Oahu gobbles resources as other isles make do - Hawaii Editorials

Maggie Cox makes a good point. If public libraries on rural islands are to be closed to save the state some money, it's only fair that libraries on Oahu share the pain.

[Von]

It's just the law of the jungle.
The big fish eats the small fish.

My opinions do not count anyway because I'm just a little fish too.

[Kimo Da Cable Guy]

Yet another editorial full of muddled thinking from Cynthia Oi. She claims that neighbor islands "do the heavy lifting" for undesirable projects like military facilities and prisons. What is she smoking? Last time I looked Oahu has all the large military bases. Like, for example, Schofield Barracks, Kaneohe Marine Corps base, Hickam, Wheeler and Pearl Harbor. No neighbor island hosts a base comparable to even one of these, much less all five. When it comes to prisons Oahu has Halawa, OCCC and the federal tower at the airport. While there are some similar facilities on other islands they are much smaller. So Oi's claim that the neighbor islands have all the military bases and prisons is ludicrous.

As for libraries, who do you think pays more in taxes - the people in Manoa or the people in Pahala? That's a no-brainer, except maybe in Oi's case. Manoa library is one of the most heavily used in the state yet it is also one of the smallest. So don't try to make it sound like people in Manoa get special treatment.

I'm in favor of keeping ALL libraries open, but neighbor island residents need to accept that the lower population density and rural lifestyles that they enjoy also mean public services are going to be equally spread out. Some islands, like Molokai and Kauai, seem to be full of anti-business residents who are opposed to just about anything that would provide more jobs. They, too, should not be surprised or disappointed when they don't get the same level of government services as the people on Oahu who work and pay taxes.

[Kimo]

The cuts should begin with the top administration, then either lay off librarians or rotate schedules, begin volunteerism in the local libraries.

[Wrat Tayle]

I think Cynthia gobbles too many plate lunches and extra value meals. The above commments are correct. Ever hear of you get what you pay for or you get out what you put in? I realize Ms. Oi is all for the 'shifting' of wealth from those who earn it to those who read her articles or do her hair but that is not the real American way. Like I say to all these natives here, I see no gun to anyone's head forcing them to live here. The smart, ones, the real smart ones tend to move to a location where they can best afford a lifestyle based on their earnings, if it's not Hawaii so what? Instead I get the local hand out, what can the government do for me thing and Comrade Oi is one of them.

[alice]

Who really cares? Money could be better spent some place else.

If you want to read then go on the internet. Why should I have to pay into the public librariese so you can read for free?

[Charon]

Tantrums? Paper dolls are better therapy.

[Pat]

Thanks, Cynthia, well stated.

[Stop the Whining]

Ignorant comments. To say the governor "has it in for them" is just idiotic. Get real lady, the state has no money to spend. Cuts are coming left and right and no one is being spared, nor is anyone being singled out as you want to believe. It's the same reason the Bulletin laid off many of its reporters and staff and cut the weekend edition of Midweek. When the money runs dry, you make cuts, you suck it up and you move on.

[kailua kupuna]

Pat wrote:

Thanks, Cynthia, well stated.

Ditto!

[kuniagirl]

The disfigurement of Oahu, which is heartbreaking for me, pays for services on the neighbor islands. If we kept all of our hotel revenues and had the neighbor islands pay their own way, let us see how Ms. Oi would fare.

[roadsterred]

Are you for real? The City & County of Honolulu is where the majority of the State's population resides. The State of Hawaii receives the lion share of revenues from the residents and businesses on Oahu. To say that we gobble up the resources is a slap in the face.

If the State's budget was divided proportionally among the counties according to revenues received from each county, except for Maui County possibly, the rest of the counties would be third world.

Please prove me wrong.

[Ted Nugent Nation]

I hope Ms. Oi has a real job.

[wacos202]

You can't support most of the comments you state as "facts".