It’s ‘grandstanding’
It’s ‘grandstanding’
Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Peter Apo called for a 30-day construction moratorium to be imposed on Mauna Kea. I’m curious what is the end game after the 30-day construction moratorium expires?
The anti-astronomy groups don’t want the Thirty Meter Telescope built on Mauna Kea — even though the University of Hawaii, TMT and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources have bent over backwards to appease their concerns.
The TMT project went through a seven-year public vetting process, which included a lengthy contested case hearing for the conservation district use permit. The hearing officer upheld the state Board of Land and Natural Resources’ findings, so the BLNR granted the permit and the site lease
The University of Hawaii also implemented a comprehensive management plan for the Mauna Kea Science Reserve. This was mandated after the Keck Outrigger decision. The comprehensive management plan has imposed strict conditions on future telescope projects on Mauna Kea. The TMT will be the last new telescope constructed on Mauna Kea; future telescopes will recycle existing facilities and footprint.
In short, I strongly believe Apo’s call to place a temporary moratorium on the construction of the TMT is pure and simple grandstanding.
Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona
Let’s move on
Mayor Billy Kenoi admitted he did wrong, is making financial restitution, and apologized for his actions (regarding the use of a county credit card). So, let us all put a period at the end of this subject and move on.
Let he or she who is without sin, cast the first stone.
Rick LaMontagne
Volcano
Shameful behavior
Our “honorable” Mayor Billy Kenoi spends too much of his time promoting himself and behaving like a popular politician instead of being a public servant to the people who put him in office.
Our previous mayor didn’t have such ambitious reasons to leave this island. Guess he had too much work to do. He kept his nose to the grindstone and worked for the people, and his constituents respected him for this.
I’ve always wondered why Mr. Kenoi spends so much of his time off island, and now we find out what he’s been doing with his time.
Behaving like a party animal in hostess bars doesn’t sound like a very dignified way to promote public relations. This is shameful!
Reed Vallance
Hilo