You see, I live in a city that hosts the "Annual Witches and Warlocks Conference" each year. Also in our city, the largest "gay party" is hosted annually in the town square.

Now, when I hear that Waikiki is being called "dysfunctional" and that it's the "wrong place to relax and smell the ocean air," I wonder: Does anyone know how to be thankful for what he's got?

I found it amusing, also, when I read in that same letter about the "smog-filled streets." My hometown, Asheville, N.C., in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway, is listed as No. 2 of the "Top Five Cities in the U.S. with the Worst Air Quality." Talk about smog.

When we ride down the road, this is what we see: people in dreadlocks, men kissing men, women fondling women, children with their black attire doing chants on the sidewalks and our beautiful mountains ... well, we can't even see them anymore for the smog.

That, my friends, is the true meaning of dysfunctional. I've got to tell you, I truly cried on my way to your airport to leave. Residents, you have no idea just how lucky you really are to live in such a place as Waikiki. You should count your blessings.

Jan Heizer
Media Consultant/Producer/Director, ECPS of Asheville, N.C.

News article unfairly portrayed protesters

The Honolulu Advertiser continued its public misinformation campaign with the May 5 article "City prepares for protesters."

The article was clearly designed to scare residents into staying out of the protests and to create a false division between "protesters" and "regular citizens."

The article's first sentence paints a picture of "unruly" protests that "forced" preparations for "mass arrests" and "tear-gas treatment." The emotive language continues with words such as "raucous," "riot," "alarming" and "trouble-makers."

Who were these frightening people we were being led to be afraid of? Were they the folks in the park who built puppets and painted brightly colored banners? Were they the ones behind the stoves who made free food for all to share? Were they the ones who organized the nonviolence training that was held regularly to prepare people to remain peaceful even if police became aggressive?

Was the article able to show even one solid bit of evidence that anyone, except the police, was planning anything other than peacefully vocalizing the violence that the ADB is doing around the world?

Of course not.

Malia Kealoha

Governor changed stand, not the HGEA

Eric Sadoyama asked of HGEA Executive Director Russell Okata, "Whose side are you on, anyway?" in his May 7 letter, "Okata-Cayetano deal saved Democrats' face."

The answer — short and truthful — is the members' side.

Contrary to Sadoyama's claim, Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono brought the governor and Okata together on April 11 to discuss the teachers' strike. It is only in Sadoyama's imagination that the purpose was to work out a deal to save face for the Democrats.

During the meeting, the governor surprised everyone by proposing that if the HGEA would negotiate new levels of sick and vacation leaves for future hires and a "two-strike" drug testing policy, he would support the award and withdraw his veto threat.

The governor's offer did not change HGEA's arbitration award, which was on track to be funded. What changed was the governor's new and unexpected willingness to support the award if the HGEA negotiated two issues that would not affect the award.

Randy Kusaka
Public Information Officer, HGEA/AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO

More scrutiny needed on June Jones crash

Your front-page story on May 6 featuring June Jones reached a journalistic low. What is newsworthy about Coach Jones' belief that the good Lord saved him from his accident to coach football?

Perhaps the good Lord actually saved him to tell people to wear a seatbelt while driving. It's not just a safety issue — it's the law. (But obeying the law doesn't seem to be a concern for Jones, who admits going up to 70 mph recently on one of his Harleys.)

Are there no investigative reporters on your staff? In every other accident story, The Advertiser reports whether speed and alcohol were factors. All we know of Jones' accident was that he wasn't wearing a seatbelt, he wasn't speeding and he thinks he fell asleep at the wheel. What was his blood alcohol level? Is he protected from journalistic scrutiny because he's a local hero?

I'd prefer a hero who's a law-abiding citizen and good role model, and I'd prefer a newspaper that applies the same standards to everyone.

Genevieve Balderston
Kailua

Legislature put costly burden on retirees

Hawai'i's Legislature has given a hard message to those who have worked for the government and are retirees on a fixed income. In the near future, they will be forced to pay a portion of their medical premiums. This puts a costly burden on those already on limited incomes.

Many retirees worked 20 to 30 years for the state or counties before retiring. At that time, their contracts said they were entitled to full medical benefits, and medical premiums would be free upon retiring. Now many of these workers are in their 70s and 80s.

There is a precedence as to why the state and the counties had given the workers this benefit upon retiring from government jobs. Government wages 20 to 40 years ago were some of the lowest wages paid. To attract people to government service, the health benefit upon retirement was attached to the government health package.

The sacrifices that our parents and grandparents made to accept low wages for free health care upon retirement is now for naught. Due to their low wage base, these public workers must accept lower Social Security benefits. Due to their limited incomes, these retirees cannot afford to pay for their health insurance premiums. Also, certain retirees fall under the "notch baby" period where their Social Security benefits are further limited by the federal government.

