Letters to the Editor
Let's get smart about helping out tourism
Hawai'i's best salesman hit the Mainland this week. The Snowman just delivered a foot of the white stuff on Minnesota. Hawai'i's advertising should follow the snow.
Hawai'i and the rest of the U.S. is seeing "Visit Mexico" (or Alabama or Puerto Rico ) instead of TV spots saying "Come to Hawai'i, We Are Warm, Wonderful and Safe."
Let's really help our No. 1 industry, Hawai'i's tourism.
Give Hawai'i's hotels and retailers a 25 percent tax credit for renovation and new construction — and make it without the red tape.
Modify the Waikiki Special Design District so that more businesses will reinvest in Hawai'i as Outrigger is doing.
Let's restore Waikiki Beach. It has been studied more than 20 times. When Virginia Beach put the sand back, it more than doubled its business. Hawai'i could restore its legendary beach and get worldwide free advertising in the process.
Let's spend our state tax money wisely. By improving Hawai'i statewide, we make it a better place to visit and expand our tax base by encouraging Hawai'i's businesses to reinvest in Hawai'i. It's a win-win solution.
Rick Gray
Value Pass, Japan trip senseless marketing
A few calls around town will reveal that the Hawai'i Value Pass Card program is a sham, just another futile misstep taken by our leaders so they can say they did "something" in these hard times.
Most of the merchants whose names are listed on the booklet accompanying the value pass offer insignificant or even no discounts to people who show them the pass. If you call one of these businesses to ask exactly what it does with the card, you'll likely be put on hold while the employee asks someone else the same question. So who's in charge here?
This brings to mind another poorly thought-out marketing scheme, the recent trip taken to Japan by our finest representatives. If the governor and his advisers had ever studied Japanese consumers or watched a few Japanese commercials, they might have realized that this target audience does not respond favorably to crude logical pleas, especially those that reek of begging.
Gov. Cayetano and his wise men should have heeded the first rule of marketing: Do your research. And if that is too cerebral a concept for them, they could have simply heeded the first rule of the local constituency: Use your common sense.
David Namiki
Sovereignty belongs to other races here, too
Aren't a lot of us missing the obvious when the vociferous activists claim the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination justifies sovereignty?
Plainly Hawaiians exercised that right, having already chosen their form of sovereignty several times in the past. Before 1840, there was an absolute monarchy under King Kamehameha the Great and Kamehameha II. Then Kamehameha III, on behalf of his people, proclaimed and promulgated a constitution that changed the form of government to a constitutional monarchy. Hawai'i citizens of many races had rights and privileges under it.
The leaders determined for their people that there should no longer be a Hawaiians-only sovereignty. Then followed three more constitutions continuing the constitutional monarchy. The non-Hawaiian population counted, as did the racially blended citizenry.
A revolution, with help from the United States, overthrew this constitutional monarchy. If this wrongful act is what destroyed Hawai'i as an independent nation, and if there now is to be a new sovereignty, shouldn't we return, if at all, to the Hawaiian nation as it then existed or would have continued to exist, with all of its multiracial citizens? The self-determination of the multiracial people of the Kingdom of Hawai'i had been usurped.
Now many vociferous activists (clearly not all of the native Hawaiians) want a fifth kingdom. You don't get that many bites of self-determination, especially when the sovereignty apple belongs to other races as well.
Paul de Silva
Air Force Academy has egg all over its face
When the U.S. Air Force Academy defected from the WAC to join the new Mountain West Conference, it said the reason the University of Hawai'i was not invited as a member was that UH could not compete on the same level.
No surprise, guys, when on Nov. 24 our UH football team proved that to be "bullfeathers" as we beat them 52 to 30.
Those future generals were no match for our devastating aerial attack. Kudos to our UH team for a great record-setting game.
By the way, to heck with the new rule, but that thrilling kickoff return by Chad Owens was 105 yards, not 100 yards. C'mon, guys, award the runners properly for their efforts.
Now we are looking forward to meeting the next defector, BYU, on Dec. 8. I'm sure our UH team will be ready for them. This will be our bowl game. Go Bows! Beat BYU!
B.J. Van Gieson
Kane'ohe
Anderson campaign seeks to reunite us all
Regarding Lee Black's Nov. 28 letter to the editor that he will not vote for me because Walter Heen is supporting me: Black's position is just what is wrong with Hawai'i today — everybody is mad at one another for whatever reason. Nobody is pulling together.
I have said now more than once, "Our state is in turmoil like I have never seen it before; we must come together as one people again." My role is to bring people together to solve the pressing problems of this state, to find a future for this state.
I would think Black would be pleased that I could muster the support of the varied personalities and interests that I have to date. From a Fudge Matsuda to a Bumpy Kanahele to a Victor Li to a Walter Heen. People from all walks of life and interests who are willing to put aside their personal agendas and join with me to rebuild our state. What more can you ask for?
We will not come out of this present crisis and go forward if we all, for whatever reason, take Black's position. I hope he will reconsider. After all, shouldn't I be judged on my positions and actions? I sincerely hope he will reconsider his position before next September. He can chat with me at Andy2002.org if he wishes.
D. G. "Andy" Anderson
Dalton Tanonaka has much to offer
I saw a story recently about Dalton Tanonaka declaring his candidacy for the lieutenant governor's job in the next election. I'm convinced, if elected, Dalton would have a very positive impact on the people of Hawai'i.
He brings with him the passion to make his home a better place for everyone. He also brings with him a number of great business contacts throughout the Asia Pacific region that would be most helpful in the promotion of Hawai'i as a preferred place of business and leisure.
