TMT construction begins Monday 15 July

[geochem]

Ironyak, I have no disagreement with you that the state, as currently managed, is thoroughly incompetent. But it's too easy to find fault to gain much credit at that game. However, you are a bit too quick to assign blame for that fault. Yes, the management of the Mauna Kea summit has been less than perfect - when a lot of the problems at the summit occurred, the University of Hawaii was experiencing a 30% loss of their state funded budget. Our legislature, and our regulatory agencies are very good at assigning tasks (and blame when those tasks don't get done), but are all too quick to forget that those tasks cost money.

The astronomy research community has brought substantial financial support to the University of Hawaii - support that pays for the library, that pays for internet access (you may not have been here, or remember, that high speed internet access was first installed on this island to support the astronomy operations), that maintains the overall university infrastructure that every UH student in the state benefits from. To blame the astronomy community, or the University for the withdrawal of financial support by the legislature is simply misguided.

Yes there have been impacts - "substantial" - or not - is in the eye of the beholder. For some, any impact is substantial and unacceptable - but the same can be said of construction of any structure. Was the impact of construction of your home substantial? if your lot is no longer native forest, then I think maybe it was... just like the construction of mine was - but I prefer not to live in a lava tube.

And I have to ask a question - you are aware that OMKM sponsors periodic volunteer days for the community-minded to go up to Mauna Kea to pull invasive weeds - I have participated in a a few - have you?