The city and state governments constantly complain there isn't enough money to take care of community needs. Look at the numerous construction projects, with expensive equipment sitting idle week after week. The intersection project north of Schofield, under construction for over eight months, still is not finished, nor is anyone working on it, while a $200,000 grader sits idle for months. The traffic light installed months ago still doesn't work.

Yet government complains there's not enough money for road repairs. Everywhere there is inefficiency and waste.

Another example: the new city pool in Makiki, open only three hours a day because of no operating funds.

Gambling interests are working the state government to bring in casinos. If they move in, so does the sleaze that comes with them.

Wake up, folks, before it's too late. The corrupt government hasn't made things better in 40 years. Maybe it's time to try a new party. If things don't improve, you can always go back to the corruption that is familiar.

J.F. Breeden
Kahuku

Charges against Harris politically motivated

Mayor Harris has recently been cleared of two of the complaints against him.

Harris' first victory came when a court ruled that he can accept the $6,000-per-donor limit in his campaign for governor. The second victory came when the charges that he had broke campaign spending laws, by contributing $100,000 to the Democratic National Committee, were tabled.

I am no political expert, but I would be willing to bet that these charges were politically motivated and were designed just to damage Harris' campaign. I am also convinced that Harris will weather this storm and that his campaign will once again get back on its feet.

And I hope that Bob Watada of the Campaign Spending Commission doesn't get too depressed when Harris becomes our next governor.

Taylor Harvey

Dobelle helping to shape Hawai'i's workforce

Patrick Stanley (Letters, April 9) misunderstood the article that appeared in the April 4 Advertiser entitled "Partnership to boost Hawai'i's workforce."

On April 3, UH President Evan Dobelle helped launch the Hawai'i Skills Community (HSC) partnership with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the University of Hawai'i and a Texas-based firm called SkillsNET — a relationship that has been in the making for almost two years.

"Effusive": Good that we have a leader who is passionate about the future of our young people; good that President Dobelle recognizes the urgency and necessity of having businesses at the table. President Dobelle has run employment training centers and understands their value to the future of our kids.

Stanley missed the point. The HSC partnership is the state's commitment to helping business build the capacity to streamline the human resources processes, and in doing so, reduce the costs of doing business, increase efficiency and productivity, and contribute to Hawai'i's educational systems.

The HSC is an opportunity for job orders to go on-line, and applicants to match their skills with position openings via the Internet. Our young people need to see the relevancy of our educational programs in their entry into the labor market. It is time that we revolutionize business processes, and this human resource capability is just one example of moving forward.

Effusive? Not at all. President Dobelle is doing the right thing for Hawai'i's workforce.

Karla Jones
State director for career and technical education

Governor should restore tunnel honor

The controversy over the H-3 tunnels renaming has gone from bad to worse. It appears there is a growing swell of resentment for the action Gov. Cayetano took.

In his latest move, the governor, through his director of communications and deputy director of transportation, has apparently taken a face-saving move to justify his decision by questioning the performance and impugning the character of the original honoree, Tetsuo Harano. Additionally, the son and daughter of Gov. Burns have been put in the awkward position of holding opposite views regarding this matter.

Why can't the governor immediately put this matter to rest by reverting the name of the tunnels back to their original honoree, Mr. Harano?

Teruo Hasegawa

People aren't paying attention on key issues

After reading the April 17 newspaper, I am infuriated.

On one side, we have David Shapiro moaning about the $50,000 attempted dog rescue sourced by money donated (key word) from willing individuals. On the other side, taxpayers (keyword) are faced with a possible $8 million penalty for the cancellation of the traffic camera program.

Then, what seems to have been overlooked, the proposed animal quarantine modification (keyword) has been dropped like a hotcake and has fallen as garbage on the floor of the Department of Agriculture, so to speak, and the issue will not even be given the opportunity of a hearing by our Legislature.

Our residents and incoming newcomers are being penalized with antiquated quarantine laws dating back to 1912 when there were no blood tests or rabies vaccinations available. Elimination of "confinement" with more stringent anti-rabies entrance requirements would save traveling Hawai'i taxpayers and future (keyword) taxpayers millions of dollars while making Hawai'i safer.

It appears that we're not able to donate our money and have it earmarked for whatever we want. Our elected and appointed officials can spend our tax dollars in frivolous ways, and we're stuck paying through the nose (emotionally and financially) for what we want — a modern approach to allowing us to travel with our pets.

Fair? I don't think so. Democratic? I don't think so. How does one combat such narrow-mindedness and self-promoting behavior by our bureaucrats?

Ask our candidates how they feel about certain issues, step into your local voting booth in November and have a "say" on issues that do mean something to you.

