LETTERS for the December 19 issue
Immersion program appreciates support
The holiday season is upon us. It teaches us the value of gratitude. The Hawaiian Immersion Program of Lahaina has been blessed with such tremendous gratitude from our West Maui community. The contributions to our fundraising efforts have shown our children that family is not just the people that live in our homes, but are also those in our community.
Frida’s Beach House and the Mark Ellman ‘ohana are always generous. They opened their floor to performances by our students at sunset late last month. Guests at Frida’s were able to enjoy the sweet voices of our keiki and were given the opportunity to donate ten percent of the cost of their evening to our worthy program.
Mahalo to the Ellmans and the staff and crew at Frida’s. Your generosity has made a difference.
E ola ka ‘olelo Hawai’i. The Hawaiian Language lives on.
PAPA ‘EWALU O KE KULA WAENA O LAHAINA
——————
Why announce DUI checkpoints?
Why make a DUI checkpoint announcement? People who decide to drink and drive are taking things into their own selfishness or foolishness, trying to defy the police for whatever reason. Only a few drinks? Trying to outsmart the police? Above the law?
I believe Maui is still a small island community. If law enforcement is stepped up, let it be WITHOUT an announcement. Let the word get around that drinking and driving will NOT be tolerated!
Print names in the newspaper and increase fines. Who will speak for those who suffer, or are maimed or killed?, recovery?
My feeling is have fun, but don’t be stupid! To those who have a problem, go and seek help. Think before you get behind the wheel. Why hurt an innocent person and family? DEATH IS FINAL!
I pray that no else gets hurt or DIES! Happy Holidays to ALL! STOP AND THINK ABOUT IT!
NAME WITHHELD BY REQUEST
——————
It’s time to abolish OHA
(The following letter was sent to Gov. David Ige.)
In light of the long-awaited CLA audit of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs that reports fraudulent, abusive and wasteful expenditures in the amount totaling $7,762,064 of taxpayers’ money, I believe the taxpayers have just paid off their debt to OHA and its protestors. (Full reports can be found on Hawaii Free Press.)
OHA and their beneficiaries were wanting $5 million for “their” part of the Mauna Kea access road. It would seem to me that the money they fraudulently stole from all the taxpayers more than compensates for their intense and selfish desires resulting in improper financial gain. And they have the audacity to say we owe them more money.
I am reaching out to you in hopes that you will now consider that the fraudulent actions of OHA and their beneficiaries will, and without a doubt, open the door for our law enforcement and military personnel to step in (if necessary) to physically remove the protestors from the mountain if so required.
And I am also respectfully requesting that you consider following in the footsteps of former Governor Cayetano and consider abolishing the OHA organization altogether. I don’t believe I need to go into great detail as to why I’m reaching out to you with this plea.
At this point, it would seem to me that the protestors and OHA’s beneficiaries need to look in the direction of their own trustees rather than blaming the taxpayers and TMT for all their wicked issues.
Therefore, you are no longer in a position to sit back and do nothing. Please remove the protestors from the mountain and uphold the rules of the U.S. laws.
LISA MALAKAUA, Hilo
——————
No one is above the law, including Congress
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Impeachment leader Adam Schiff (D-VA) spent November repeating a time-tested line: “No one is above the law.”
First, the American people are not stupid. They know laws apply equally to all Americans.
The bigger point: hypocrisy is thicker in D.C. than snow in the Rockies. If any part of the U.S Government places itself “above the law,” it is Congress.
Despite “due process” guarantees in our Constitution, House Democrats cheerfully ran roughshod over the rules of civil procedure, legal precedents, House rules and “Robert’s Rules” during Intelligence and Judiciary Committee hearings. To be clear: these were lawyers; they knew what they were doing.
Only, it gets worse. Here are facts Congress does not want you to know.
Recently, Americans learned their tax dollars were secretly used by Congress to settle sexual harassment claims against offending members. What? Yes, big settlements, all private.
Then American tax dollars finance dozens of international junkets by members – luxury trips around the world. The full cost is never revealed, but some trips run north of $100,000. Did someone not tell you about those? Without public accounting, is that not “above the law?”
How about health care? Congress not only has private medical care, they get special deals. As described in the Washington Examiner, September 2017, Congress enjoys “several types of special treatment unavailable to the public” on health care. They are eligible for a small-business exchange, despite federal and D.C. laws prohibiting it.
Congress is “above the law” in even bigger ways. Congress exempts themselves from the Whistleblower Protection Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act and record keeping on workplace discrimination.
Congress is also not compelled to be transparent under the Freedom of Information Act. The same is true for the Privacy Act; it bars release of private material by federal agencies, but not Congress. That helps Congress leak with greater impunity.
No institution in the U.S. Government more unapologetically tramples “equality before the law” than rule-busting, law-exempting, globetrotting congressional leaders. As the speaker is fond of saying, “No one is above the law.” That should include Congress.
ROBERT CHARLES, Association of Mature American Citizens