Letters to the Editor
Now is not the time to cut state spending
As our "Legislators look at the state's economic crisis" in hopes they can "keep Hawai'i afloat," I wish they would take a closer look at their efforts during this special session.
In Kevin's Dayton's Oct. 23 article, he writes that our "House and Senate leaders have asked ... to curb spending by all state departments by 5 percent." Cutting state spending at a time when the economy needs the most help is not a good idea. And cutting people's paychecks when unemployment is high is an even worse idea.
The economy will remain somewhat stable with an influx of government money when businesses are reducing their spending. The government should maintain a stable economic environment by increasing spending at a time the economy needs it most.
Reynold Chun
Governor's powers should be left alone
The proposed House Bill 17 and matching Senate Bill 17 should not pass because the governor must not have more authority over legislation. His job is governor, not legislator.
These bills are nothing more than the Legislature pretending to do something, when they are, in fact, passing the buck. Later, they can blame the governor for bad decisions or they can take credit for giving him added power.
If businesses are suffering under state regulations, let's fix the regulations or draft specific measures to assist them. Legislators need to step up to the plate instead of waiting for the boss to tell them what to do.
Gil Riviere
Waialua
Supermarkets should lower their food prices
One way to help the 11,000 new jobless in Hawai'i would be to mandate lower food prices.
The market chains have kept the prices high long enough. Supermarkets could cut overhead costs in many ways, i.e., by doing away with games, prizes, excessive advertising, lighting and waste.
Much produce gets old on the shelf and loses nutritive value, but the price remains high. When it begins to look bad, the pigs get it and people have been denied good nutrition.
If prices of products with expiration dates (bread, milk and meat products) were lower, the products would be bought while still nutritious.
This is wartime, and something should be done about this now — then everybody wins. How about it?
Suzanne Teller
Problems abound with new med school
I am writing in response to the article written by Edwin C. Cadman and Carl-Wilhelm Vogel in the Oct. 22 Advertiser headlined, "Med school's new mission."
They stated that our medical school could lead the biotechnology effort for Hawai'i, as was done elsewhere in the United States. The sites they mentioned were all located in states that have firm and established economic bases and are adjacent to or co-located with academic institutions of national repute. To simply build such a facility as the writers propose relies on the fantasy that "If you built it, they will come."
How are we to attract the best-qualified medical researchers and teachers? We most certainly cannot afford to offer salaries in the $400,000-plus range.
We must accept the fact that UH cannot excel in all areas of endeavor but, rather, it must concentrate its limited resources on a viable and limited number of specialty fields, areas in which it excelled in years past, years before we were diverted by the medical and law schools.
The writers also claim that 1,000 research jobs for the private sector, 500 for the medical school and another 250 for the cancer center would be created, and that $240 to $245 million per year would be generated. What these gentlemen have failed to do is to show the costs related to the salaries that must be paid for these new positions, the annual cost of maintenance of the complex and the annual operating expenses.
Lloyd Y.S. Kim
Some dealerships should be avoided
I can't believe that some auto dealerships here in the Islands aren't following their Mainland counterparts in offering zero percent financing on their vehicles. Their reasoning for the lack of response is that they are separate franchises and others are doing well without having to offer this perk.
Let me bring you back "down to earth." Remember when Liberty House thought it was "too good" for the local economy? It thought it needed to cater to the "high-spending" Japanese tourists. Well, think again. What happened when tourism slowed and the tourists stopped spending? It needed to apologize to the local people for taking them for granted and had to grovel for the local support during "difficult times."
To all the people of Hawai'i, I encourage you to not support those greedy local dealerships. If you must buy one of their cars, fly to Portland, Ore., where there is no excise tax, and buy your car using the zero percent financing. The money you save in excise tax can be used to ship your vehicle to Hawai'i. Matson charges $838 to ship from either Seattle or Los Angeles. The money you save in finance charges over five years will more than cover your airfare (there are a lot of cheap fares out there).
To Ford, General Motors and Daimler-Chrysler, I applaud your generosity for offering the zero percent financing here in Hawai'i and I hope you sell a lot of cars.
Terry Wilson
Small businesses received big break
There have been many newspaper items relating to the distress of merchants who sell to our visitors — both from the Mainland and from Japan. This loss of business has been devastating to the small businesses like mine, with only four employees.
There was one landlord who took quick, decisive and meaningful action to assist its tenants. Kyo-Ya Co. and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawai'i, which owns and administers the six Sheraton properties in Hawai'i, assisted their tenants with a 50 percent reduction in rents for the month of October and will review each month in the future. They took this action quickly — just a week and a half after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
As a tenant in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, this generous assistance affected me deeply. In fact, I sat down and cried.
As Edna Wong, the real estate properties manager, stated in her letter, "We will continue to work together to weather this storm and the United States of America will emerge a better, stronger and more united country."
