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Letters for Thursday, November 1, 2007
• Look at economic impacts
• Who’s being ‘clever’?
• I am a patriot
Look at economic impacts
This letter is to address another EIS that I would like to see done or be discussed and that is the Economic Impact Study.
I bring this into the discussion of why I am against the Superferry.
I am a small professional computer repair and information technology provider on the island of Kaua‘i and have been operating successfully as a small “one-man” business operation.
As you know, Kaua‘i and all of the other islands have similar “small” one-man operations and it is almost a basic living right that we do. The opening of the Pandora’s box of connecting the island with a so-called “ocean highway” that will allow the hundreds of smaller professional business operators in O‘ahu to over-lay their service areas to the outer islands is what I feel will be an irreversible “economic threat” and this is what I fear from the Superferry.
You can name any small service business here on Kaua‘i and you will find that there are hundreds of them listed in the O‘ahu yellow pages.
Who will benefit from the Superferry?
It will be the businesses that will formulate their business to take advantage of this new highway. If you figure out the cost of transporting a vehicle round-trip you can easily see that a family outing to a Neighbor Island with a car or van is costly and not many will use that system of transportation. It’s not for everyone. The true cost will only benefit a business model such as Wilcox Memorial Hospital on Kaua‘i. It can create a special trip for their seniors to visit the Honolulu Zoo for $150/person and they can easily add that to their monthly payments.
But what will be devastating to that business model is that the bigger businesses on O‘ahu will price out that service and compete with the Neighbor Island plans to find opportunity selling or bringing their services to O‘ahu.
To me, as a small business operation, our business culture here on Kaua‘i is protected in isolation and I believe on each Neighbor Island, the way we do business is so very different from the business culture on O‘ahu. We small “country” businessmen will not have a chance if you compare us with what O‘ahu business counterparts will offer. Their business strengths will overcome our business model so easily and we will be overrun by hundreds of service vehicles coming from O‘ahu to “scoop up” our business and then drive back to their home base in O‘ahu.
I know for a fact that many of those “swap meet” vendors already have that capability on a moment’s notice, to bring their loads of products and will easily set up a parking lot stand to sell thousands-of-dollars worth of electronic products and goods that cannot be found in any of our stores here on Kaua‘i. I am not talking about the big store vendors that could regularly afford to ship things through Matson or Young Bros., but of those hundreds of business-minded families living with bedrooms of electronic equipment or products, even access to low cost produce will bring their business through the Superferry highway.
It’s like the movie “Stargate.” We open a new bridge/gateway and our weaker commerce meets O‘ahu stronger commerce. Who will be successful?
I believe that Kaua‘i has its own economic vitality because we are separated and isolated by ocean.
I may be a bit naďve. May I ask, has there ever been an EIS (Economic Impact Study) done for the Superferry?
Our little island commerce is at stake. Why is the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce not protecting our business haven?
This current EIS issue (environmental) is not a big issue compared (easy payoff) to the ill economic impact effect to the smaller businesses and niche markets which have been enjoying isolation because of the ocean distance.
John Sydney Yamane
Kaua‘i businessman
Who’s being ‘clever’?
This is in response to Sen. Fred Hemmings’ Guest Viewpoint (“Hawai‘i’s paradox seen in ferry struggle,” Forum, Oct. 31).
He begins by stating that “lost opportunities due to a vocal minority is a tragedy.”
Then he refers to the recent Superferry protest as an example. I think of the World Trade Center destruction or the Columbine shootings as tragedies. I do not think that not being able to take my truck to O‘ahu really classifies as a tragedy.
I think I signed the petition with 6,000 Kaua‘i residents that was ignored by the governor. Some 6,000 adults is a significant percentage of the Kaua‘i population. Then our elected County Council objected to a ferry without an environmental assessment. Then a court on Maui decided that an environmental impact study was needed to comply with Hawai‘i state law before the ferry should operate.
