Extension questions
The state Department of Transportation cancelled work on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Saddle Road) extension environmental impact statement roughly a month ago. West Hawaii Today reported this was due to lack of funding to complete the EIS.
However, I received an e-mail from the DOT that was sent to the Saddle Road Task Force members stating “it was determined that continued preparation of the EIS is no longer feasible due to the adverse effects related to archaeological and historical resources and the estimated right-of-way and construction costs.”
I find this statement very troubling. DOT was full steam ahead to have a record of decision/EIS finalized by late 2021, which was mentioned in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program in January 2021. There was a red flag that popped a few months ago when I found out they needed to obtain a Section 4(F) clearance, but I was assured everything was still on track.
Then about a month ago, I found out the DOT had decided to cancel further work on the EIS. I can understand their reasoning on financial grounds. The project has to be fully funded before an EIS record of decision can be issued. The latter is up in the air due to the pandemic affecting the car rental surcharge revenue.
There are some loose ends that are still bothering me, though. The DOT intends to seek Federal Highway Administration grants to fund the Saddle Road extension project, but that doesn’t make any sense since the project can’t proceed without a completed EIS and a record of decision.
The elephant in the room remains, though. The larger issue is the unknown archaeological issues that played a role in this decision, as alluded to in the e-mail to the Saddle Road Task Force members. Bear in mind the DOT was working full steam ahead on finalizing the EIS by the end of 2021, but instead made a full U-turn and cancelled the project instead.
I hope the DOT publicly discloses the unknown archaeological issues with this highway project.
Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona
Find your passion
Every three out of five workers think that calling their work hours a “9-to-5” is useless. Almost half of everyone working says that they complete their work after-hours. Using logic, those workers would have to be tired working eight hours almost every day and stressed out finishing their work off-shift, desperate for a break from their burdening occupation which they’re not satisfied with.
Only 45% of people are satisfied with their occupation, with only 20% being really passionate about their job. Sure, some 9-to-5 workers really enjoy their job, and I don’t discriminate against them; they may have family to take care of,and they have to do what they have to do.
However, to those who aren’t passionate about their job, why be chained down by doing an occupation you aren’t satisfied with when you could get a job you’re passionate about?
From the standpoint of a high school student who’s trying to discover what they desire to be in the future, I know how important passion is.
I was placed in an elective that I wasn’t passionate about: auto mechanics. Having a lack of prior knowledge and little to no interest in the topic, it would have been really easy for me to fail the class if I didn’t have the right mindset. So, I took the action to switch it to broadcast media, since I enjoy videography.
Being passionate about a topic leads to potential success and a sense of accomplishment. The same logic should apply to the work field. What do you accomplish from doing a job you lack enthusiasm in? You won’t succeed at any goals because you won’t be focused and have a positive mindset.
A spark of passion leads to a positive mindset, and a positive mindset leads to success, and success leads to satisfaction. I know people start from the ground up, and I know people work a 9-to-5 as a start, but when an opportunity to catch your interest comes around, don’t pass up on a potential path to success.
Caleb Busque
Honokaa