorial opines that this tar sands oil will reduce American dependence on oil from the Mideast. This is rather unlikely. The pipeline is planned to connect to Port Arthur, Texas, refineries, which are focused on expanding exports and not domestic production. In truth, greater fuel efficiency by American transportation and military industries would do far more to reduce our dependence on Mideastern oil.

The editorial opines that the pipeline would create needed jobs. Well, to a point, it would. Probably a few thousand jobs, estimated at 2,500 to 4,650 jobs by Cornell University. We have more than 13 million Americans out of work overall. The jobs creation argument is flimsy; surely there are other far more effective and lasting programs that could be found.

It sounds like a cliché to say that Big Oil has excessive influence and power to influence the government and the power to misdirect the public with misleading public relations campaigns. But it is not a cliche.

We need to stand opposed to this proposal and let our opinions be heard.

Nancy Bauer

Kailua-Kona

DMV experience

No excuses, no understanding

My experience yesterday at the Department of Motor Vehicles was very disheartening.

I was late getting my license plates renewed on two of my vehicles. I brought documentation with me to help explain that I had spent the last 31/2 months on the mainland fighting prostate cancer and did not arrive until the afternoon of Dec. 28, which gave me no opportunity to renew on time.

I asked, under the circumstances, that the late penalty be waived due to my medical condition. I was told nicely: No. There are no exceptions.

Is this what our government has become, a heartless machine, more intent on generating money than understanding my circumstances and waiving the penalty? I patiently await a response from the DMV.

Lee Williams

Holualoa

HELCO outage

Upgrade the grid

HELCO should be aware that because of the Hubble Telescope, we have been able to go where no man has gone before. We have been able to go the the farthest reaches of the universe, traveling trillions of light years through space and time, and in all that exploration we have found one consistent truth, and that is even though HELCO charges more than any utility company in the known universe, we still had a power outage in parts of Waikoloa village on New Year’s Day, when we were all cooking big dinners with family and friends, and then again the day after when a bigger BandAid had to be used to repair it.

The general consensus throughout the universe is that with all the profit HELCO makes, it could afford to upgrade its grid continually so these blackouts wouldn’t happen.

How about cutting back on some of those bonuses and dividends and spending some of that money you charge people to buy the energy they produce through solar and wind (do you also charge the oil company for buying their oil?) and do a little upgrading of the system here in the farthest reaches of the universe, Waikoloa Village?

Mike Swerdlow

Waikoloa

State highways

Merge sign needed

The Queen Kaahumanu Highway, just north of the transfer station, is an accident waiting to happen. Drivers are not given enough notice to merge left to avoid having to go right on Kealakehe Parkway.

There is but one sign, notifying drivers that the right lane must turn right, but this comes too close to the traffic light. Every day I see drivers cutting off others to get into the left-hand lane.

What would a couple of more signs cost us? Two more strategically placed signs would give our visitors, and many locals, more warning and avoid mishaps.

Barry Finkenberg

Kailua-Kona