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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, April 16, 2002

Letters to the Editor

Elections panel needs its full appropriation

The Elections Appointment and Review Panel is concerned about the Legislature's failure to appropriate money that would allow the panel to perform the duties placed on it by the Legislature.

In passing ACT 141, SLH 1999, the Legislature placed additional duties on the panel, which included the adoption of administrative rules to:

  1. review the operation of elections and the chief election officer's performance;
  2. conduct a biennial performance evaluation; and
  3. submit the findings and recommendations from the evaluation to the Legislature.

Although the panel had fulfilled its duties of submitting a biennial report to the Legislature following the 2000 elections, the panel also had submitted bills in both the 2000 and 2001 legislative sessions to fund the cost of administrative rule promulgation, but the panel's request was repeatedly denied.

A bill to fund the promulgation is being heard again by the Legislature. The panel strongly urges the Legislature to give the bill the priority it deserves and restore the public's faith in the integrity of the elections process.

Julie Duldulao
Elections Appointment and Review Panel chair


Dogs are considered a part of the family

This is in response to Natalie Lau's April 9 letter regarding a $50,000 expense not being justified in saving a dog at sea. She states she "can't see how one dog could possibly be worth more than a new Mercedes convertible" and that "a dog is a dog is a dog."

Dogs are not just dogs to some people. They are considered a part of the family. The family would go to any lengths to care for its animals no matter what the cost. Unlike humans, dogs will love unconditionally until the end no matter what you may do to it.

I applaud the Humane Society for doing what it could to save this dog.

Maka Makiya


Rescue attempt is all about loving, caring

This is in response to John Stowe's April 12 letter that the Humane Society needs "responsible management." True, the society works very hard at fund-raising, and the donations it receives are from people who donate because they are compassionate about the humane treatment of all animals.

Mr. Stowe seems to think that $50,000 was too much to spend on the rescue of a single dog. Perhaps not to those of us who actually donate to the society.

People who truly love animals probably didn't think twice about the society's expenditure of these funds on the rescue attempt because they understand why it was necessary.

My 13-year-old beloved Matagi is terminally ill with cancer, and I am not a rich person, yet I spend one-third of my monthly income to pay for chemotherapy treatments because if it buys me one more day or even one more hour with him, I live one more day of being blessed with such a loving and wonderful companion.

You see, Mr. Stowe, this is what it is all about — loving and caring, regardless of the expense.

Betty M. Pedro


Senate confirmation of HTA head unwise

While I agree with the level of importance you have placed on the Hawai'i Tourism Authority and its director, I disagree with your support of Sen. Donna Mercado Kim's proposal that future executive directors be subject to Senate confirmation.

Subjecting candidates to such a process would dramatically reduce the pool of qualified applicants. A leader of such an important entity must be a visionary with a proven track record; and generally, such candidates hold current employment elsewhere, often in high-profile positions.

You acknowledge the impact the HTA has on Hawai'i and its citizens and recognize that there are few in government with the experience to direct a multimillion-dollar marketing effort. Yet you support an initiative that may compromise the quality and narrow the field of potential leaders.

The proposed requirement for Senate confirmation would violate the confidentiality of the employment process. How many qualified leaders would jeopardize their current employment by accepting the position as director of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority on the condition that their employment be subject to public confirmation by the Senate?

Your suggestion that the tourism authority should be subject to the same rules as the university's governing board is valid; however, those rules are already being applied to both entities. The governing board of both the tourism authority and the university are currently subject to Senate confirmation, and therein lies the accountability.

Keith Vieira
Senior vice president, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide


State mustn't compete with private enterprise

D.G. "Andy" Anderson has proposed setting up a Hawai'i Fuel Authority to bring the price of gasoline down in the state. Why not the Hawai'i Fruit Authority? The price of strawberries in Hawai'i is much higher than on the Mainland. Or maybe the Hawai'i Lumber Authority could bring the price of housing down to what it is on the Mainland.

No, no, no. Hawai'i state government should not compete with private enterprise.

Your political cartoon of Andy on the roadside waving at motorists holding a sign that reads "D.G. 'Andy' Anderson for Governor ... CHEAP GAS" is right on target. This is a bad idea, an idea to get votes, nothing more.

Doug Behrens


Whale rescue program would be ill-advised

It is sometimes amusing to read about the efforts of man to change the natural process of nature and disrupt the normal process of the ocean's ecosystem. Who are we to second-guess the ultimate balance of nature by interfering with the proposal to create a baby whale rescue program?

Louis Herman of the Marine Mammal Laboratory stated in The Sunday Advertiser article that "it was just wrenching" to watch the abandoned calf searching for a surrogate mother to suckle it. What makes these scientists want to play God with nature's normal process?

