HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0533.063 2000-2002
~dlay 16, 2002
Dear 6-lawaii County Council lUlember;
We have been reading almost daily news articles regarding the budget
shortfall and the Ndayor's plan to raise property taxes to make up the
deficit. 1°oday's paper called for community input on the issue. ~ am a Kona-
taxpayer, homeowner and voter, and the following is my input:
enforce existing /owsand put money in the county coffers by collecting
either the applicable fines or the equivalent in meaningful community service
from the offenders.
There are many locations in Kona where illegal activities occur on a regular
basis, and I`m sure any resident of any neighborhood would be happy to point
them out to law-enforcement. The most glaring example, however, is the
Old ~4irport. Post a few police officers there any night of the week, have
them cite and/or arrest every teenager/young adult who use the Old as
their personal hangout for underage and/or public drinking, drag-racing in a
15-N1PH zone, drug dealing/using, outrageously-loud stereo blasting and
littering the entire area with garbage and bottles.
This situation is ongoing, flagrant and obvious to everyone in the community
who ever goes down there. ~ have been there many times to watch my
husband's softball games, and there is o/rvoysa constant stream of cars
roaring in and out of the area and blasting their stereos so loud it is
impossible to enjoy the game. T stay awny now because of the noise. ~ have
also been there many mornings, to walk on the runway for exercise, and the
evidence of the previous night's activities is strewn all over the ground.
Broken glass literally covers every square inch, and there are always piles of
empty beer bottles and cartons everywhere. The whole area is a disgrace
during the day and downright dangerous at night. One thing I`ve never seen
there, however, is a cop writing a citation.
Taxpayers are tired of paying more and more for less and less service and
protection. We want the police to do their one and only job: to enforce the
/caw, and we want the courts to see to it that the taxpayers who foot the bill ~1 P,
are paid back. We want the offenders to either pay hefty fines for their ~
parasitic activities or work hard cleaning and maintaining the public property ~
they so arrogantly destroy. o~nd we do not want to hear that there are not ~
enough police to do this job. On my way into town yesterday at ~ p.m., x
~ ~ ~
~ ~
allay 16, 2002
passed no fewer than five police cars at what may or may not have been an
accident scene, and only one police officer was directing traffic. Ildlaybe you
should ask the police department what the others were doing.
®ne final point: If raising property taxes has worked so well the many throes
it has been done in the past, why is tgere Mill a problem???
Think about it.
Since ely,
Linda Gross
Kailua-Kona