In my opinion, the diverse group of citizens who responded vocally and mostly peacefully to this situation are appropriately using their democratic freedom of free speech. They took time out from busy lives to attempt to protect our island and the ocean around us from potentially harmful impacts. I listened to many speeches by protesters on public television and read many letters to the editor, and no one sounded “ill informed” to me. In fact, I was amazed and impressed by how much research and study had gone into the protesters’ talks.
Near the end of Senator Hemmings opinion article, he talks about “clever ways to stabilize growth in Hawai‘i.” On Kaua‘i I have not seen any stabilization of growth.
People who want to develop have more money and time and energy to develop than the vocal minority who would like to slow growth down and preserve the environment. The governor and the state government over-ruling the court and the state environmental law seems “clever” to me, but not toward stabilizing growth.
I would love to hear Senator Hemmings “clever” solutions for our problems with traffic, solid waste management, water management, and improving public education.
Steve Backinoff
Kilauea
I am a patriot
To Senator Hemmings and Governor Lingle,
If you had thought ahead and planned for Hawai‘i’s future, the EIS would have been completed in a timely manner as mandated by state law and the current devisive furor over the Superferry might not be taking place.
I agree the laws must be fair and balanced. The environmental laws were voted in by a bygone legislature and governorship that was obviously far more observant and forthright than the one now in question, namely yours.
You simply must not legislate out laws designed to protect the Hawaiian environment in order to placate current “popular whim,” let alone government, corporate, or military interests.
I don’t believe we share the same goals or vision at all. Therefore, it is my duty to question your actions and motivations.
Dissent is patriotic.
Ron Aaron Burt
Princeville
• Who’s being ‘clever’?
• I am a patriot
Look at economic impacts
This letter is to address another EIS that I would like to see done or be discussed and that is the Economic Impact Study.
I bring this into the discussion of why I am against the Superferry.
I am a small professional computer repair and information technology provider on the island of Kaua‘i and have been operating successfully as a small “one-man” business operation.
As you know, Kaua‘i and all of the other islands have similar “small” one-man operations and it is almost a basic living right that we do. The opening of the Pandora’s box of connecting the island with a so-called “ocean highway” that will allow the hundreds of smaller professional business operators in O‘ahu to over-lay their service areas to the outer islands is what I feel will be an irreversible “economic threat” and this is what I fear from the Superferry.
You can name any small service business here on Kaua‘i and you will find that there are hundreds of them listed in the O‘ahu yellow pages.
Who will benefit from the Superferry?
It will be the businesses that will formulate their business to take advantage of this new highway. If you figure out the cost of transporting a vehicle round-trip you can easily see that a family outing to a Neighbor Island with a car or van is costly and not many will use that system of transportation. It’s not for everyone. The true cost will only benefit a business model such as Wilcox Memorial Hospital on Kaua‘i. It can create a special trip for their seniors to visit the Honolulu Zoo for $150/person and they can easily add that to their monthly payments.
But what will be devastating to that business model is that the bigger businesses on O‘ahu will price out that service and compete with the Neighbor Island plans to find opportunity selling or bringing their services to O‘ahu.
To me, as a small business operation, our business culture here on Kaua‘i is protected in isolation and I believe on each Neighbor Island, the way we do business is so very different from the business culture on O‘ahu. We small “country” businessmen will not have a chance if you compare us with what O‘ahu business counterparts will offer. Their business strengths will overcome our business model so easily and we will be overrun by hundreds of service vehicles coming from O‘ahu to “scoop up” our business and then drive back to their home base in O‘ahu.
I know for a fact that many of those “swap meet” vendors already have that capability on a moment’s notice, to bring their loads of products and will easily set up a parking lot stand to sell thousands-of-dollars worth of electronic products and goods that cannot be found in any of our stores here on Kaua‘i. I am not talking about the big store vendors that could regularly afford to ship things through Matson or Young Bros., but of those hundreds of business-minded families living with bedrooms of electronic equipment or products, even access to low cost produce will bring their business through the Superferry highway.
