Your Views for May 28

Endless opposition won’t fix decrepit infrastructure

I am very disappointed the current owner of the Punalu‘u Sea Mountain development is being foreclosed upon. This project has gone through multiple owners over the years.

The community has pushed back against the various plans set forth by each of these owners. This is being done all in the name of protecting Punalu‘u sensitive biological environment.

This constant community opposition doesn’t address the decrepit and deteriorating infrastructure left from the C. Brewer ownership. Something has to be done to fix these issues. They include a failing sewage treatment plant, water system and abandoned buildings.

I firmly believe not developing the area and leaving “as is” doesn’t solve the longstanding issues that I alluded to above. Punalu‘u is now a toxic asset now due to the community opposition to any new development.

The community needs allow a new developer to improve this area without impacting the sensitive biological assets. If this doesn’t happen, Punalu‘u will continue to remain a beautiful place with indelible scars from the failed Sea Mountain development.

Aaron Stene

Kailua-Kona

‘Horrified’ by attacks on universities, USAID

As a retired professor of 25 years teaching in universities in the U.S. and two foreign countries, I am feeling helpless and horrified watching as the current U.S. administration attacks some of our leading universities and students who benefit from their programs.

Our U.S. universities provide some of the best and most helpful education in our world. These universities provide knowledgeable leaders for our world both at home and abroad.

It’s similar to dismantling USAID, which is also one of our best diplomatic programs, keeping peace in the world through kindness and friendliness instead of threats and violence.

Losing these peacemaking programs will damage us for decades.

Lois Margaret Drake

Volcano