Your writers (and local politicians) use the label "Jones Act" whenever discussing the cruise ship industry here in Hawai'i. This should be referred to as the Passenger Services Act of 1886. The consequences of wavering laws that affect Jones Act vessels will have a significant impact on the marine operations of Matson and CSX, not the foreign cruise ships, such as the Norwegian Star.

This may seem like a trivial distinction, yet this is a complicated issue that The Advertiser should research and publish a series of articles on in an effort to educate the people of Hawai'i.

Capt. Edward Enos
Kailua

Possibility always exists of aircraft losing control

In regard to the Dec. 6 letter from James Jones, the pilot who has operated from Honolulu Airport for more than 33 years without incident: I can assure you that, as an aircraft mechanic of more than 20 years, as long as any aircraft fly into or out of Honolulu Airport or any other airport, there is always a possibility of an aircraft losing control or having engine failure and ending up somewhere within a commercial or residential area.

All the air-traffic control departure and arrival procedures in the world cannot stop an aircraft that is in trouble.

However, our well-trained flight crews and air-traffic controllers do an excellent job, and I salute them one and all. Just be sure to say thanks to your ground crews.

Master Sgt. Norman Sullivan
U.S. Air Force (retired)

Lanikai campus opted for conversion

Thank you for the Dec. 15 article titled, "Charter school teachers seek tenure," by Alice Keesing.

To clarify a few of the facts, Lanikai is a conversion charter school, meaning it was a regular public school that opted to become a charter school.

In the original contract agreement with the state, the Hawaii School Teachers Association, Lanikai and Wai'alae schools, Lanikai and Wai'alae teachers were able to accrue seniority and keep their tenure in the DOE system, and new probationary teachers were able to get tenure and accrue DOE seniority. Last year, the Legislature wrote the New Century Charter School Law, which lumps together all charter schools, both new and conversion.

Lanikai school is a DOE public school, the buildings are DOE buildings, the teachers and staff are paid from DOE funds. Shouldn't our teachers be DOE teachers with the same rights as their counterparts at other DOE schools?

Isn't it bad enough that Lanikai is not getting the same funding as other DOE public non-charter schools? Can Lanikai not be an "independent school to increase parent involvement, experiment with different learning styles and bring more choice to the public education system" without being punished?

Janet Ishikawa
Lanikai parent

Gatekeepers, culture obstructing progress

I'm sure former schools superintendent Paul LeMahieu is right about a culture of denial. What he says correlates perfectly with the "Campanella Report" that University of Hawai'i President Evan Dobelle commissioned.

That report referred to "gatekeepers" and a culture of "no" obstructing progress.

Hank Chapin

Explore other options before settling on site

If the Hawai'i Paroling Authority cannot find a suitable office where the sex offenders are to meet their social workers, why not just go to the work sites or homes of the offenders? A more accurate assessment of a person is obtained in his/her element anyway.

If probation officers and social workers find field visits impractical because of their typically enormous caseloads, why not implement those satellite city hall-type vans as a roving office to meet the offenders in an area not frequented by schoolchildren.

There are many other alternatives to explore before settling on the Alakea Street site.

Kelly Jo Ogata Nacino

Shop online to avoid Christmas madness

Is it really the time of the year to stand in long lines at the post office? Has anyone taken a survey of the people in line to see how many of them own a computer?

I have not been caught in the year-end craziness for years. I shop online and have the vendor ship the gifts to my relatives on the Mainland. It is a lot less stressful than going to the store and post office. I also process my mail, including packages, with the computer through the use of Stamps.com.

Today, I delivered a package to the post office with the proper postage affixed to the package. Even though there was a long line, my trip to the Post Office lasted about five minutes, most of which was spent to park my car.

Steve Shelby

City must provide explanation, other data

As a retiree and a voter, I have concerns and need clarification regarding the recent Real Property Assessment Notice and attached statistical data on city operations. Specifically:

• My estimated property tax will go up from $951 to $1,143, an increase of 20 percent, even though no improvements were made on my home and the real estate market remains relatively soft.

• The statistical data on city government employees reflect a net decrease of 666 employees (not 650). The concern here is: Does this data include part-time and temporary employees? If not, the number and cost of these employee in 1994 vs. 2001 must be provided.

