‘Totalitarian state’
Gov. David Ige recently vetoed House Bill 748, which changed the way private property could be confiscated. According to state Rep. Joy Buenaventura, “(The police and prosecutors) took a whole bunch of assets from legally innocent people. It’s basically legalized theft. …” Sen. Russell Ruderman sponsored a similar bill on the Senate side.
Seems like a good reason to change the way the government does things to me, especially since the police and prosecutors were directly profiting from the confiscation of private property. This change to the law was widely supported. Basically the only organizations opposing it were the police and prosecutors.
On the other hand, the governor recently signed into law Senate Bill 1466, which allows any person (with an ax to grind) to finger someone as a threat to society or themselves without any court proceedings whatsoever. As a result, the person’s private property (guns) will be confiscated by the police.
But look on the bright side, at least the police can’t sell them right away.
Simply two, small steps for government — and one giant leap toward a totalitarian state.
Mahalo, governor?
Fred Fogel
Volcano
Maintain toilets
Hats off to those caretakers in the public, private and volunteer sectors who do their best to keep the Banyan Drive areas, mainly around and inside Lili‘uokalani Gardens, clean and manicured for all to enjoy.
However, can anything be done about those decaying portable toilets located in the parking lot just below Hilo Bay Cafe?
Those toilets are filthy inside and out, in bad need of replacement and are a total embarrassment when seeing people, especially our island visitors, walk into them and many times immediately exiting them.
One needs a hazmat suit to use those portable Johns.
Those county officials responsible for these toilets need to go down to that area and see the bad condition themselves. The officials need to hop on the private vendors who are responsible for maintaining these and have the toilets replaced.
So pilau!
Rick LaMontagne
Hilo