The Legislature, instead of passing on the costs of the healthcare benefits to the state and county workers, should have focused on the rising cost of healthcare. Insurance rates by HMSA and Kaiser have been going up yearly, and we all must pay. Why penalize the people who need healthcare insurance the most?

Charlene Kihara

Curbside recycling shows deposit unneeded

Regarding your May 3 article on a former substitute teacher who heard from the city that curbside recycling won't "pay" for itself and just went ahead and "did it." Why? It appears he believed in the cause, as do the others who are paying him $12 a month and the schools who benefit from it.

This is exactly the reason I am opposed to the mandatory deposit on bottles, i.e., the "bottle bill."

There are other ways to reduce litter and solve our waste-stream problems. But the state and the city have refused to look at alternatives. Why? Well, with a bottle bill at 5 to 15 cents for deposit and 2 cents tax on every container, it became their "cash cow."

Fortunately, the legislative leadership said let's put this issue on hold and see if the industry can come up with alternatives.

G.A. "Red" Morris

Bush team destroying environmental progress

High praise to Jeremy Harris for his May 4 Island Voices commentary on global warming.

We are not admirers of George W. Bush, his backers and their openly anti-environment stands, but even we were shocked by the blatant and unrestrained way in which they are attempting to turn back the clock on every piece of hard-won environmental progress this country has made. Never in modern times has there been a more retrograde, backward-looking administration.

It is, of course, notable that Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, plus their strongest contributors and backers, represent all those interests (Big Oil and their immediate suppliers) who stand to gain most financially by the elimination of all the environmental rules and the discouragement of conservation and renewable energy.

The idea that the United States, the world's most prodigious per-capita consumer of energy, can gain little from conservation is one of the most astounding positions of all. Congratulations, Mayor Harris. You have said it very well.

Joe H. Mullins
Brian Mullins
Kahuku

We must not allow China to win on plane

Under no circumstances should we allow China to deny our right to fly our EP-3 back home. That plane is sitting on a tarmac because of the reckless actions of a Chinese pilot and the heroic efforts of an American air crew in landing it.

China caused this incident and held our personnel captive for 11 days. We have every right to repair this plane so that it is airworthy.

We should, as a nation, maintain our dignity, stand behind our men and women in uniform and fly this aircraft home under its own power.

Henry B. Stewart

Black berets should be earned, not given

I strongly support your position in your May 4 editorial that only those who finish Ranger school should wear the black beret. However, you stated that the order to put the black beret on all soldiers has been reversed — which has not yet happened, although I hope it will soon.

Give a tan beret to Army personnel, and issue a black beret only to those who earn it — and make those berets in Hawai'i, USA.

John Michael White

Fielding two football teams is a great idea

Cal Lee is to be commended for suggesting St. Louis High School field two varsity football teams. He truly puts kids first. It is a great idea.

I taught school and coached years ago on Okinawa. Kubasaki High was for military dependents, and it was the only American high school there. We had 1,500 kids in grades 10 to 12 and fielded three football teams. There was nobody else to play.

The competition was tremendous. The support from parents was great, and a lot more kids got to play. Even playing each team twice was great.

It is gratifying to know there are people like Coach Lee working with kids.

Jim Killett
Lahaina

State Hospital meeting its commitment to you

My time at Hawai'i State Hospital as its clinical director has been filled with moments of discovery, blessings and challenges.

It has been a blessing and a privilege to be a part of a community of dedicated, competent and caring staff who share the hospital's vision, mission and values of providing excellence in patient care.

There have also been moments of discovery and challenge; foremost is the recent negative media attention focused on the hospital.

But advances abound at the hospital. Because of the discovery of new medications that are safe and effective with fewer side effects and state-of-the-art treatment and rehabilitation practices, we can offer more hope to patients and families.

Since the hospital was founded, we have come a very long way. In 1996, the hospital was accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Even an unannounced visit by the organization on March 9 was successful.

We continually build on our strengths and successes. The hospital is an active participant in the Adult Mental Health Division's efforts to provide comprehensive services to the mentally ill. Collaborative meetings among the hospital, the division and the community are ongoing, with efforts to maintain patient recovery, independence and employment and improve quality of life beyond the hospital.

The hospital continuously strives to meet or exceed the standards set by the Western Psychiatric State Hospital Association, a consortium of 29 facilities nationwide with similar patient populations. It is important to note that on a national level, the hospital's "elopement rate" is less than that of similar Mainland facilities.

There is much progress at the hospital as we continue to improve our services and provide more public education to alleviate fears and to reduce the stigma of mental illness.