‘Remarkably unwise’
It has come to the attention of tens of thousands of west Hawaii residents, contracting businesses, their employees, and would-be permit applicants that the Kona permitting office and its customers are in way over their skill level with the EPIC System.
Personally, it took six weeks to reject an application my plumber submitted electronically.
In the news recently, I read that very few applications were processed in the last three months (Tribune-Herald, Oct. 12). My apologies to the staff trying and failing repeatedly to make EPIC functional. I actually know how that goes.
Forty some years ago, I converted large manual database and accounting systems onto the same software Ford Motor Co. used. I was mentored by a KPMG CPA.
I learned you can’t switch to a new system until (1) everyone involved is trained on it, (2) it’s used as a ghost, background system until the software vendor has every bug and issue fixed, and (3) it’s used as a trial on a limited number of brave accounts.
To the county administrators who dropped this EPIC bomb on West Hawaii: New construction is the creation of new revenue for county programs and income for contractors, their employees and families. You, and you alone, did this remarkably unwise change during a pandemic downturn in our economy.
In every decision to be made in the future, please follow the triple bottom line approach used in every modern, successful government. All decisions are based on limiting the impacts to economy, local culture and the environment.
Those three aspects frame our very lives.
Janene Lasswell
Honaunau
Rolovich’s termination
Dave Shapiro’s editorial (in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser) saying Nick Rolovich put his interests above those of his team had a point, but I alternatively point out that all of us are members of many teams.
As people, we are also Americans, Christians, pro-vax, anti-vax, etc. Often, our “team” affiliations come in conflict with the multiple teams we belong to or others belong to.
For Rolovich, he actually may have put his religious or pro-individual rights team ahead of himself to the tune of sacrificing $3 million! Now, that is taking one for the team!
One of the ugly trends that this incident highlights, though, is the rush to judgement. I don’t know why he did what he did. Going against the pope’s position makes Rolo’s stance a mystery.
Of course, though, there have always been differing beliefs within a same religion. Whether Rolo’s position is religiously valid is ultimately up to God.
Leighton Loo
Mililani, Oahu
