Letters to the Editor
Time to pass a law that will help the environment
I am happy to see that The Advertiser is giving the so-called "bottle bill" the attention it deserves. As a citizen of Hawai'i and a consumer, I strongly support the bill.
As Jeff Mikulina, director of the Sierra Club Hawai'i Chapter, said in Kevin Dayton's March 30 article, 75,000 bottles and cans are thrown away every hour. I wonder how many never make it to a trash can?
I am a member of the Pacific Action Alliance, which does a number of community projects in Hawai'i, including beach clean-ups. A recent two-hour clean-up at Sandy Beach produced nearly 40 bags of trash, most of which were glass bottles.
If the bottle bill were passed, it would greatly reduce the amount of bottles found on our beaches and roadways, encourage more people to pick up trash and dramatically increase recycling of containers. States with a bottle bill recycle more than 80 percent of their beverage containers; Hawai'i recycles only about 20 percent.
This bill is strongly supported by the public. Of the 10 states that have bottle bills, none has repealed the act; each state's version only has been strengthened.
Let's face it, beach clean-ups and "adopt-a-highway" programs aren't enough. If we really want to clean up our land, the change has to come from all ends. Let's keep Hawai'i paradise and reduce litter and landfills. Let's pass the bottle bill.
Crystal Stafford
Executive Director, Pacific Action Alliance
Matsuura is halting bad public policy
There has been a lot of discussion in Hawai'i about personal choice in death. All these stories from the proponents of physician-assisted suicide talk about watching a "loved one" waste away slowly, unable to hasten his or her death to avoid pain and expenses to family and friends.
This is not personal choice — this is abandonment. We should remember the prophetic words of John Dunne: "Never cease to know for whom the bells tolls. It tolls for thee."
I would like to thank Sen. David Matsuura for his foresight and integrity in standing up to significant public scorn and not allowing bad, and potentially devastating, public policy to go forward. Physician-assisted suicide is bad public policy.
Death is the ultimate human act. We have too much we can learn from it to hasten it when pressured by this instant-loving society.
When the time comes, I expect to savor every minute of my death, so I can learn as much as I can.
Susan Golden
Kailua, Kona
Library workers could limit illicit use
In view of the issue of filtering the Internet of "adult" material in the library, it makes good sense that we should protect our children and young adults from such stuff. On the other hand, one should not be denied access to information for educational purposes.
One proposal is to better involve those who work at the library.
Librarians or reference desk clerks are two who come to mind. If a patron were seeking information that may be construed as illicit, then they can be offered assistance and guidance to obtain that information.
I believe this is a solution that can satisfy all parties concerned.
Derek Funayama
Kapolei
If he's not running, why take donations?
A March 13 Advertiser article reads, "Harris says he will close and lock his Ward Warehouse campaign headquarters, and won't raise or spend any more money on the governor's race until the issue is resolved."
A March 26 article reads, "Two weeks after Mayor Jeremy Harris announced he would completely suspend his run for governor and stop accepting campaign contributions until the Hawai'i Supreme Court decides whether he must first resign from office, the campaign said it is still accepting money from supporters."
If you are not running or campaigning, why are you accepting contributions?
Harris claims that he is required to deposit the donations within seven days of receipt or else he will be violating campaign-spending laws.
If he hasn't already broken numerous campaign spending laws, he surely has violated the spirit of the laws and our trust.
If he truly wants to take the high road, he should return the money he has received until a final ruling is determined.
Akoni Shannon
Kane'ohe
Despite liabilities, more facilities needed
I think the city should not be held responsible for any injury that occurs while skating in a skate-park. If the city were to be held responsible for injuries at these parks, then it should be responsible for all injuries, including those sustained while skating on the sidewalk, or even while walking and then tripping and falling. Or what about an injury on a public basketball court or baseball field?
Parents need to take a more active role in their child's life.
For the parents who complain about safety issues, do they really know what skating is about? Why did they purchase a skateboard for their child in the first place?
I live in Mililani, and I do understand the complaint of the skate-park being overcrowded. But this is the good news. We got kids off the streets; hence away from the cars, shopping centers and schools, or destroying private property.
My suggestion is to build another skatepark.
Garin Miyaji
Mililani
'Stop loss' orders hurting senior NCOs especially
This is a comment regarding the March 25 Military Update ("'Stop loss' orders force many to change their plans").
To say that I am patriotic is an understatement. My father spent 22 years in the Air Force, my father-in-law, 21. My son Peter Robertson and his wife, Andrea, are in the Army and stationed in Hawai'i, and my husband is in his 25th year of active-duty Air Force. We are in the stop-loss group, and, needless to say, it is making our life an emotional rollercoaster ride each and every day.
My husband missed senior master sergeant again, so there is no chance of any promotion. At 45, he is getting to the age where starting a new career would be tougher and tougher. He cannot attend any job fairs because he cannot say when he will be available.
