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LETTERS for August 4 issue

By Staff | Aug 4, 2016

Hospital will enhance medical care in West Maui

Just a short note to thank the editor of the Lahaina News for both noting the forthcoming groundbreaking of the West Maui Hospital (WMH) in August (with the opening now scheduled for late 2018), but also for helping to define the different capabilities of the WMH and Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC).

The WMH, as reported by the editor, can provide the additional urgent care capabilities that can be of real convenience to those on the West Side of Maui in providing a much faster emergency room option for people on the West Side with “non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries.”

I would also add that the WMH can be of help in taking some of the load off of the often overburdened Emergency Department at MMMC, thus shortening the waiting times here and there for non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries, and reduce the need for transit for many with those conditions on the West Side.

Importantly and responsibly, it was also mentioned by the editor that “the new hospital will not be staffed and equipped to deal with the most serious cases – heart attack, strokes and trauma victims, for example.”

Therefore, it is important for all to know that people with these life-threatening conditions should still be taken directly to MMMC, which has the full capabilities to manage those conditions, and that this management should be given within the “golden hour” and not delayed in smaller hospitals such as WMH without full capabilities to manage or “stabilize” these life-threatening conditions at all or promptly.

In my book, the editorial is factual and responsible reporting, and should be a guide as we work together to enhance the medical care here on West Maui.

DR. GEORGE S. LAVENSON, Lahaina

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Respect the police

If you watch world news, you’ve noticed Mainland cities clashing with their local police departments. One of the main reasons is implied racial tension; another is gangs. Large city police have their hands full with haters carrying guns. Many gang members are drug and arms dealers. There are thousands of them and very active.

We are thankful for our Maui Police. Being a police officer is not easy – putting your life on the line and protecting us in our daily activities.

To keep gangs from forming on Maui, one thing you can do is stay alert in your neighborhood. You can make anonymous calls if you are afraid of retaliation.

There is a saying: “If you are not with me, you are against me.” If you really want to keep Maui safe, do your part and get rid of crime in progress. The police are not your enemies; the ones who do crimes are. They are all around us. Crime is everywhere, and you have to be smart.

Get your police involved in disputes before they get out of control. Pay attention to your children before they start using heavy drugs like meth or cocaine and have to sell to other youngsters to feed their addictions. It happens in many families.

The beginners in a life of crime need rehabilitation, where career criminals need incarceration and rehab. When you see a crime being committed, tell someone about it – like shoplifting, as it raises the prices on all of us to pay for that crime.

Mauians need to prepare themselves for a flood of Mainlanders about to invade these islands. We need to give all of our support to our Maui Police and military. Tourists can see law and order, and when push comes to shove on the Mainland, they will be back to live here. We should set up a moratorium to limit that.

This letter is alarming only to those who don’t keep informed on Mainland news and are comfortable with their heads in the sand. This coming election is going to change a lot of things all over. Let’s keep Maui honest and safe. It takes all of us living here to keep it safe and uncrowded. God bless all our islands.

ENRIQUE GUZMAN, Lahaina

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Clinton vs. Trump on current issues

At the presidential level, we might conclude that Clinton will be vastly better on basic civil liberties for all Americans than will Trump. Trump just might launch a nuclear war. His ignorance coupled with his impulse-control issues bode more ill than anyone since Gen. Curtis LeMay wanted to go nuclear at the drop of a hat.

Trump will wipe the ISIS caliphate off the map, whereas Clinton will likely continue the Barack Obama approach to gradually reducing ISIS’ geographical control.

Trump will alienate virtually every Muslim on Earth. Clinton will only alienate most of them.

Clinton will support reasonable gun control. Trump would expand gun rights, if that is even possible.

Trump will appoint a few pro-corporate, anti-human rights Supreme Court justices. Clinton will appoint moderates to the Supremes.

Clinton will maintain decent relationships with black communities, and we will hopefully see a decrease in police brutality and corresponding attacks on police. Trump will put many more brutal cops on the streets, which will result in more cops shooting more unarmed African Americans.

Clinton will moderate our descent into climate chaos by supporting alternative energy generation and reasonable safety regulations on polluters. Trump will accelerate global chaos by deregulating polluters and energy corporations, promoting pipelines and polluting power plants, and tearing up our lands and oceans with drilling disasters.

Clinton will continue to attempt to achieve immigration reform. Trump will create a few million other new enemies by his wall and deportations.

Clinton’s economic measures will achieve more equity in our economy. Trump’s will benefit the investor class and impoverish the U.S. government.

In sum, a Clinton presidency will likely feature Obama -(and Bill Clinton) style employment growth, wage increases, and deficit reduction, a slower degradation of our environment, and stronger guarantees of human and civil rights.

A Trump presidency will feature both an expansion of U.S. military actions into a bloody surge to crush ISIS but a possible contraction of the U.S. military overall. A Trump economy will radically benefit the elite and devastate the working Americans. It will feature acceleration of climate catastrophes and climate refugees, and a dirtier atmosphere, contaminated soil, and polluted surface and ground waters.

We’ve got trouble. Are we ready?

TOM H. HASTINGS, PeaceVoice