Letters to the Editor

Cut back on marketing, construction spending

Here's how to rescue Hawai'i's economy:

First, decrease tourism marketing and construction spending. Marketing should show how something would satisfy a consumer need, creating a compelling reason to purchase. Certainty and security — on airplanes, at destinations, in wallets — are needs now overwhelmingly unsatisfied. What marketing can effectively address those needs? Marketing Hawai'i as safe and peaceful won't compel very many people to vacation here. So until those needs are addressed, don't pay for ads elsewhere; keep money in Hawai'i.

While construction spending keeps money here, lots of money is spent on materials instead of labor. If anything, projects started should improve Hawai'i's amenities — like cleaning the Ala Wai — as investments for when tourism improves.

Second, to effectively soften our recession, spend on Hawai'i's human resources. One way is through wage subsidies — assisting in employers' unemployment and health insurance costs — so it's less costly to employ.

Further, we must immediately and drastically improve Hawai'i's human resource capabilities and capacity to attract business investment and develop a "competitive advantage" apart from our dependence upon tourism. This is a long-term investment, accomplished not only through tuition relief, but also by increasing unemployment and social services benefits toward participation in education and training programs.

Brycen Tanaka

Canadian visitors could get discounts

In response to Gov. Cayetano's call for ideas to stimulate the Hawai'i economy, I propose the following:

• The governor should proclaim November as "Canada Month."

• All parts of the tourist industry, i.e. hotels, restaurants, tour companies and airlines, should agree to accept Canadian dollars on a one-for-one basis for that month.

Most of us are already discounting our prices in one form or another by 20 to 25 percent, so this concession should not be a big burden. However, with proper leadership and some advertising by the Hawai'i Convention and Visitors Bureau, this could be made an annual event and, if successful, could also be tried with the euro-bloc countries.

Ralph Schrader
President, Schrader's Windward Country Inn

Stop the persecution against gun owners

Inspired by John Hyytianinen's recent letter criticizing the media and the police for persecuting car enthusiasts, I have a similar thought on the media and police's persecution of law-abiding gun owners.

It's my right to own a gun as long as I don't endanger anyone else. Just because someone owns a gun, that doesn't mean the police should harass him or profile them.

Which is more of a danger: a drunken bad-tempered person with a baseball bat or a sane, sober, always calm person who has a gun for the sole purpose of (gasp) self-defense?

Is it fair to persecute all gun owners for the actions of a ridiculous few? It seems to me that the public would love to lynch 80 million gun owners when only 35,000 people (less than 1 percent of 80 million) die of gunshots annually.

Pablo Wegesend
Kalihi

Lana'i citizens weren't brought in on decision

Edmund Pestana's Sept. 21 letter headlined "Fluoridation decision for Lana'i is shocking" hits the nail on the head. The most important factor involved here is that the citizens of Lana'i were not given an opportunity to examine the risks and compare them to the benefits.

If a doctor or dentist who uses fluoride supplements does not inform the patient of the risks of those supplements, he can be sued for not obtaining "informed consent."

Why should the citizens of Lana'i, and all the Islands for that matter, not be informed of the risks before having toxic chemicals dumped into their drinking water — chemicals that say right on the package that they are "not approved for drug, insecticide or rodenticide use"?

There were never any notices informing Lana'i citizens that in the "annual hospital meeting" a final decision would be made about adding toxic sodium fluoride to the water. E-mail notices of this meeting were sent only to those having a Castle & Cook Resorts e-mail address, a select few in managerial positions. There were, however, flyers posted in an inobtrusive manner. The article in the Lana'i Times only stated that the topic of water fluoridation would be discussed, not voted on.

Only the pro-fluoride sales pitch was given at this meeting, where the "outcome was unanimous that fluoridation of Lana'i's water was the No. 1 priority."

As of July, Lana'i has been in the engineering stage of water fluoridation. Where is the informed consent?

Vala Welch
Teacher, Lana'i High and Elementary School