Letters to the editor

Little power in our one-party state

I am not sure what planet Jerry Burris comes from, but his take on "State GOP must wield its power carefully" (Focus, Jan. 21) has a distinct "Alice in Wonderland" feel.

All the minority Republicans have, with respect to political influence, is the ability to speak their opinion in a sea of raw Democrat legislative power.

As we try to raise our families in the weakest economy in the Union, educate our children in an educational system that is a disgrace, inspire our youth to service in an atmosphere of endemic public corruption, and for that matter, try to make it to work on H1 in the morning, we should remember that fact.

G. Harris
Waipahu

Not the cure-all for every situation

I find Karl Kim’s commentary on roundabouts (Opinion, Jan. 21) somewhat misleading and void of the negative realities that occur with them. Roundabouts are not the cure-all they are touted to be.

While roundabouts do have their place in very large and open intersections, their use in small intersections creates an exclusionary feeling.

In Sacramento, where I lived before returning to Hawai‘i, there are hundreds of roundabouts. They are used in predominately upper-scale neighborhoods where, presumably, residents prefer a slower traffic pattern.

In actuality, these roundabouts create unnecessary, and often dangerous, barriers to the flow and direction of traffic.

Roundabouts create a pattern of traffic that inevitably moves the use of certain streets away from the general public and create a "local traffic only" mentality. That’s fine for some streets and neighborhoods but not for avenues and those streets in high demand for use in day-to-day travels.

Unfortunately, here in the Islands that almost encompasses every street.

Roundabouts should be used carefully and sporadically.

More barriers of any kind in our communities are the last thing we need here.

Michael Greenough
Hale‘iwa

Office-holding policy was no surprise

I can’t buy Guy Ontai’s claim (Jan. 21) that Kamehameha Schools’ policy on running for public office is unfair.

Did he begin his campaign before the IRS raised the issue? I doubt it. What’s so unfair?

Doyal Davis

Dye missed the point

This is in response to the commentary by Bob Dye regarding the proposed state art museum (Focus, Jan. 21). Unfortunately, Mr. Dye missed the big picture.

The idea is not a new one. In fact, it is the realization of a vision developed by the Burns administration more than 30 years ago.

I strongly disagree that a state art museum is an "elitist" project. On the contrary, the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ Art in Public Places Program embraces arts education and will finally be able to assemble shows based on educational themes and provide programming accessible to schoolchildren and the general public.

The arts of Hawai‘i define us as a people. The state art museum will:

Increase access to the state art collection.

Invigorate the SFCA’s mission to promote, perpetuate, and preserve culture and the arts, our unique history and the humanities.

Encourage and honor artistic excellence.

Provide educational and cultural enrichment programs.

Promote Hawai‘i as the center for culture and arts in the Pacific.

The No. 1 Capitol District Building will be a beacon for art and will contribute to a premier civic center. It symbolizes Hawai‘i’s commitment to advancing the work of local artists and makes the extraordinary state art collection more accessible to Hawai‘i’s people.

Eunice M. DeMello
Chairperson, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

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