HELCO vs. the poor
HELCO vs. the poor
A word on Hawaii Electric Light Co.’s renewable energy policy. While I think it’s great that HELCO seeks geothermal, solar and wind energy, I am appalled when it appears to be supported on the backs of the poor.
The only proposals I have seen add the cost of exploring these technologies to our current monthly bills. Many can barely afford their bills and will never reap the benefits. To many people, their HELCO bill is akin to a second or a third mortgage, and part of the reason for keeping people poor. I am sure that’s not HELCO’s goal.
To offer a solution, I think we should support HELCO’s efforts to become renewable and pay for that technology so long as it is tied to real rate reductions for the people of our island.
Why can’t we get the cost from 36 cents and 40 cents per kilowatt-hour down to 15 cents per kilowatt-hour, or less? If HELCO becomes 30 percent renewable, then that should be tied to at least a 25 percent drop in rates. This would make it fair to support the investment in renewable technologies.
HELCO can sell power to the other islands, and those who embrace these technologies should benefit. Fair, fair.
Alan Rudo
Keaau
Redistricting 102
With all due respect to Rene Siracusa of the Redistricting Commission (Tribune-Herald, June 7), the numbers are not there.
When this came to light, it was elected officials who were complaining because military, dependents and students were being counted in the Census. It was the elected officials who did not want them counted because it would have Oahu lose one seat that would go to the Big Island.
The last Census in Hawaii was a form to be filled out. It asked how many people lived here. It did not ask how many were military, dependents or students. As the Constitution says: one body, one count. But this does not apply in Hawaii.
In last April’s Census, there were 45,000 active duty members stationed in Hawaii, and over 100,000 if you include families and students, and they were counted to determine Hawaii’s population for congressional reapportionment purposes. But the state sought to exclude them from state legislative redistricting purposes.
On May 15, 2012, it was the Hawaii Reapportionment Commission that said U.S. military, military families and students don’t count.
Hawaii has always ignored the counting of these people as it only wanted to count permanent residents (see court case Soloman vs. Abercrombie). All of this came about when Oahu would lose one seat and the Big Island would gain one.
But it has always been Hawaii’s word to the military: We want you to come here, buy here and pay taxes, but we won’t recognize or represent you. And that is the problem that I see.
John Gallipeau
Honomu