Nice roundabout
Nice roundabout
I also was at the recent roundabout meeting in Pahoa town but left soon. Thought I had mistakenly dropped in on a Donald Trump rally for all the anger and unrest.
Yes, change is not always fun, but just days after the meeting, part of the roundabout was open to traffic north to Keaau. It was great, and what a beautiful job. Well done, road crew. Looking forward to the finish.
I am proud Pahoa is the first in the state to offer the not-so-new approach to traffic control. Also, that our citizens will come to see the benefits to traffic safety and time saved.
Just one thing about “yield” signage. You do not have to come to a complete stop in a roundabout, but should slow down as you approach. Look left; if no vehicles are in the roundabout lane, you can enter the roundabout without stopping.
I hope there will be more info in the paper, etc., about safe driving in this system.
Larry W. Morris
Pahoa
Stop shenanigans
The process of obtaining a tax increase is a three-step procedure.
Step one: Introduce a bill (“GET hike, Kenoi top agenda,” Tribune-Herald, April 20).
Step two: Convince the public the measure has merit and the money will be spent cost-effectively.
Step three: Vote on the measure.
With Bill 165, I’m stuck on step two. Sure, I’d like an improved transportation system, and to do so, the county will require additional capital to pay for the improvements. Hence Bill 165, which increases the GET, was introduced.
But I have misgivings about Bill 165 because I have no confidence that the county has the capacity to actually spend the tax increase wisely. Why? Because — as the past has shown — there will be no one watching for shenanigans.
Where was the “shenanigans-checker” in the mayor’s office when Mayor Billy Kenoi was running up all those pCard charges? Didn’t the deputy managing director or the former managing director and now mayoral candidate (Wally Lau) have their shenanigan detectors at the ready?
Who is monitoring the overtime expenditures for county employees (Tribune-Herald, April 5)? Cited was a battalion chief, with overtime, earning $205,013, and a park planner earning $157,654.
With these habits as our benchmark and historical record, are we to believe that misconduct or suspect spending patterns associated with this tax increase will be reported? Does it snow in Fiji?
Good management dictates, “inspect what you expect.”
Sorry, I don’t trust the government with my tax money. One politician’s hand washes the other politician’s hand — and taxpayers supply the soap.
Richard Dinges
Hilo