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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, September 26, 2001

Letters to the Editor

Now it's time to turn inward for charity

As someone who lost 12 close friends in the Fire Department of New York, I am touched by the generosity displayed by all of our great people.

The outpouring of help that was sent from this state brought genuine tears of pride to my eyes. I heard from a surviving friend that the donations received so far are well over the dollar amount needed for the victims.

After I thought long and hard, I now feel a need to donate to local charities to help our failing businesses. After all, a lot of the monies that went to New York came from the same businesses that donated funds.

I am giving to Catholic Charities, which will help anyone of any faith. I suggest anyone else wanting to donate to pick a charity that will help our workers and businesses in a real time of need.

My family is making an effort to go out to eat more and to shop locally as opposed to using the Internet. I am proud to call myself an American and equally proud to say I live in Hawai'i.

Tracy Clinger


Legislators must act now to save economy

Our tax revenues are plummeting from the hit to tourism caused by the World Trade Center attacks. Companies whose income derives from tourism, including airlines, travel agencies, taxicabs and restaurants, are reeling, and many will go out of business in weeks or months if nothing is done.

Our legislators must delay implementing the minimum-wage hikes so most of those workers can keep their jobs. They must immediately cut taxes to businesses, especially those related to tourism.

Cutting business taxes, combined with the hit to tax revenues from the slumping economy, means we must cut the cost of state government. We need to go through the state budget line item by line item, and ask whether there will be immediate drastic consequences if the line item being scrutinized is cut or eliminated. If not, that program must be pared or eliminated.

The politicians must summarize that line item budget in plain English, then publish it on the Internet and in our newspapers so voters can submit their ideas on what should be kept and what should be cut.

We must empower school principals to bid out and implement school repair or maintenance projects if they can do it cheaper than DAGS, since principals can use volunteer labor and get contractors and building suppliers to do work for reduced profits or even at cost.

These are hard choices, but any politician who refuses to act will give the voters an easy choice.

Jim Henshaw
Kailua


Help our economy with Hawai'i vacation

To every islander who was planning to vacation in Las Vegas or some other faraway destination, please spend your time and money here and rediscover the beauty of our own Hawaiian Islands.

Let's also eat in our own fine restaurants, buy fresh homegrown produce, and above all, let's keep our local economy strong.

Sook Han Lau


Healing with aloha will help the victims

I am an Island girl, born and raised to live my life here in the Aloha State. Vacations and business trips have taken me throughout the Mainland and overseas. These experiences have enriched my appreciation for this local lifestyle, its peaceful and respectful flow and the caring people who connect with sincerity and compassion.

There is much pain on TV, in the faces I now pass, in the hearts of too many. How things unfold from here is unknown, and I cling to the hopes of no more unnecessary bloodshed ahead.

May the people who know our Island ways continue to be generous with those who were personally touched by knowing someone on a plane, in a building or connected to the survivors of a loved one lost: Sharing strength with those weakened and in need will help heal with aloha.

Cheryl I.A. Orneallas


Hilton management taking care of its staff

I know this is a very bad time economically for Hawai'i due to a huge decrease in tourism. I believe in time, as people heal and build some confidence in the air travel industry, things will improve.

I have heard of massive layoffs happening everywhere. I also heard that the Hilton Hawaiian Village will continue to do its best not to lay off its employees and try to ride out the storm. I fully commend the Hawai'i Hilton management and staff for once again taking care of its staff and giving to this community so generously.

I have recommended many of the people I know to stay there because of the great service but also because this hotel has always been a giver to the community. This is the kind of business practice that deserves the support of the community as well.

Sharon Black
Director, Community KauKau Wagon


OK, Hawaii, let's show 'em what we've got

In response to the economic impact of Sept. 11 to our Aloha State: I can proudly say that the Iwalani School of Dance of Mililani has not stopped performing at the International Market Place in Waikiki.

The students of Iwalani Tseu have dedicated their time and love of hula to help Waikiki and Hawai'i get back on their feet. Though we are all saddened and hurt by these tragic events, we believe that we must be "ambassadors of aloha" and keep the morale of this wonderful state going.

The children, aged 3 to teens, and adults make this sacrifice for the state, as a "goodwill of aloha." Now I ask everyone else to come out and help our economy get back on its feet with a big giving of aloha.

Cathy Calio
Mililani


It would be wrong to bomb Afghanistan

I have been deeply saddened by the events of last week. Our nation must take a strong stand, there is no doubt.

However, to bomb a backward country like Afghanistan is madness. It would further devastate people who still use donkeys and carts as transportation and most likely will leave the real perpetrators snug in their high-tech hideaways.

They snuck in and got us; why can't we do that to them?