It’s like the movie “Stargate.” We open a new bridge/gateway and our weaker commerce meets O‘ahu stronger commerce. Who will be successful?
I believe that Kaua‘i has its own economic vitality because we are separated and isolated by ocean.
I may be a bit naďve. May I ask, has there ever been an EIS (Economic Impact Study) done for the Superferry?
Our little island commerce is at stake. Why is the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce not protecting our business haven?
This current EIS issue (environmental) is not a big issue compared (easy payoff) to the ill economic impact effect to the smaller businesses and niche markets which have been enjoying isolation because of the ocean distance.
John Sydney Yamane
Kaua‘i businessman
Who’s being ‘clever’?
This is in response to Sen. Fred Hemmings’ Guest Viewpoint (“Hawai‘i’s paradox seen in ferry struggle,” Forum, Oct. 31).
He begins by stating that “lost opportunities due to a vocal minority is a tragedy.”
Then he refers to the recent Superferry protest as an example. I think of the World Trade Center destruction or the Columbine shootings as tragedies. I do not think that not being able to take my truck to O‘ahu really classifies as a tragedy.
I think I signed the petition with 6,000 Kaua‘i residents that was ignored by the governor. Some 6,000 adults is a significant percentage of the Kaua‘i population. Then our elected County Council objected to a ferry without an environmental assessment. Then a court on Maui decided that an environmental impact study was needed to comply with Hawai‘i state law before the ferry should operate.
In my opinion, the diverse group of citizens who responded vocally and mostly peacefully to this situation are appropriately using their democratic freedom of free speech. They took time out from busy lives to attempt to protect our island and the ocean around us from potentially harmful impacts. I listened to many speeches by protesters on public television and read many letters to the editor, and no one sounded “ill informed” to me. In fact, I was amazed and impressed by how much research and study had gone into the protesters’ talks.
Near the end of Senator Hemmings opinion article, he talks about “clever ways to stabilize growth in Hawai‘i.” On Kaua‘i I have not seen any stabilization of growth.
People who want to develop have more money and time and energy to develop than the vocal minority who would like to slow growth down and preserve the environment. The governor and the state government over-ruling the court and the state environmental law seems “clever” to me, but not toward stabilizing growth.
I would love to hear Senator Hemmings “clever” solutions for our problems with traffic, solid waste management, water management, and improving public education.
Steve Backinoff
Kilauea
I am a patriot
To Senator Hemmings and Governor Lingle,
If you had thought ahead and planned for Hawai‘i’s future, the EIS would have been completed in a timely manner as mandated by state law and the current devisive furor over the Superferry might not be taking place.
I agree the laws must be fair and balanced. The environmental laws were voted in by a bygone legislature and governorship that was obviously far more observant and forthright than the one now in question, namely yours.
You simply must not legislate out laws designed to protect the Hawaiian environment in order to placate current “popular whim,” let alone government, corporate, or military interests.
I don’t believe we share the same goals or vision at all. Therefore, it is my duty to question your actions and motivations.
Dissent is patriotic.
Ron Aaron Burt
Princeville
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of kauaiworld.com.
HiKauai wrote on Feb 11, 2009 9:19 AM:
" Hello again TGI,
Please do not expect anyone to buy your theory of promotion or advertising and success program Waimea High School. We the former students there at one time in our lives actually do not care of local propaganda and success story with you or anyone there and their cars to show for as a success story.
Basically, I wrote to Waimea High School, and I suspect as always that this town is a ghost town. No offense but there is nothing to do there, just unemployed educators and former students.
I am not with their idea of success story, and I am not placing religion or anything like that on anyone, because as you know, this is still a free country and you can do anything you want. The whole idea of success just doesn't work well in a farm club setting and wanting to make it out or make it happen after you graduate in high school there to say the least.
Basically, some people I may know here, think some of you people still stuck there are still losers because you haven't made it happen for yourself or others, if you get my point staying home doing nothing.
