Gov. David Ige stated in his inauguration that “our legacy will rest on how well we begin to transform our economy.”

His failure to enforce state laws and to support science on Mauna Kea will only perpetuate our economic dependence on tourism and military expenditures. Construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Hawaii island is supported by the great majority of Hawaii’s residents, and by those Hawaiians who are proud of their heritage of exploration and celestial studies.

Sadly, the protesters have wrongly tied their righteous concerns to non-negotiable opposition to the TMT. The time for the governor to break the impasse and allow TMT to go forward is now.

John Lockwood

Hilo

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