Longer terms?
This is in response to the Jan. 13 article (Tribune-Herald) on the proposal to increase term limits for council members.
I agree that a longer council member term makes sense to give the council member more time to be effective for their district. However, I am worried that without an effective way to remove a council member, we run the risk of an even longer period of time when a council member decides the government is illegal, quits coming to work and still gets paid.
Strengthen the ability to remove a nonworking council member before you increase their term.
Donald Jacobs
Keaau
Two years is plenty
Extending County Council terms to four years is a very bad idea!
The last council session was marked by squabbling, bickering, incompetence and indecision.
There were no major issues resolved — i.e., composting, garbage, hiring more police, fixing our transit system, homelessness, emergency contingencies, to name a few.
Oh, and remember Jen Ruggles? One can only hope the new blood elected for this term can do much better.
We Big Islanders need some sensible change, diligence and dedication to repairing government’s dysfunction and the managing of our tax revenues efficiently.
Let’s hope this council can do it. Will they roll up their sleeves and work up a sweat? We’ll find out these next two years.
Ted Orssten
Pahoa
Remove Trump
If a foreign power told this nation to do something — say, build a wall — or they would shut down our government, what would be our answer?
Would we just suck it up and see how long we can last without a government? Or would we fight back?
What President Donald Trump is doing is taking our nation’s government hostage and demanding we pay him tribute to get it back.
How about instead, we freeze all his assets worldwide and use them to pay our government workers? And then remove this megalomaniac from office.
Sounds reasonable to me.
Except, well, we don’t have an operational government to freeze his assets or remove him from office. So maybe coercion will work for the man in the White House.
Tom Beach
Waimea