While I understand the mission behind stop loss, it is getting ridiculous. We cannot live on his retirement, and he desperately needs to find a second career. Stop loss needs to stop now and let those who have served their country well for more than 25 years start over again in the civilian sector where they will support our country in another way.
Laurie Emerson
Biloxi, Miss.
Deviant behavior, celibacy not related
In reference to David Panisnick's April 3 response to Father Martin's "Celibacy is not the problem," I am having a problem trying to understand what he is referring to. Is it that if priests weren't celibate, they wouldn't abuse children? Celibacy has nothing to do with child abuse.
The priesthood is not the only organization dealing with this problem; there are teachers, doctors, police, guidance counselors, family members, etc., abusing children every day. I am quite sure most of these individuals aren't celibate.
If you allow priests to give up celibacy, you are not going to make any difference in the deviant behavior of the child abuser, unless you count the fact that he or she will have added more victims.
Mary Wilson
Device not only annoying, but very dangerous
They're too fast for the sidewalk, yet too slow for the road. They're so annoyingly loud you can hear them before you see them. They swerve in and out of lanes and anywhere they feel free to roam with no regard to traffic or their own personal safety.
These kids with their rolling firecrackers even have the nerve to ride around late at night. Most don't wear helmets, reflective tape or clothes or any other safety equipment. I don't have enough fingers to count the number of times I almost made one of these children a hood ornament on my car.
Are these things legal? These things are a nuisance to society and an accident waiting to happen.
Michael Octavio
Salt Lake
Self-righteous drivers can be hazards, too
Are Scott Simms and David Webb (Letters, April 1 and April 3, respectively) truly interested in safer road conditions? Or are they self-righteous drivers more intent on proving a point and creating a more dangerous driving situation?
Driving slowly in the left lane, causing other drivers to weave around you, only makes the road more dangerous for everyone, including yourselves.
Don't forget common sense and driving with aloha. As long as there is no alternative to driving our cars and some of the speed limits are kept at unreasonably low levels, I would suggest keeping to the right lane instead of causing danger, and increasing your own anger levels.
Jeffrey Esmond
Kane'ohe
Petty longshoremen a tourist turn-off
On March 29, I was among the 1,800 passengers arriving at Honolulu Harbor aboard the Norwegian Wind. The ship was skillfully brought in to the pier at 6:43 a.m. The music was playing, a young lady was dancing and many of the passengers were lining the rail to enjoy the sights and sounds.
Twenty-four longshoremen were on hand to receive the mooring lines, but they did not touch the ship's lines until their foreman told them to, which was at 7:01 a.m. So, for 18 minutes the ship was held in position; no baggage could be let off nor contact made with the shore, all because the longshoremen did not want to set a precedent of doing their four-minute stint earlier.
Whatever goodwill was fostered by the music was dispelled by this nonperformance. I was embarrassed as a Hawai'i resident.
People who go on cruises are a potential source of revenue for this state, but only if they decide to stay here for a while. If they are turned off by what they see, they may go somewhere else in the future.
Robert Levy
'Surf Girls' film eligible for tax credit
Jim Dooley's March 3 story about the state's high-technology business investment tax credit (Advertiser, "Surfer movie grabs $16 million tax break meant to lure high-tech") suggests a lack of understanding of the history, purpose and function of Act 221.
Over the last few years, the administration has proposed a number of tax incentives to encourage development of the high-technology industry in Hawai'i. With the help of the Legislature, the incentives were enacted. They have been hailed as some of the most aggressive tax incentives in the country for luring business investment.
Act 221, also known as the high-technology business investment tax credit, is just one of these incentives. The law provides a tax credit to all investors in a qualified high-technology business in eight categories.
The administration originally proposed that these tax credits be provided in three categories: qualified research work, development and design of computer software, and biotechnology. During the last legislative session, lawmakers added five more categories, including performing arts products, sensor and optic technologies, ocean sciences, astronomy and non-fossil fuel technology — areas in which Hawai'i has a strategic niche.
At issue here is "performing arts products," which as defined in the statute includes commercial television and film products for sale or license, and reuse or residual fee payments from these products.
To say that the tax credits "Surf Girls" film is eligible for "were supposed to be used to attract high technology ventures" shows a lack of understanding of the law because, under Act 221, "Surf Girls" qualifies.
While the Tax Department is bound by law from releasing specific information, we can provide some general statistics on credits given.
The top three categories to receive rulings by the Tax Department as qualified businesses are: research work (45), development and design of computer software (49) and biotechnology (12).
In another area, the Department of Taxation is proposing technical clarifications and other minor refinements to the law, which is something we have done every year since these laws were first enacted in 1999.
One of the minor changes we are proposing this year would make this law even more beneficial to Hawai'i. It would require that some of the post-production — the more technical work on television and film products — be done in Hawai'i to qualify for the tax credit.
Joseph F. Blanco
Executive Assistant to the Governor, Special Adviser of Technology Development
Marie Y. Okamura
Director, Department of Taxation
