tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062131606209421143.post1371204707824381497..comments2018-10-15T14:40:17.196-10:00Comments on Alan McNarie: Sideshows at the County CouncilAlan D. McNariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16700373679903060317noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062131606209421143.post-17595531140406516262009-10-19T13:01:19.646-10:002009-10-19T13:01:19.646-10:00I have always known East Hawaii to be a bit behind...I have always known East Hawaii to be a bit behind the times in areas such as business, politics, nightlife, however I had no idea the council has become so unprofessional, and buy your explanation, hardly unified. <br /><br />It seems most people go to work and if they don't perform thier responsibilities, show up late or get juice on thier paperwork, they would be warned once or twice and then let go. I guess that's not the case with supposed civil servants. Living it up on our dime with at least in this case, no one to answer to. I am aware that the general public, myself included, could show up at council meetings and address these issues, so this is not about poor me. I am also aware that we the people voted for these officials. However, whether New York City or East Hawaii, duty and service must be, in my opinion, of the highest integrity. What does it take for people, regardless of thier profession or place of birth, to at least want to achieve excellence, to approach thier tasks with passion and pride? If these so called leaders and decision makers have no integrity or professionalism, then in turn niether will our county, our state, our country, the world. Maybe that is too dramatic, but for me it is truth. It is a great honor and privelage to be elected a county official, and with that should come high expectations. Many state employees are lucky to even have a job right now, yet Mcnarie's view of a day in the life of our county council sounds like an episode of the muppets.Jesse Seymournoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062131606209421143.post-58505063987481585772009-08-12T22:22:56.217-10:002009-08-12T22:22:56.217-10:00Welcome back Alan, a quick comment on
"...or...Welcome back Alan, a quick comment on <br />"...or be paid for with the sale of land that the people of Hamakua had long said they wanted for family farming."<br />I started as a dirt farmer, a market gardner selling vegetables to the produce wholesalers in Hilo. Anyone who REALLY wants to farm can, it has the lowest barriers to entry of any production based business. It does not take a lot of brains, or education, but it takes a tremendous appetite for risk. You can be successful, but you need to be a bit lucky. It doesn't take much capital to start, I started with a few hundred dollars, and a rented field. It is easier to do it now than in the '70's, back then sugar dominated too much land, there was very little available for small farmers.<br /><br />As you pursue the story of the Hamakua lands, to sell or not to sell, keep in mind that actions speak louder than words. Anyone who comments that they are held back from doing something in Ag because of.... whatever ... is either trying to fool you or is fooling themselves.James McCullyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07264493848793265936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062131606209421143.post-59521298183590268172009-08-10T10:44:52.854-10:002009-08-10T10:44:52.854-10:00I went to the Hawaii Independent site you referenc...I went to the Hawaii Independent site you referenced to read the article about your family farm in Missouri. The comment section wasn't fully operational so I'm posting my comment here.<br /> <br />I’m not from Missouri and I still felt homesick for the lost past of its family-owned farms after reading this fine piece of writing. What a pleasure to read an Alan McNarie story again. Albeit a bittersweet pleasure, as this story coincided with news from the Northeastern U.S. about a severe tomato blight there. Besides a humid East Hawaii-like summer, the suspected source of the blight was the purchase of tomato starts by home gardeners from huge garden centers like Home Depot. Not only has farming become industrialized, so has home gardening, now that so many of us buy seedlings grown thousands of miles elsewhere rather than purchase expensive seed packets or start our gardens from seeds we’ve gathered ourselves.Bett Bidlemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08109988031023054075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062131606209421143.post-73230208872090854492009-08-06T11:34:42.257-10:002009-08-06T11:34:42.257-10:00wow, now there's some fresh reporting from McN...wow, now there's some fresh reporting from McNarie<br />like the new, less uptight style<br /><br />insightful, interesting . . . <br /><br />more, moreKristine Kubathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08054191364532898572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062131606209421143.post-16418310785567579252009-08-06T10:30:19.974-10:002009-08-06T10:30:19.974-10:00Welcome back to the world! (And the wacky, wastefu...Welcome back to the world! (And the wacky, wasteful world of the county council) <br />Glad to hear you're getting some work that you excel at; the Big Island Weekly ought to snap you up permanently if they want to improve their paper.(not to slight the other reporters there)I always look forward to anything you write - always concise, interesting, and fair. Mahalo!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00770756673683557352noreply@blogger.com