Sincerely,
Dean Kelly Sabado "
Please do not expect anyone to buy your theory of promotion or advertising and success program Waimea High School. We the former students there at one time in our lives actually do not care of local propaganda and success story with you or anyone there and their cars to show for as a success story.
Basically, I wrote to Waimea High School, and I suspect as always that this town is a ghost town. No offense but there is nothing to do there, just unemployed educators and former students.
I am not with their idea of success story, and I am not placing religion or anything like that on anyone, because as you know, this is still a free country and you can do anything you want. The whole idea of success just doesn't work well in a farm club setting and wanting to make it out or make it happen after you graduate in high school there to say the least.
Basically, some people I may know here, think some of you people still stuck there are still losers because you haven't made it happen for yourself or others, if you get my point staying home doing nothing.
Sincerely,
Dean Kelly Sabado "
HiKauai wrote on Feb 11, 2009 1:45 PM:
" First of all, let this be known, that these comments here are worthless and useless considering the topic being discussed. We found this topic a useless waist of time and money. This is from any intellectual interested reader. And yes, I am not associated with any former classmates there on Kauai also, for this matter alone.
Sincerely,
Dean Kelly Sabado "
Sincerely,
Dean Kelly Sabado "
HiKauai wrote on Feb 11, 2009 1:50 PM:
" I have seen alot of losers being mentioned in association to Waimea High School sports at UH Manoa. Might I add they are the one's who are delerious and a debachery to any level minded reader. These names are wide and long. And they run from 1979-1990 graduates trying grace the pages of Kauai and represent that school, outrageous. I for one, right now am putting all of them down for ever contemplating fame and popularity. We actually do not understand your fame and glory at Waimea High School.
This is in regards to your articles on the Waimea High School athletics and any department there.
Sincerely,
Dean Kelly Sabado "
This is in regards to your articles on the Waimea High School athletics and any department there.
Sincerely,
Dean Kelly Sabado "
HiKauai wrote on Feb 11, 2009 1:55 PM:
" Losers I have mentioned that graced those pages are as follows:
Ross Kagawa 1984' UH baseball 1987' classmate of Percival Butay(cousin)
Edmond Acoba 1981'
Liko Pereira 1989 and someother school baseball?
Kui Souza 1988 Sacramento state baseball
Craig Ibara 1983' HPC of honolulu baseball
Keith Pigao - student information desk for all information here for class reunion
Lyman Lacro 1986, UH Volleyball 1987
Barry Magoay 1985, UH Volleyball 1989
These are just some of the names trying to gain popular votes via their own high School Waimea High School
even now. Unreal!
Best regards,
Dean Kelly Sabado "
Ross Kagawa 1984' UH baseball 1987' classmate of Percival Butay(cousin)
Edmond Acoba 1981'
Liko Pereira 1989 and someother school baseball?
Kui Souza 1988 Sacramento state baseball
Craig Ibara 1983' HPC of honolulu baseball
Keith Pigao - student information desk for all information here for class reunion
Lyman Lacro 1986, UH Volleyball 1987
Barry Magoay 1985, UH Volleyball 1989
These are just some of the names trying to gain popular votes via their own high School Waimea High School
even now. Unreal!
Best regards,
Dean Kelly Sabado "
HiKauai wrote on Feb 12, 2009 1:08 PM:
" Hello again TGI,
This is me, Dean Kelly Sabado. Thank you for letting me comment on your articles there on the island. I just want to thank everyone agreeing with myself on who actually I meant, calling them losers in that town. Ha! Ha! Ha! I am a personal graduate of that high school but will proudly say if they keep up the good work in academics and life, will not be too ashamed of being associated with Waimea High School as an alumni.