He additionally brings with him years of experience in understanding how states and countries around the world have dealt with political and economic situations, and has knowledge of which policies worked and which didn't.
He finally brings the desire to turn things around for the betterment of not himself, but the people of Hawai'i.
I consider Hawai'i lucky to have such a well-known and intelligent person with Island roots who would unselfishly put his successful media career on hold in an attempt to guide the state out of its present doldrums.
Andy Scott
Hong Kong
It's not just nudists who could be in the spotlight
The key to maintaining a liberal and tolerant worldview is the ability to overcome one's own myopic ethnocentrism. At the same time, however, it seems virtually everyone has some group whose actions they find annoying or unorthodox enough that they should wish to have them and their social practices banned.
But notwithstanding the near universality of prejudice, I'm still shocked and dismayed to read normally respectful people like Advertiser columnist Lee Cataluna and long-time Hawaiian cultural and independence activist kupuna "Uncle Charley" Maxwell decrying the need to eliminate the naturist community from Maui and its world-famous Little Beach.
I encourage Lee, Uncle Charley and all involved to consider the social and historical consequences to Hawai'i if we restrict beach access to ______ (fill in the blank: blacks, Jews, Hawaiians, nudists, gays and lesbians, etc., etc.), just to satisfy the ignorant acculturated mores of the majority.
Under the universal principles of human and civil rights, we are obliged to tolerate all minority cultural practices that do no harm and violate the rights of no one else.
What Little Beach needs is the support of tolerant still-clothes-conscious mediators to bring these two groups together and show both "the Nakeds and the Clothed" that they can live and share together in the natural beauty that is the Hawaiian shoreline.
Spread the aloha and sunscreen.
Keolana Kamaunu
Traffic cams are nothing but a state money grab
The coming traffic cams are the state's way of increasing the house odds of taking more of the people's disposable income.
Every driver speeds sometimes and has for years. This new technology dramatically ups the odds for the house (state) of making money off people's behaviors.
I doubt there will be many "lives saved" by increasing traffic tickets from 100 a day to 1,000 a day for people going 5 mph over the speed limit.
However, it will take a lot of money from O'ahu businesses by directing consumers' money to the state instead of to businesses. The pizza delivery companies, plumbing firms, any business with vehicles on the road, will undoubtedly have added expenses that will take away from the bottom line. Think of what the young people will have to give up in the way of consumer spending. A couple of tickets a month can cramp their style and the businesses that cater to them.
If the house really goes from collecting on 100 tickets a day to collecting on 2,000 or 3,000 a day, maybe it could do away with the state income tax. The high-tech company running a similar operation makes up to $11 million a year in some Mainland areas in commissions off the tickets. Think of what the house must make. The people should get a break somewhere.
This traffic cam procedure is nothing but a money grab disguised as law enforcement. Its proponents should be voted out of office.
Brandon Bowman
Photo ticket system or Honolulu bad idea
The photo ticket system may be a revenue generator for the state and for its private contractor, but the people of Honolulu will be the losers. Surely state officials are aware that a San Diego judge threw out 29 tickets issued under a similar system in September. The system is hardly "almost mistake-proof."
Mistakes and conflicts of interest aside, the photo system impacts several principles fundamental to our democracy. Peter Carlisle is wrong to dismiss concerns about the photo system as merely "an exaggerated notion of civil rights."
I trust the ACLU will monitor and review this system carefully.
The system deserved careful review because intolerant application of law is a hallmark of tyrants and totalitarianism. A photo system does only what it is programmed to do, with no allowance for the common sense that police officers observing traffic bring to the job. Even police vehicles routinely travel slightly in excess of the posted limits. To ticket everyone for going 35 mph in a 30-mph zone will encourage disrespect for law, especially if law-enforcement vehicles are somehow exempted from the fines.
A larger problem is the fact that the system perverts the burden of proof that a free society traditionally places on the government. A photo likely will not identify a driver. Yet Carlisle expects the registered owner to pay a fine or turn in the driver, forcing everyone to violate the right against self-incrimination and making registered owners provide evidence against spouses and children. Permitting the government to issue fines when it cannot identify a specific driver is an erosion of basic liberties.
Dangerous speeding is a problem that must be aggressively addressed. But the ends do not justify the means. I doubt that fines levied by photograph is the solution.
John Keiser
Kane'ohe
Anti-gambling argument falls apart with scrutiny
The argument to keep gambling out of Hawai'i is, to put it plainly, nonsensical.
Substitute "losing your job" for "gambling," and quote the anti-gambling argument. "Social costs are high." Yes, unemployment for one. "Losing your job" increases the potential for depression, domestic abuse, divorce, homelessness, suicide and crime — and, of course, losing your job means lost productivity.
Calling gambling "antisocial" behavior grossly insults thousands of hard-working, decent people living in this state who travel to Las Vegas and other gambling centers. Their lives don't seem to be ruined. The only people with all the gambling problems mentioned that I am aware of, including criminal activity, have been upper-level city and state lawmakers and upper-level managers ... how odd.
Look at the scale of building in the new Las Vegas hotels. Look at the money involved, the jobs on every level, from laborers to high art, all the craftsmen and women involved. This should be a vote by all the people.
Edward H. Lewis
Kailua
Rudy, he's our man
With Rudy Giuliani soon to be unemployed, is there any chance of him running for mayor of Honolulu? Governor? Anything? Just wondering.
Liz Cotton
Hawai'i Kai
