Time for a ferry
After dumping 21 40-foot containers into Hilo Bay, Young Brothers now wants an “emergency” rate increase of nearly 50%!
And just what is Young Brothers? It is one of a constellation of similarly protected companies owned by Saltchuk Resources of Seattle. And what is Saltchuk Resources? One of the largest privately held companies in the state of Washington. It’s owned by one of the wealthiest families in America, the Tabbutt family.
How long do the people of Hawaii continue to play fat, dumb and stupid and pay subsidies to support one of the country’s wealthiest families!? Or will Hawaii residents finally get smart and establish a daily, reliable ferry service modeled on Marine Atlantic, the Canadian Crown Corporation that owns and operates the Nova Scotia to Newfoundland ferries?
Marine Atlantic generates operational profits every year and relies only on capital subsidies for vessel construction, and has never collided with a whale despite transiting the Gulf of Saint Lawrence every day, twice a day.
The distance from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland is roughly the same as Kawaihae to Honolulu, across open North Atlantic ocean waters with ice in winter. Marine Atlantic is reliable and inexpensive, with clean, comfortable and safe vessels. And it operates at a profit to Canadian taxpayers. Canadians found the solution to economically integrate Newfoundland with the rest of Canada.
The model for robust, cost-effective economic integration of the Hawaiian Islands is there for all to see: a reliable, daily ferry service similar to Marine Atlantic.
Kenneth Beilstein
Kailua-Kona
Justice for Hawaiians
Aloha to all, and I hope everyone is practicing safety throughout this pandemic.
I’m writing about the issues we are facing throughout the world today.
Us Hawaiians have been exploited and taken advantage of by foreigners for more than a century.
Yet, I have never heard or seen any of our politicians pursue justice for the Hawaiian people. Except for the late Sen. Daniel Akaka, may God bless him.
These Hawaiian Islands have been taken and sold by foreigners from the time Dole staked its claim on our lands for sugar plantations years ago.
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands does nothing to secure funding to protect the Hawaiian people.
Political leaders have raised taxes again and again. None of them would say any of our taxes will go into a fund to put Hawaiian people back on their lands.
Many kupuna already died while waiting for a DHHL lease. Foreigners have leases on DHHL lands, while we still wait for our chance to say this is my land finally.
When will our politicians see that we Hawaiians have waited long enough for a chance to get our lands back?
Is it too much to ask for justice for the Hawaiian people? Maunakea, my amakua, cries for justice.
Give the Native Hawaiians back their lands.
Don’t ask for taxes to pay for your raises, while injustices continue to be inflicted upon the Hawaiian people.
Aloha to and for all.
Mary Branco
Hilo