Your Views for March 4

Course in decline

If the Hilo Municipal Golf Course is no longer supported by Big Island taxpayers, how and why is it a “muni”? That infers the course is somehow supported by the county for the overall benefit of the community.

In reality, the players will subsidize the workers who maintain the course with their own money and continue to pay their taxes to support the park system. In essence, golfers will pay for all other park uses, pools, ball parks, soccer fields, tennis facilities and more while going it alone at the ex-muni.

The idea that the rate increase brings the ex-muni into line with other golf-course rates on the island is ludicrous. Most private/public courses on this island include a golf cart in the fee. At the ex-muni, it costs an additional $8 per player per round. A parent wanting to take two children golfing on a Saturday will have to cough up $69 and walk the course. One cart would be an additional $16, making Saturday fun cost $85.

The ex-muni has no bunkers, no lakes — except for the ones on the greens because of poor drainage — mown weeds for fairways, rocks in the fairways, broken ball-washers, cart paths that are broken up by tree roots, broken benches and antiquated restrooms.

At the end of a round we get together at the 19th hole, which is being held together by termites holding hands. We have had yellow tape wrapped around the building for over a year because the lead paint is falling off the building.

You won’t find any of these poor conditions at Waikoloa, Makalei or Kona Country Club where West Hawaii golfers still get a special rate because of a taxpayer subsidy. These courses are beautiful, with well-maintained facilities, lakes and bunkers, beautiful fairways, beverage carts and more.

What makes ex-muni so great are the golfers. I have played there for over 30 years and have witnessed and been a part of many fund-raising events that support good community causes. We are not elitist, as some would have you believe. We are taxpaying citizens who expect our parks department to at least support a portion of what it cost to run the ex-muni with our tax dollars.

I believe you did not hear from us at the last public hearing on this topic because most of us believe your minds were already made up. It appears Hilo golfers will have the first fully-user-funded county park on the island. No fees like this for the users of any other park — only for us Hilo elites, right? You are even pinching a buck from us after we pay the new green fees on top of it. What’s next? A walking fee or a parking fee?

The sad thing is that the money from the rate hike will not be dedicated to making the course better. Maybe the money will be used to build a park for dogs in Kona.

Richard Nelson

Hawaiian Paradise Park

Tuition hike hurts

The tuition increase at the University of Hawaii has raised concerns with a lot of students, including myself. I can understand increased fees for student housing because repairs are long overdue, and there are plans for renovations.

Parking and books also add to the cost of attending college. When one doesn’t qualify for government grants and/or scholarships, students pay for higher education on their own.

Most of us have jobs while attending college to help defray costs such as living expenses, transportation, food, clothes, etc. We have to work to survive, and it often interferes with studying and homework, especially during finals.

I’ve had to get student loans with high interest rates, only to worry about paying them back after I graduate, provided I can find a job.

I am just one student struggling to afford the costs of attending college. Is this tuition increase truly justified?

Taylor Handa

Hilo

Sinister plans?

There’s a new, potentially scary technology “upgrade” coming down from the state’s electric companies that may portend some serious effects on our health, well-being and rights to privacy. It appears that a corporate “big brother” is moving in to usurp yet more of our Constitutional rights to privacy.

Electricity rate-payers are receiving correspondence about the installation of this new technology on our properties as we write.

As intelligent consumers, we should alert ourselves to any potential dangers starting with a simple Google-search on “Smart Meters.” HELCO’s avoidance of the term “Smart Meter” in all of their correspondence may indicate their fear that community awareness of their motives could inhibit their plans to proceed with these potentially dangerous meters.

When you make this Google search, you’ll know why.

Don Bremer

Keaau