• Also, did the number and cost of service contracts provided to the city increase between 1994 to 2001? If so, data must be provided.

• The Average Capital Budget data is misleading. The data for 1990-1994 represent a five-year period vs. the data for 1995-2002 represent an eight-year period. The data must be for identical number of years.

• Total-bonds-issued data are also misleading. The bond issues for 1987-1994, an eight-year period of $1.2 billion, vs. bond issues for 1995-2001, a seven-year period of $962 million, must be based on identical number of years to be meaningful.

Thomas H. Yagi
Kailua

Peace activism also a sign of patriotism

Your cartoon on Dec. 17 showing a fat, sloppy "peace activist" was most unfair. War is not the only way to demonstrate patriotism, and peace is a very good way. It's possible that the tragedy of Sept. 11 could have been avoided if there were fewer bellicose and belligerent foreign policies made by the very young and unelected Bush administration since Jan. 20 .

Nancy Bey Little

Cost to run government ironic during downturn

Well, here we go again with the city government. We're in the middle of an economic downturn, and the city needs more of our money to balance its budget. What about our budget?

This is an open letter to you, Mr. Mayor and the City Council: The money we earn is ours and you do not have the right to take it for more wasteful projects as you see fit. Don't forget that you serve at our request, not the other way around. This also applies to the bloated and wasteful state government.

In the same newspaper that covered the increase in property taxes was a letter concerning a couple who can't even afford a bed. Go to City Hall and the "big square building" and check out those $10,000 desks that our public servants use. Does anyone get the irony of this?

Larry Symons

Police won't check on house for patient

During a recent hospital stay, I called the Police Department to see about getting someone to check my house more closely, as they have done when we were on a trip. I was informed by two different policemen that they could not do it as I was in the hospital, not on a trip.

You can go off-island and have a ball and they will watch your house, but get sick and go to the hospital and they won't. How you figgah?

Pat Schneider

Implications will hurt people, economy

I am very dismayed to find out that Aloha and Hawaiian airlines are merging their operations into one airline to serve Hawai'i.

For a state that is heavily dependent on air travel, the merging of the only two interisland airlines spells trouble for the state of Hawai'i (especially the Neighbor Islands).

If the U.S. Department of Justice green-lights this merger, tourists and locals are going to have no choice in airlines when traveling interisland, which probably will mean fewer conveniently scheduled flights and higher ticket and freight costs. Plus, there are going to be significant layoffs and furloughs.

None of this is going to help Hawai'i's struggling economy recover. As a matter fact, this merger is a step backward for Hawai'i's economic recovery, in my opinion.

I urge the Justice Department to look very closely at the implications of this merger and reject it. Also, I strongly suggest to the owners of Hawaiian and Aloha airlines to put the people of Hawai'i first before your respective companies' bottom line.

Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona

Much was sacrificed to keep Hawaiian flying

"Aloha, and welcome aboard your Aloha Holdings Inc. flight to Maui" — huh? Where are the airlines of Hawai'i? I could have gotten this bland welcome if I had gone to Miami. Maybe I'll go to Miami.

What a sad day for Hawai'i. Two of the oldest airlines in the nation are reduced to Aloha Holdings Inc.: Hawaiian Air, 72 years old, and Aloha, more than 60 years old.

I can only guess that this decision was made by the Smith Group, which owns controlling interests in Hawaiian Air.

Paul Casey will retire (be fired?), and Aloha's president will get the same treatment. Thanks for trying to lead your respective airlines during trying times. It appears that money is everything.

Now the employees have to face very difficult times: layoffs, downgrades, cuts in pay and benefits, etc.

I am a retiree from Hawaiian Air, and it's a very sad day for me. I never thought it would come to this. Since 1982, the employees at Hawaiian had given back pay and benefits to keep Hawaiian flying.

Hawaiian employees were making about half of what their counterparts are making at other airlines — and this is management's way of saying "thanks."

Dick Moloney

News sheds light on Hawaiians' plight

The merger of Hawaiian and Aloha airlines should not be allowed. Competition and fair prices for Hawaiians will end.

This is a monopoly. This is not legal.

The same thing will happen that happened with the kanaka maoli. However, now all people of Hawai'i will be affected.

Maybe this is good. It brings more understanding and compassion from the non-kanaka maoli for what happened to us.