Jim Tomasi
President/owner, Newt at the Royal
'Mayor visibility' story was a waste of effort
I truly cannot understand, nor believe, what I read on the front page of the Oct. 23 Advertiser: "Mayor visibility draws criticism." For what? Accusing him of using public service announcements for his personal benefit?
I believe he was 100 percent correct to step forward to keep us updated about dengue fever and the anthrax scare. Here is the bottom line: If he did not do a thing, then people would be complaining he is not doing anything.
Indeed, he is in a Catch 22: damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. I am proud of him for trying to assure the public in these very bad times of scare and worry. I am also proud of Chief Lee Donohue for being at his side.
Don't you people have anything else to do except to be critical of a man who is showing he cares? Do you have to interpret everything as political? Use your time and brain for something useful instead of this kind of garbage.
Lois Bunin
Stadium got its act together on parking
I didn't think those folks over at Aloha Stadium would be able to do something about traffic and parking for the UH games. After all, it has been almost 30 years, and up until last year, the traffic and parking were horrible.
But it seems they were able to learn a thing or two from the Pro Bowl. Although I don't care much for this designated gate system, I must admit that it does work. Cars are not backed up to the freeway anymore, and everything is running smoother.
Congratulations. It seems that an old dog can learn a new trick.
Neal Aoki
Isaac Stern graced Hawai'i with his music
Isaac Stern, born on July 21, 1920, died in Manhattan on Sept. 22 of heart failure. Stern became a superstar for his accomplishments in music and humanitarian activities. He is known especially for saving Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Stern and his accompanist, pianist Alexander Zakin, first appeared in Honolulu in June 1947 as a young artist on his way to Australia for concerts there. He had just finished playing the violin for the film "Humoresque" as he arrived to play for Artists' Service of Honolulu.
The artists stayed at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for rest and refreshment before the long period in the Antipodes. Upon their return, Stern wanted to see his friend and music critic from New York, Ben Hyams, well known in Honolulu. He was driven to the home of Kathy and Ben Hyams to enjoy a convivial evening.
Several years later, Stern played a recital again for the Artists' Service of Honolulu on his way to the Orient. He brought his wife, Vera, whom he had married in Israel. At the Halekulani Hotel, they enjoyed rest and beach life.
Stern's first appearance with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra occurred under the leadership of George Barati. He enjoyed staying at the Kahala Hilton Hotel. Between rehearsals, Stern enjoyed playing tennis with Professor Reuel Denney at the University of Hawai'i. He also enjoyed watching TV sports programs.
After the completion of the Blaisdell Auditorium, Stern played under the leadership of Robert LeMarchina. Following his performance, he made an effort to evaluate the acoustics of the new hall as the symphony finished its program.
His last symphony performance in Honolulu occurred in the 1970s under Donald Johanos.
Saying goodbye to Stern as he left for Maui to play a concert there was a sad occasion. Aloha, Mensch.
Nancy O. Hedemann
Palestinian issue is just an excuse
Rob Hail's Oct. 20 comments on opening debate to "put the Israeli-Palestinian crisis on the front burner" and to stop "fertile ground for psycho terrorists to thrive" are lame: If there were no state of Israel, Osama bin Laden and his ilk would still attack those who, in bin Laden's mind, are infidels (which includes attacking the United States).
It's fair to remember that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered generous land settlements in exchange for peace, which Chairman Yasser Arafat dismissed because of Palestinian intransigence.
Janet Dagan
Island tourism pricing itself out of the market
In the mid-1980s, my wife and I spent six weeks in the South Pacific. While we were in Tahiti, an English newspaper for tourists had an article "Where have all the tourists gone?" The cost of things in Tahiti at that time made it easy to appreciate why the tourists had gone elsewhere. Could there be a message for Hawai'i in the above?
Recently, we paid $2 for a cart at Honolulu Airport and were surprised to receive back a quarter for returning it. Thank you very much! At the Toronto airport, one pays one dollar (Canadian) for a cart and gets back the same amount for returning it.
Each time we made phone calls from pay phones on Moloka'i, the Big Island and Maui, the cost was either 35 cents or 50 cents. In Toronto, one pays 25 cents Canadian (about 17 U.S. cents) for all local calls or to get through to a 1-800 number.
These days, private condo rentals in Hawai'i, quite high compared to most other places, often ask for a cleaning fee on top of the rental. Look around. Such is not requested in a lot of other places.
Due to decreases in tourism in Hawai'i, we couldn't help last month but notice specials for kama'aina. Can you imagine how visitors feel when they are holidaying among you and see travel bargains that they don't qualify for? If there were similar deals for malihini, we didn't see them.
Hawai'i, to me, is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. My wife and I have holidayed with you three times. For sure, you have the best climate in the English-speaking world. But I'm afraid that such things coupled with the aloha spirit may not be enough to attract most visitors for a second time. It is imperative that you reduce everything you can if you want your tourist industry to return to flourish once more. That includes costs in accommodation, interisland flying, food, restaurants, tourist activities — everything.
Roy Stephens
Toronto, Canada