Kathleen M. Curtis
Kane'ohe

Early childhood must get more attention

I am concerned that those in the state who have the ability to develop, implement and integrate a comprehensive community-based system of early childhood initiatives have only begun to realize the need to join the many states that are taking the lead in building brighter futures for our children.

While the elementary and secondary years of a child's life are critical, we as a state must do everything possible to ensure that every child in Hawai'i has a chance for success, and this starts in the earliest years of life.

I believe community planning and collaboration are important keys to success. Pre-Plus is an important step in making childcare more affordable and accessible. But it is only the beginning.

Did you know that North Carolina's early childhood initiative called Smart Start received from the General Assembly $260 million in 2000-2001? Our efforts here don't come close in comparison.

While I applaud our lieutenant governor in her efforts to get Pre-Plus off the ground, I want to encourage everyone who is a "player" to work together in the best interests of our children.

Beth Rice
Director of Central Union Church Preschool and Kindergarten

Space history puts dog rescue in perspective

Alan Shepard and Virgil Grissom were on the launch pad. Shepherd was listing the desirable qualities for being an astronaut: 20/20 vision, low blood pressure, etc. "And you've got to have four legs." "Why four legs?" asked Grissom. "They really wanted to send a dog," Shepard replied, "but they thought that would be too cruel." 

Prior to Yuri Gagarin's orbit, the Soviets launched seven dogs into space: Laika (Nov. 3, 1957), Strelka and Belka (Aug. 19, 1960), Pschelka and Mushka (Dec. 1, 1960), Chernushka (March 9, 1961) and Zvezdochka (March 25, 1961).

Gordo, a monkey, was launched by the Americans (Dec. 13, 1958). After the space flight, the flotation cone failed and Gordo drowned.

The sacrifice of the first dog in space, Laika, was cruel and unbelievably poor public relations. Strelka ("Little Arrow"), safely recovered after orbiting Earth, was bred with another dog, and one of the puppies was given to President Kennedy. 

It is best to understand the Humane Society's $50,000 expenditure as a votive offering, designed to fulfill a special promise to Laika. It's good to have a vigil light. Laika ("Barker") doesn't have the resonance that Chernushka ("Blackie") does. The Coast Guard dropped pizza to a barking dog. I'm glad they found the dog before the public relations aspect really got going. 

Richard Thompson
Kwangju, South Korea

Cheers for Forgea!

Much has been said about the good and bad of spending $50,000 to rescue a dog. David Shapiro even calls it "warped public sentiment." All I know is that the Coast Guard air crew gave up their lunches and air-dropped them to Forgea. Fishermen went out of their way to pick her up. And I cheered when I heard of her rescue.

Eric Terashima
Hilo

Status quo at DOE won't solve problem

If Herbert Watanabe's April 22 letter is right and the Department of Education is doing "excellent work," and we don't need to decentralize, then why are our public school test scores so low?

Mr. Watanabe must be tone deaf to irony, since the evils he warns about if we decentralize — "bloated bureaucracy, political infighting ... and a waste of valuable resources" — sound exactly like the status quo his Board of Education is foisting upon our keiki.

Jim Henshaw

Affordable rentals would take big hit

The Senate's proposal to transfer $40 million from the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund (DURF) would devastate the state's affordable housing program.

There presently exists a need for approximately 11,000 affordable rental units statewide. The transfer of $40 million would make this need far worse with the loss of over 650 planned affordable housing units, including Leeward O'ahu rentals, Kapolei Villages 5 and 8, Kona rentals, Iwilei elderly and adult day health center, Pahoa rentals and privately sponsored rentals.

Subsequently, we would lose about 255 additional rental units every two-three years due the inability to make interim construction loans from DURF.

The state has committed to installing traffic signals by the Kapolei Middle and High schools, resurfacing roadways, repairing sidewalks, repairing sewer lines and installing street lights in the Villages of Kapolei. This work cannot be accomplished with the transfer of the $40 million.

The state has also committed to participating with regional developers to widen Fort Barrett Road and Farrington Highway, which too could not be accomplished.

We cannot lose sight of the interrelatedness of housing with other social and economic issues. For example, the development of the Iwilei elderly rental and adult day health center would create 153 direct construction jobs and 411 indirect or induced jobs, and generate income of over $16 million and over $2 million in state and local taxes.

In 1997, the state Legislature enacted Act 350, which created the Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawai'i to address the critical housing shortage. The Legislature declared that as a result of the critical shortage of safe and sanitary housing units, which are affordable to lower-income residents, many persons are forced to occupy overcrowded, unsafe or unsanitary dwellings or become homeless.