Sue the state
Sue the state
Santos Alvarez states in his letter to the Tribune-Herald (“No TMT,” Aug. 8) that the whole world is watching for a reason.
He is right, but not for the reason he thinks. They are watching because they see a group of people who, when they don’t get what they want through legal means, resort to breaking the law. They are watching a government that allows these people to break the law with little consequence. They are wondering why anyone would invest in a place that allows a minority of a minority to stand in the way of a project that satisfied every legal requirement put in front of it.
If the state of Hawaii does not enforce the law so the telescope can be built, the entities involved in TMT should sue Hawaii for all of their lost time and expense.
Fred Zastrow
Pahoa
Correcting protester
This letter is to correct Mr. Jim Albertini’s assumption that there are no telescopes on the sacred summit of Mount Fuji in Japan (Your Views, Tribune-Herald).
The 1.2-meter submillimeter-wave telescope was built at the summit of Mount Fuji to survey emission lines of the neutral carbon atom toward the Milky Way. This telescope was installed at the summit in July 1998.
It seems the people of Japan, who revere this mountain, extend their reverence beyond the summit toward the immense heavens it is a part of.
Arlene Buklarewicz
Volcano
Too expensive
While no one was watching, our County Council, mayor and Parks and Recreation Department announced the $17 million renovation of Hilo Municipal Golf Course. I recall almost a year ago it was a $10 million renovation.
Who is keeping these people accountable? Obviously, no one.
Yes, this is the only municipal course on the Big Island. I have empathy for the Hilo golfers; they deserve a better track. But I know for a fact they could have purchased two golf courses: the Waimea Country Club course and the Kona Country Club Mountain Course for that $17 million price and still had enough to do a decent renovation to Hilo. Imagine that — three golf courses for the price of one.
They had their chance; now the Waimea and Kona courses are gone. It is too late, as usual, for the council to do the right thing and serve all of our county.
But it’s not too late to keep them accountable.
James Reno
Honokaa