12-02-2011, 05:18 AM
Well, I better say my piece here.
First, Rob is coming very close to making personal attacks. Unfortunate and counter productive.
He has his right to his individual opinion.
In my opinion, "not working well with others" means not agreeing with him.
A more important matter that I want to get out in the air:
Fred Blas does a lot of nice things in cleaning up roadsides and the like. Good. That is service to the community and I applaud it. Cleaning up roadsides is what he does well, so, let him do it.
Service to the community takes on many forms.
In recent years I have used my own time and resources to successfully advocate for matters that were good for the entire island community. Two prime examples: First, I spent two years researching and exposing a highly flawed proposal by the County to borrow $125 million dollars for an incinerator that would not have resolved our waste problem or generated any significant electricity, yet would have left us with unprecedented debt. That flawed proposal failed as the public became aware and let the Council know of their opposition. Next, beginning in 2004 with the Puna Regional Circulation Plan, I advocated for, and brought to the fore, information regarding roundabouts as a safer, lower cost intersection treatment for our dangerous roads. In 2011, those efforts are paying off with greatly increased community awareness and support and, at last, some roundabouts on the drawing board in our community.
What else have I “volunteered” to do?
Four years as a volunteer in the United States Navy, including 2.5 years of “foreign and sea” duty that included being on a minesweeper hunting ordinance and rescuing pilots from their planes shot down in North Vietnamese waters.
Two years as a volunteer in the United States Peace Corps, working with subsistence farmers in the Philippines to increase their family’s financial situation and food security.
From this point on, we need to keep the discussion focused on issues and the future, and stay away from personal attacks and chest puffing about what has been done for the community.
First, Rob is coming very close to making personal attacks. Unfortunate and counter productive.
He has his right to his individual opinion.
In my opinion, "not working well with others" means not agreeing with him.
A more important matter that I want to get out in the air:
Fred Blas does a lot of nice things in cleaning up roadsides and the like. Good. That is service to the community and I applaud it. Cleaning up roadsides is what he does well, so, let him do it.
Service to the community takes on many forms.
In recent years I have used my own time and resources to successfully advocate for matters that were good for the entire island community. Two prime examples: First, I spent two years researching and exposing a highly flawed proposal by the County to borrow $125 million dollars for an incinerator that would not have resolved our waste problem or generated any significant electricity, yet would have left us with unprecedented debt. That flawed proposal failed as the public became aware and let the Council know of their opposition. Next, beginning in 2004 with the Puna Regional Circulation Plan, I advocated for, and brought to the fore, information regarding roundabouts as a safer, lower cost intersection treatment for our dangerous roads. In 2011, those efforts are paying off with greatly increased community awareness and support and, at last, some roundabouts on the drawing board in our community.
What else have I “volunteered” to do?
Four years as a volunteer in the United States Navy, including 2.5 years of “foreign and sea” duty that included being on a minesweeper hunting ordinance and rescuing pilots from their planes shot down in North Vietnamese waters.
Two years as a volunteer in the United States Peace Corps, working with subsistence farmers in the Philippines to increase their family’s financial situation and food security.
From this point on, we need to keep the discussion focused on issues and the future, and stay away from personal attacks and chest puffing about what has been done for the community.