To witness an event of this nature is very sad, and as humans our natural instinct is to save and preserve and nurture, but we must realize that we should not interfere with the natural balance of nature.

Maybe the mother whale knew the baby whale had an ailment and could not survive the rigors of traveling thousands of miles on their migrations and that some inner instinct took over and her decision of not suckling her baby was made.

It is also a natural phenomenon for tiger sharks to be present waiting for their disdained duty to eliminate anything that is sick, injured, dying and dead from the ocean. In fact, they evolved 400 million years ago for this distinct purpose of keeping the ocean clean. Whales and dolphins don't belong in captivity even with the good intentions of returning them back to the ocean.

To build a facility on Maui for the purpose of "saving" stranded sea animals, especially if it has never been done with humpback whales, is ill-advised.

Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Sr.
Pukalani, Maui


Waikiki improvements deserve high praise

As small-businessmen and residents of Waikiki, we cannot give enough praise to the mayor, City Council and anyone and everyone involved with the incredible improvements that have taken place in this beautiful part of Hawai'i.

All one has to do is think back several years ago and remember the terrible state of sidewalks, beaches, the ugly bandstand and the crumbling Natatorium, to name a few of the ills that plagued Waikiki. Not only was this a downgrading experience for our visitors, but in some ways, more importantly, for our own citizens.

Mahalo for all who have provided these beautiful spaces for us all to share.

Don't let the critics with no imagination deter you in your quest to make all our lives richer on a daily basis.

Tim Lawler
Ron Baumgartner
Makai Sales

• • •

Cameras gone, controversy stays

Judges have already raised speed limits

Regarding K. Kane's April 12 letter: He suggests that the speed limits be revised to 45 on Kalaniana'ole Highway, 55 on H1 in town and 65 on H1 westbound. He evidently missed the court actions of the past few months.

A couple of judges have already ruled that the speed limits on O'ahu are 9 mph higher than what is posted. Therefore, the speed limits on H1 are 59 and 64 respectively, and the speed limit on Kalaniana'ole Highway is 44.

Of course, this also means that the speed limit in school zones and residential areas is now 34 mph. Dangerous? Possibly. But then, hey, that's what the people wanted.

Don Chambers
Mililani


Our 'leaders' leave me in wonderment

Our fearless leaders (they have to be, considering the laws they pass) have done it again: shown their lack of intelligence.

They come roaring in without much thought, with a grand program to limit our speed to save us from ourselves, and then make so many foolish mistakes we drivers are up in arms. Then just when they have enough information generated by all the complaints and protests to be able to fix the program, they dump it instead.

And the equipment supplier gets a piece of the action, of all things.

Outrageous. I have no words to describe such foolishness.

It's amazing how sane, logical, rational people lose their minds when they gain a position of power, like boards of directors and lawmakers. Outside of their hallowed walls, they are just the same as you and I are and would have the same viewpoints and protests.

I shake my head in futile wonderment.

Ted Chernin


Lack of leadership brought on fiasco

Thank you, Marilyn Kali and the department heads at the DOT, for sticking the taxpayers with one last $8 million traffic scam ticket.

The majority of the drivers wanted the roads safer, but because of the lack of leadership and arrogance at the DOT, the speeding policy set by key DOT representatives only confused and angered the public.

The DOT then tried to blame the legislators for passing such a law and attempted to pass along the program to the city when the public was already up in arms.

It just proves that the department heads at the DOT lack the knowledge and leadership to make the right decisions. I just hope they are the majority of the 151 political appointees who will be leaving at the end of year.

Daniel Fujimoto
'Aiea


Minaai should be fired or he should resign

Two to 8 million dollars to cancel the ACS contract? You've got to be kidding. Even the low-ball figure of $800,000 is $800,000 too much.

Will someone please fire Brian Minaai? Or at the very least he should resign so he can experience some of the the same embarrassment, frustration and humiliation the public has had to endure with him as head of the DOT.

Patrick Kelly


Traffic cams brought improvement on roads

While the implementation of the traffic cameras may have been flawed, the past few months brought about the following benefits:

  • I averaged 20 more miles per tank of gas because I used my cruise control much more often.
  • I became less intimidated by speeders because there was an obvious adherence to posted speed limits by many more drivers.
  • There may be a reassessment of speed limits in some areas.
  • There are fewer cars trying to beat the red signal at intersections.

It's a disappointment that the Legislature has completely repealed the program because there were benefits for the public.

Haroldeen Wakida


And now the funeral

Now that the traffic cam is officially dead, what was the cost to the taxpayer, and are there any funeral expenses, such as closing out the contract of the Mainland company?

Roger A Hutchings