Letters to the Editor
Army is exempt from rules on active ranges
Al Allment's May 23 letter to the editor is another example of someone associated with the Army stating a half-truth and expecting everyone else to believe it as the absolute truth.
Perhaps he should tell the rest of the story.
I am fully aware that the Army has to comply with OSHA rules and EPA regulations on base. When I stated that the "Army is exempt from OSHA requirements and even some EPA requirements," I clearly referred to Army training activities on an active training range. In this specific case, Makua Military Reservation.
I would be extremely happy and indebted to Allment if he would provide me with any OSHA or EPA requirements for Army training activities on active ranges. Then I would include them in my comments on the draft environmental assessment for Makua.
William J. Aila Jr.
Wai'anae
Longline turtle catch was not 'insignificant'
Harold G. Loomis suggested in his June 1 letter that the "50 to 60" turtles caught annually by the Hawai'i longline fleet were "insignificant," since so many turtles are being killed elsewhere in the Pacific. He's right that turtles are quickly being driven to extinction by a variety of factors, but his assessment of the impact on the Hawai'i fishery is not accurate.
According to the National Marine Fisheries Services' March 29, 2001, Biological Opinion, the Hawai'i longline fishery caught an average of 716 threatened or endangered turtles each year. The NMFS said "this impact alone" is "likely to jeopardize the continued existence" of leatherback, loggerhead and green turtles.
In fact, there are only a few thousand adult leatherbacks left in the Pacific, and the NMFS concluded that the species is so critically endangered that it cannot sustain "any additional reductions."
If Loomis is saying that slaughtering endangered animals is fine as long as someone else is doing it, I (and Congress, when it passed the Endangered Species Act) respectfully disagree.
Paul H. Achitoff
Managing Attorney, Earthjustice
Abercrombie is out of step with Democrats
Last week, Neil Abercrombie was the only member of the Hawai'i congressional delegation to vote for a tax bill that is nothing less than a payoff to George Bush's affluent campaign supporters and a dagger aimed at public services like education.
Calling the bill "unfair," the Democratic leader of the Senate explained, "The top 1 percent gets nearly 38 percent of the benefits, and the bottom 60 percent gets less than 15 percent."
Abercrombie was especially strong in support of a provision in the bill phasing out the estate tax on wealthy inheritors, a measure that will work to further enrich rich folks at the expense of working people.
This vote (as well as his position on other issues) shows how out of step Abercrombie is with the Democrats and independents who elected him. We need a strong candidate to challenge Abercrombie in the next Democratic primary.
Noel Jacob Kent
Actions, not words, needed on energy
It's curious that Tom Freitas, in his June 2 letter, equated Howard Wiig's letter with "Communist propaganda." Wiig quotes the Holy Bible and other religious texts on the sanctity of heaven, earth and all living things.
Has the Republican view gone so far to the right that even God's teachings are "left wing"? And Wiig doesn't mention Vice President Cheney at all.
The point is not the reading of the Cheney/Bush (in that order) energy plan. Actions, Mr. Freitas, speak louder than words, and so far, the Cheney/Bush administration is full of "say one thing, do the exact opposite."
We'll wait and see how much energy efficiency and renewable energy development are actually implemented compared to oil drilling and other ravages of our precious earth. And so, in that respect, Dick Cheney is linked to the likes of slavery, genocide and Atilla the Hun.
Dean Masai
Think about victims, not the criminals
As I watch the news on television and read the newspapers, I'm very sad to see Timothy McVeigh's execution on hold; now he is requesting a stay.
Earlier McVeigh said he wanted to die; he withdrew all attempts to block his scheduled execution. It only shows how messed up our justice system is.
When criminals only get slaps on the wrist for their crime and no one is held accountable, it's time to put honor back into our justice system; to make criminals pay for their crimes. Time to clean up our act and start thinking about the victims and not the criminals.
Alan Kim
Racial profiling isn't what Hawai'i is about
H.K. Bruss Keppeler, Honolulu attorney, in his June 1 Island Voices column, displays a sharp legal eye in his thoughtful and well-written article regarding Native Hawaiian rights.
However, the crux of his argument, which cannot be faulted, begs the point. He states, "After all, they are the native people of these Islands." My question is, who exactly are "they"?
What constitutes inclusion? A percentage of blood? A feeling of spirit? A knowledge of history and language? A birth certificate? And who is to judge these criteria, or even suggest them?
The only possibility would be New Age racial profiling, passing an exam and having your paperwork together. And, I hope we would agree, that's just not Island style.
E.H. Roelfzema
Amsterdam
Many made the ADB conference a success
Kudos to state Reps. Barbara Marumoto, Lei Ahu Isa and Galen Fox, who took the time to attend the recent Asian Development Bank conference. It is refreshing to see legislators who make the effort to view Hawai'i in a global context.
