Posted on: Saturday, December 21, 2002

Letters to the Editor

More skilled workers needed to meet demand

Obviously the nursing society has failed to train enough skilled nurses to meet the rising health care demands. Perhaps it is time to bring back the three-year "Diploma Nurse" program with a new twist.

Since the large medical centers have both the financial and human resources to train new nurses, and they are the ones with the most dire need for highly skilled nurses, they will be given the privilege and responsibility to train this new breed of nurses.

Healthy, intelligent and caring young men and women will be chosen to participate in this hospital-based, highly technical and specialized nursing program for free. Besides, they will be paid minimum wage for the clinical hours they put in each week. In return, they have to sign a contract to work for the same medical center for two to three years after graduation before they can find another job.

Increasing wages will not improve job performance. It will only drive up the cost of health care and health insurance premiums. The only solution is to train more skilled nurses to meet the rising health care needs of this new millennium.

Cecilia Graybeal

Jimmy Carter deserving of award

Shame on the Republicans, former Bush Cabinet officers like Bill Bennett and conservative radio and television talk show hosts who are making fun of the Nobel Peace Prize (calling it the "Nobel Peanut Prize") because they think the award should have gone to the warmongering Bushes (father and/or son) instead of the peace-loving Jimmy Carter, perhaps the greatest ex-president our country has ever had.

You'd think they would understand that the very name of the award means that it cannot be given to leaders who start wars, invade other countries, kill innocent women and children, buy drugs from their friends who run drug cartels and supply biological weapons to irresponsible dictators, etc.

Keith Haugen

Safety measure sought on Lunalilo Home Road

I live just off Lunalilo Home Road and I fully favor the median the city wants to put there. I have lived in Hawai'i Kai for 34 years and I have lost count of the number of accidents here on this street, not to mention how two nearby houses had automobiles crash into their homes.

We need something done to slow down the traffic on this wide residential street.

I am sick and tired of the speeders and racers on this street, especially at night. Apparently most of the residents who opposed the plan don't live on or near Lunalilo Home Road.

If the plan were approved by the City Council and the money has been appropriated, I say go ahead. The median could possibly save some lives. Perhaps the residents of Hawai'i Kai should give this project more thought.

B. Fung

A murderer should get the death penalty

Despite the close proximity of Christmas, I am in favor of the death penalty for murder.

In the religion I follow, we understand that this shortens the time the actual matter is on the radar screen, so to speak. In other words, the person who commits the murder pays for it in such an efficient manner that it is not necessary to prolong the payment into, as we believe, another life. I am sure there are many who disagree with me.

But in terms of the budget, it would certainly be less expensive to make the murderer pay for voluntarily taking a life by giving his own.

Certainly, in any case, Christopher Aki, the man charged with murdering Kahealani Indreginal, will suffer in prison if convicted because of the fact that God will arrange his fellow inmates to be very angry with him.

Prison will be no picnic, but taxpayers will be paying for it.

Nandarani Evans

Don't add to traffic at accident scenes

Driving is a privilege, not a right. I have noticed that the traffic has gotten worse since school has been in session. There are simply too many kids on the road.

I hit deep traffic just after Pearl City and come to a complete stop just before the airport. If everyone would actually drive at a greater following distance, say maybe more than a foot away from the person in front of you, we wouldn't have this problem.

Rubbernecks are also a problem and could be fatal to some, meaning the people who drive by real slow to see the accident slow down traffic and the help that is trying to get through. Try to get over if you aren't passing anyone; there is no need for one person per lane. Fix this and traffic will be a lot less of a problem.

Garrett Murray

More than just God

Are you a person who thinks Christmas is only about the birth of the son of God?

The same God who allows the murder of a child in 'Aiea, destructive storms in Guam and a president in Washington dragging us into war?

A holiday of Santa Claus, pretty decorations and eggnog sounds pretty good to me this year.

Richard Miller
'Aiea