Barbara Williams


Let's take to the air

We have less chance of getting killed by a terrorist on an airplane than we have of being eaten by a shark, and less chance of being eaten by a shark than of getting killed by a tornado. So let's travel, for crying out loud! We are safer in the air than we are in the water or on land.

David Arthur Walters


Navy base parking at stadium would help

This is an open letter to the commanding officer, Naval Base Pearl Harbor:

Sir, with the heightened security we are seeing, which is about to get worse as we go to war, it was suggested by a co-worker that arrangements should be made to provide parking for privately owned vehicles at the Aloha Stadium parking lot. By providing Navy or commercial bus service into the naval complex, the long lines we see in the mornings would be greatly reduced.

Gasoline, a precious commodity in time of war, wouldn't be wasted waiting in line. More importantly, the greater objective of increased security would be attained.

Ken Gines
Rigger, Public Works Center, Pearl Harbor


Bin Laden made us sad but he didn't break us

Osama bin Laden, Osama bin Laden, why did you do this to us? Osama bin Laden, you make us so, so sad. This is bad for us, but you already know that.

Are you insane? You have to be. I am mad. Normally I would have a smile on my face, but I don't. Do you have a fear of us? If you wanted to make us sad, you did. Sad but not scared. We will stand together and you will never break that.

Michael Montgomery
Waialua Elementary, Grade 6


Bring Super Bowl here

Need something to help Hawai'i's economy? Since New Orleans is having trouble rescheduling the Super Bowl, how about Gov. Ben Cayetano offering the NFL Hawai'i as the host of the Super Bowl? That will get some travelers to come to Hawai'i.

Michael Englar
Pearl City


Island travel industry loses one of its giants

You missed a good story with the death of Nolan Kramer last week.

Nolan was by far one of the most well-liked, most popular travel industry figures during most of his 40-plus years on the local scene. He worked his way up through the ranks at Hawaiian Airlines to become head of sales and marketing in the 1970s.

In so doing, he was responsible for much of the growth of tourism in the Islands.

Nolan dealt with almost all wholesalers to and from the Islands, helping to make Hawai'i dominant.

He served briefly as VP-Pacific with World Airways when it expanded to Hawai'i in the late 1970s. He left that post to help found MidPacific Airways, the carrier that started low-cost flying between the Islands. After four decades in the airline business, he took to the air himself finally, traveling with his wife Jane all over the world before ill health finally forced him down.

He made and had many, many friends in and out of the industry in Hawai'i and around the world. His death is a great loss to all.

Robert E. Cole Jr.


Kaimuki doesn't need parking, business

As a long-time resident of Kaimuki and one who has walked the sidewalks of Wai'alae Avenue many times, I think one the last things Kaimuki needs is more parking and new businesses.

One of the particular charms about Kaimuki is its lack of change during the past 50 years, and if you don't believe me, ask residents or attend the neighborhood board meetings.

If people want to spend time waiting in line and milling in traffic, I suggest they go to Pearlridge, Kahala or Windward malls. And while they are there, they can ask the residents of those communities if life wasn't sweeter and less congested before those malls expanded and impacted the communities.

But then again, they don't really have to because we all know the answer.

Patrick Kelly


Campaign Spending Commission needs better support

Remember the lonely Maytag repairman? Our own political repairman, Bob Watada, head of the state Campaign Spending Commission, has the loneliest job in Honolulu. Ignored by legislators, the press and the attorney general, every piece of proactive legislation submitted by Watada has been silently killed by the same lawmakers he's tasked with policing.

With local elections heating up and political figures running amok, Bob Watada deserves complete official and public support.

T. McBride
Kailua


Cooperative's claim to beach ridiculous

The claim to ownership of the beach fronting Tongg's by Kainalu Cooperative is ridiculous. The law is very clear concerning the public demarcation line: "The highest wash of the waves at high tide."

Anyone who has been to that beach at high water knows the waves actually touch the building itself. Do we condemn the Kainalu for encroaching on a public beach? Even the tax map shows the location of the canoe was not on cooperative property.

I have enjoyed some of the best moments of my life in that canoe over the last 20 years thanks to the aloha of the Thurston family. They have always shared freely of the boat with anyone who asked.

It is mind-boggling to think that a few salty apples in the Kainalu who claim the beach as their private reserve could prevent the rest of us from enjoying the ocean in this outrigger. I add my voice to the maxim, "Hawaiian beaches for Hawaiian canoes."

Dave Thompson


Equal funding needed for regular education

"Hear, hear" to Jo Ann Sugiyama's recent letter. I totally agree that regular education students are left in the dust when it comes to funding their needs.

My son is a student at Kailua High School, and I am seeing the same problems with outdated books, classrooms that look like as did in the 1960s and, more than anything, overcrowded classrooms.

Maybe Jo Ann and other parents of regular education students should file a class-action suit for equal funding. I anxiously await for that day.

Michaele Tibbetts