The state should do the Puna road study
The big news last week was the announcement the state funding for the Puna road study had expired.
This apparently happened three months after the previous County Council nearly bottled up accepting the funding. The council’s actions certainly didn’t help matters, but it was how the Department of Public Works administratively handled this that resulted in this mishap.
The record shows the previous DPW leadership stated everything was moving forward, but the opposite had occurred. I understand the opaque nature of obligating this funding, but it also irritates me no one in DPW thoroughly investigated if the funding was still available.
These missteps by the council and DPW are why I believe the state Department to Transportation’s Highways Division should solely conduct this study.
The larger issue is the end result of the study, whenever its done. Will it turn out to be a dog-and-pony show like the previous attempts to address this issue?
History is not on the side of anything productive resulting from it. The DOT conducted a traffic study for the Waimea area several years ago. It included a mini-bypass road.
It was later determined the latter would be too costly. As a result, DOT decided to focus solely on traffic improvements on Lindsey and Kawaihae roads.
I strongly believe resolving Puna’s traffic congestion doesn’t need more studies, but collaboration from all stakeholders to find an amenable solution.
Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona
This political party needs a new name
Let’s have a contest to rename the Republican Party.
The moniker “conservative” no longer fits.
Brian Daniel
Volcano
What Trump is doing is treasonous
Aside from making a total jerk of himself on the international stage, Donald Trump is hell-bent on destroying the same Constitution he swore an oath to protect and defend.
This is a special kind of hypocrisy that could be considered treasonous.
As a Navy veteran who swore that oath numerous times, I’d have him charged with treason.
Dave Kisor
Pahoa