Letters for Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Frustrated by large agriculture companies, inadequate roads

Aloha. I wanted to comment on a couple things.

First is the situation with all the pesticide companies on the islands. Monsanto was recently fined $12 million for not properly storing toxic chemicals here on our island. That really worries me. If they aren’t being responsible about a serious matter such as that, what else are they not being responsible about? I always wondered how can you responsibly spray poisonous chemicals on our land and in the air.

Obviously, they are going to travel to our communities and ocean. Why are our elected leaders, who proclaim their love for the islands and the people, continuing to allow this? It sickens me to think they allow it for monetary gain.

Please, people, speak up; let our elected officials know we want these companies gone!

The other issue is the ongoing problem with balancing growth and infrastructure. At present, the population is outpacing our infrastructure. I just sat on the Kapa‘a bypass for 45 minutes trying to get to Lihu‘e. This is not acceptable.

We have had 20 years of prosperity. There should be plenty of money in the coffers for road expansion. Instead, our leaders want more housing. Well, sure, that means more money in county pockets. But is it the best thing for the island right now?

This is very frustrating. And as a side note, filling potholes is not creating infrastructure.

Linda Bothe, Kalaheo
Source: The Garden Island