Candidate Fogel Response to Highway 130 Question

The best way to reduce traffic problems on Hwy 130 is to widen it to accommodate a higher vehicle flow. A project to do just that is in the mill. However, don’t expect any widening efforts any time soon.

Several months ago, Tim Reese made a proposal to the County Council to restripe the Keaau bypass portion to alleviate the afternoon bottle neck where the road narrows to two lanes. It’s a good idea that is easy to implement and inexpensive. But wait just a minute. According to a county traffic engineer, the road belongs to the state, so the county can’t do anything (and we aren’t very high on the state’s priority list.) It would seem to me that the appropriate county boss could talk to the appropriate state boss and get permission to do the work on our dime. If not, just tell them we’re going to do it, and do it.

On the other side of the equation, reducing the number of vehicles using Hwy 130 would also improve traffic flow. Several alternatives work towards this end: (1) improve bicycle access. (2) improve public transportation. (3) impose a $5 a gallon county tax on gasoline. (4) implement vehicle smog checks. (5) cite vehicles in violation of current safety standards. (6) quadruple vehicle registration fees for additional family vehicles. (7) impound vehicles for the second drunk driving offense. (8) increase employment opportunities in the Puna area. Of course, some of these might meet with a little public opposition… ;~)

Fred Fogel

*edit* Damon – I copied and pasted his response from Yahoo…and thus you get the funny face for the #8 response… Sorry Mr. Fogel

“Trash” Now Available for Online Pick-Up

Get your trash here.  Trust me… hide your eyes if you need to read this… Andrew Walden was already exposed long ago as the guy that started the Obama Smear that went nationwide.

At least now we might start seeing an end of the printed version.

I called it Kitty Litter…. Dang nabbit… it’s gonna be hard to shred this online version for an animal to piss on it.

Candidate Enriques Response to Highway 130 Question

Aloha Damon:

I can’t say that this is the easiest way, but one that I believe may address
the problem is mass transit. Increase the bus service schedules into main
cities and incorporate a viable inter-city bus system (possibly bring back
the sampan buses of the old Hilo days). Getting people on the buses will
get them off the roads, save gas, save money, less traffic. Creating a
usable inner-city bus system is a vital part of making the mass transit
system work. No sense getting on the bus to town, if you can’t get to your
destination once in town.

Mahalo,

Guy Enriques

*update*

Thank you for the opportunity to provide an opinion.

guy

Question for the Candidates

I sent the following question out via email to the candidates that are on the Unofficial Poll up at the top of the page:

What do you think is the easiest way to reduce traffic problems on Highway 130?

I guess we will see who responds.

Four Missing Teenagers in Four Separate Cases on Big Island

Ok, I’m not going to post the pictures here. But four teenagers, two from Hilo and two from Puna were reported missing yesterday.

I know these may just simply be cases of kids running away from their parents, etc….. But it does seem odd that there are SO MANY missing kids in Hawaii!

Guaranteed Sun in Hilo or Your Money Back Says Priceline!

In what may be one of Pricelines biggest mistake ever, they are guaranteeing trips to places that they believe will be sunny. If it rains during the trip, the customers get their money back.

Hilo is listed as one of the destinations. Anyone on the mainland reading my blog?

Here’s the deal: If your destination records a half inch or more of rain on more than half of the days you’re there, you get a full cash refund. The fine print:

• The guarantee applies to packages of three to eight days, including travel days.
• The guarantee applies to all trip components: airfare, accommodations, sightseeing, and even taxes, but not travel insurance.
• You must buy before September 12, for departure dates through November 16.
• You must buy at least 12 days before departure.
• The rain is measured at the official weather station at the destination’s proximate airport.
• You do not get a partial refund for fewer rainy days.
• There’s no extra charge for the guarantee.

The deal applies to more than 100 destinations, many of which are big mainland cities where a rain guarantee might not be important. But it does cover many where rain would be a real problem. Mainland beach/golf destinations and gateways include Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Ft. Lauderdale, Melbourne (Florida), Miami, Panama City (Florida), Pensacola, San Diego, and Sarasota. Offshore beach/golf destinations include Aruba, Freeport, Hilo, Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Lihue, Montego Bay, Nassau, San Jose, Costa Rica, and San Juan. London is the sole European destination. Of course, that list omits a large number of popular Caribbean, Mexican, and Pacific beach and golf resorts, but it provides a reasonable range of choices. Priceline has a link to a website where you can check rainfall. If you’re eligible, your refund is automatic.

Plastic in Your Sushi?

Well as the Junk get’s closer and closer to landing on Oahu, the boys were about to eat a fish they caught.  I’ll let you all see the results:

Happy Birthday Uncle Led

Led grew up in a musical family living in a small black sand bay village of Kalapana where he states there were little distractions. “We didn’t have electricity, not television, not even much radio, so we entertained ourselves. You could go to any house and everybody was playing music.” At fourteen, he began performing professionally with his mother, Tina, and his uncle, the rarely-recorded slack-key master Fred Punahoa.

…After graduating from high school, he formed Hui Ohana with his brother, Nedward, and cousin Dennis Pavao. The trio was one of the hot acts in Hawaiian music for much of the 1970s….

Happy Birthday Uncle,

Damon