Sorry, but there are others who felt this way! Here on the island of Honolulu and even the mainland. These names may have one time in their lives even mine represent the epitome of failure and laughs, and not success.
best regards,
Dean Kelly Sabado "
This is me, Dean Kelly Sabado. Thank you for letting me comment on your articles there on the island. I just want to thank everyone agreeing with myself on who actually I meant, calling them losers in that town. Ha! Ha! Ha! I am a personal graduate of that high school but will proudly say if they keep up the good work in academics and life, will not be too ashamed of being associated with Waimea High School as an alumni.
Sorry, but there are others who felt this way! Here on the island of Honolulu and even the mainland. These names may have one time in their lives even mine represent the epitome of failure and laughs, and not success.
best regards,
Dean Kelly Sabado "
fvr wrote on Sep 1, 2009 9:32 AM:
" fvr wrote on Aug 31, 2009 2:12 AM:
" My heart goes out to the family for their loss. Kauai grieves with you,and your family.
Kauai still grieves for the unsolved murder of, Sandra Mendoca.
Sandy was my sons classmate, and a very sweet, honest, and genuine young lady, even as a child.
Sandy would be 31 this year.
When my son heard she was murdered, at first he could not believe it.
Then he wept. He kept saying, no she can't be dead, not like that.
He went to St.Catherines School with her, from age 5, from Kindergarten.
He said, Sandy was the best, a model student, and liked by the entire class.
Sometimes she ignored him, when he got in an impish-rascal-prankster mode. He use to say, Sandy does'nt like me mom, cause I naughty. Yet even as a small child, he respected her sincere, moral character, exemplary behavior, and demeanor.
Till this day he is in disbelief, and schocked, that anyone would hurt, this beautiful young lady.
We both still pray for Sandra.
I pray for all who suffer from, violent acts against women, and children.
I offer my deepest sympathy, to the family, and will include you in my prayers.
God bless you, in your time of grief. I pray you find some peace. " "
" My heart goes out to the family for their loss. Kauai grieves with you,and your family.
Kauai still grieves for the unsolved murder of, Sandra Mendoca.
Sandy was my sons classmate, and a very sweet, honest, and genuine young lady, even as a child.
Sandy would be 31 this year.
When my son heard she was murdered, at first he could not believe it.
Then he wept. He kept saying, no she can't be dead, not like that.
He went to St.Catherines School with her, from age 5, from Kindergarten.
He said, Sandy was the best, a model student, and liked by the entire class.
Sometimes she ignored him, when he got in an impish-rascal-prankster mode. He use to say, Sandy does'nt like me mom, cause I naughty. Yet even as a small child, he respected her sincere, moral character, exemplary behavior, and demeanor.
Till this day he is in disbelief, and schocked, that anyone would hurt, this beautiful young lady.
We both still pray for Sandra.
I pray for all who suffer from, violent acts against women, and children.
I offer my deepest sympathy, to the family, and will include you in my prayers.
God bless you, in your time of grief. I pray you find some peace. " "
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HiKauai wrote on Feb 11, 2009 9:08 AM:
RE: 2/11/2009 and the above topic
Can we cut out the "EXPLETIVE" here. Everyone knows if you are or were affiliated with high school at one time in your life in Waimea, Kauai, you would know that you do not place one of the three stooges willing to work at Kentucky fried chicken and place him at the vice principal's seat at Waimea High School. We all know that BOE and DOE played no roll in this nonsense of students being athletes then becomming success in the respected choice of degree and field like a BA degree. An example, you cannot put someone like a Pereira or even an Aaron Francisco from Kahuku High School, now former Arizona Cardinals NFL, as a BA candidtate after a prolific showing in sports. It just does not work that way. We all know that they cannot be serious placing academics after a 10 year assistant coach with a rediculous man/educator and/or coach if I might add like Tommy Rita of the 1980's and then expect him, Patrick Pereira to educate people in 2000's after being associated with dumb athletes all their life and now turn to academics. Now they educate people? Ha! What are we looking at here is basically a rediculous and dumber community than most perceived DOE standard base learning. Otherwise throw this article out already, alright?
best regards,
Dean Kelly Sabado "