Start composting
Start composting
Turn trash to energy? It sounds superficially like a good idea. The county generates just about enough trash to make construction of a waste-to-energy plant “cost-effective.” Meaning what, exactly?
Five years ago, a similar proposal at a cost of $125 million was shot down because of the expense. So how high would today’s estimate be? Are we talking about more bonded indebtedness, while still not paying into our ever-growing unfunded liability? Check the amount in the mayor’s budget devoted to interest on borrowed money. It’s about high enough to curl your toes.
If 60 percent of our trash can be composted/mulched, the disposal stream is cut to approximately 200 tons per day. That ought to extend the life of both landfills substantially, to say nothing of the benefits of the production of so much soil/mulch to the farming/flora/landscaping demands of this lava-rock island. The best solution is often the simplest one. Let’s compost now.
Patrick Donovan
Keaau
Not a solution
With all due respect to Mayor (Billy) Kenoi, waste-to-energy technology is not a good solution for the county’s waste issue.
Waste-to-energy could just as easily be called “poison-to-air” technology. The island does not generate enough waste to adequately “fuel” the very expensive project. Shipping rubbish from Kona would be imperative, along with the viable possibility of barging waste from Maui and Oahu on the horizon. Recycling would be discouraged. Our air would be contaminated.
Let’s all work together and find better solutions.
Justin Avery
Hilo
Wasting money
Quite frankly, I don’t know if our mayor deserves a pay raise or not. Billy Kenoi has stated that he doesn’t want it!
What I do know is that the mindset of many politicians from Washington, D.C., to several states is what got us into the financial mess we are presently in. That is: If you have the money, you have to spend it. If you don’t have the money, spend it anyway. You can always borrow more, then raise our taxes to pay for it!
Ron Baptista
Mountain View
Shattered lives
What is this world coming to when you can’t even attend a big event?
The Boston Marathon is one of the biggest events of the year where many different people come from all over the world to participate. This tragedy makes me think again before I attend big events. Why do other people have to ruin an event that is suppose to be fun and turn it into something so tragic with the loss of innocent lives?
My prayers go out to all the families whose loved ones were injured or killed in the bombings.
Ashley Demello
Hilo