This important conference represented the combined efforts of at least 75 private and public entities, including the Hawai'i Society of Corporate Planners; the U.S. Department of Commerce, District Export Council; the Hawai'i Chamber of Commerce and 26 affiliate chambers; economic development boards on all islands; the mayor's economic development offices on all islands; DBEDT; the governor's office; and the University of Hawai'i.
The Hawai'i Convention Center and the Hawai'i Tourism Authority's management provided an excellent showcase for these collaborative efforts.
Barbara Southern
Folks on Maui went out of their way to help
We are here at The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua for our semi-annual convention. On May 28, we went with The Cruiser Phil's Co. for the 38-mile bike ride down Haleakala. At the end of the journey, I discovered my wallet missing.
Not exactly sure where I lost it, I contacted Brent Crowder of The Ritz-Carlton security and Phil Feliciano, owner of Cruiser Phil's. Both organizations went out of their way to assist. It was determined that I probably lost in on the roadway.
Feliciano combed the tour route and found it — intact. This is one happy tourist, and the wonderful people of this great state should know it.
Peter A. Thosteson
Dothan, Ala.
Night patrols needed to protect campuses
Vandalism, theft and arson are costing the schools thousands of dollars. Wouldn't it make sense to hire some night watchmen? If that isn't cost-effective, how about a "circuit rider" with a car and cell phone who could check out several schools at random intervals during the night?
Don McDaniel
Kane'ohe
Health fund vote was critical
To even dare to question what has been in place for so long is not the popular thing to do, especially when one is challenging the unions. That is probably why we in the Legislature have been criticized for doing nothing for so long.
The unions that launched their campaign to preserve the status quo (the health funds) did so using the most effective of tools: fear and their members' pocketbook. The Legislature, on the other hand, was required to weigh the rising costs of healthcare and assess whether future benefits are threatened.
Our vote for SB 1044 was to preserve benefits, not to cut them.
Let us first understand why the unions fought against health fund reform more than against privatization. The unions want to maintain their exclusive control over health plans offered only to their respective memberships.
The state has six different union healthcare plans. In 1999, state Auditor Marion Higa could not account for $90 million-plus in the health funds. Each plan has differing costs for their members. The unions' control over the plans and monies are so complete that they refused to cooperate with Higa's investigation. To date, the state has no idea as to how much of its and its employees' monies sit with the unions or their related entities under the guise of "health fund."
The state also has its own healthcare plan. The state plan covers all the retirees of the state and counties. No union plan takes retirees.
The unions have told their members that SB 1044 will reduce their benefits. This is not true. But the unions are clever in that they are trying to say the unique characteristics of their plans will be lost. For example, many are looking at healthcare benefits for their children. One plan covers to age 25 if a dependent is in college, another plan to 22 and yet another to 19. Because this is a pocketbook issue, those who value this particular aspect of the plan are told that our vote for SB 1044 eliminated this benefit. Not true.
Of greater significance is that people are not looking at whether it's fair that some employees can get this type of coverage and others cannot. We believe SB 1044 will permit the State Health Fund to offer these types of benefits to all of our employees in a "cafeteria form." This means that the employees should be able to pick and choose their benefit package.
The health fund has been a hidden cost in terms of employee benefits. Private-sector employees know how much is being paid for them in terms of health insurance. In private-sector negotiated contracts, health benefits are part of the money package. For the state, it is a hidden assumed cost.
The State Health Plan will "port" to the individual unions $134.02 for a single premium and $387.54 for a family plan this year. These amounts represent 60 percent of the costs of these plans for the State Health Plan. The employee is supposed to pay 40 percent of the premium, as do those who are members of the state plan.
Those who are members of the union plans may not pay 40 percent. This, too, is not fair. Employees should be treated equally, irrespective of which union they may belong to. If these employees are not paying 40 percent, it is because the state is paying more for them. Is this fair?
When the employees negotiate for their wages, they do not consider whether the state is paying an extra 10 percent to 30 percent of their healthcare benefits. That's not on the table. With SB 1044 it can be.
A concern many of us have is the promise to provide free healthcare benefits to our retirees. The Health Fund Reform Bill is the first step to fairness, keeping our promises to the retirees now and into the future and preserving the benefits. It places all employees in one plan, administered by trustees comprised of five union members (one of whom is a retiree) and five from management. It requires both sides to agree.
This structure is common in the private sector; and it gives unions and the state the rights to monitor, plan, develop and provide the healthcare benefits. If the unions would simply work with the state, then they should collectively come up with the best plan that money can buy.
Instead we are caught in a turf battle, with each union wanting to preserve its own money source and its own plans. The unions receive about $80 million a year from the state for health benefits. The interest alone on this money can provide more benefits to all. Add the employees' share and the total is way in excess of $100 million a year.
It is estimated that the first year of the consolidated plan will save $65 million and this type of saving will be realized yearly. This will retard the exponential rise in health cost.
Sens. Colleen Hanabusa, Jonathan Chun, Bob Nakata, David Matsuura, Russell Kokubun, Robert Bunda, Jan Yagi Buen, Brian Taniguchi, Sam Slom
