Letters to the Editor
Performance shows soft-money opposition
I was deeply concerned to read your Feb. 12 editorial titled "Suddenly the season for political reform?" Your editorial states that I may be "lukewarm" or even "opposed to soft-money reform."
I am for a total ban of soft money. You say the proof is in my performance.
During the last three Congresses, January 1997 to the present, I have introduced legislation to prohibit the use of soft money in federal elections. I am chagrined that you were not aware of my leadership in this effort.
I was invited to testify on a soft-money ban in the 106th and 107th Congresses because I am the recognized leader of this issue.
Rep. Patsy T. Mink
Mink, Abercrombie must vote for reform
According to recent news coverage, state employees have lost about $12 million of their retirement fund through the Enron scam. Lost investments like these, all over the nation, are probably just the tip of the sinking Enron iceberg.
How did things get so bad? Because of the political privileges that money can buy.
So what can we do about it? Well, our best chance ever to get big money out of politics is finally here. The U.S. House has scheduled a vote for today on a key campaign finance reform bill. Our representatives, Patsy Mink and Neil Abercrombie, are swing votes on this crucial issue.
The Shays-Meehan bill would ban "soft money" — enormous, unregulated contributions to political parties, mostly by corporations like Enron, that make up the single biggest pot of money in our political system. This really is our best chance ever. A majority of the House has signed a petition calling for this vote; the Senate has already passed the companion McCain-Feingold bill. But the vote will be extremely close — votes for reform are always difficult.
We hope Mink and Abercrombie will do the right thing by voting to ban soft money.
Lori Adolewski
Scott Gilbert
Arakawa alcohol level must have been higher
Being a retired police sergeant, I have followed the Clyde Arakawa trial with great interest.
I am very familiar with the calculations done to determine the blood alcohol level of someone after the fact. If his body rids itself of alcohol at a faster-than-normal pace, then it stands to reason his blood alcohol level was even higher at the time of the crash than was calculated by the state's expert.
It appears Mr. Arakawa is also making a claim that Honda vehicles contain a "black box" that records information on the vehicle's last five seconds of operation. I have owned Hondas for years and, as a police officer, have investigated numerous accidents involving Honda automobiles. I have never, either personally or professionally, been aware of any such equipment on Hondas or any other vehicle. I certainly don't believe that any law enforcement agency engaged in an investigation of this nature would overlook such important evidence.
I hope your reporter is following up on this latest claim. The public deserves to know the truth about this alleged "black box."
Patti Adolphson
Wahiawa
There's a better way to handle animals now
Technological advances now enable quarantine procedures to be changed and modernized while actually enhancing public safety. That was proven back in 1997 when the length of confinement was reduced with certain requirements.
At that time, in fact, Dr. Dewey Sturges (former quarantine station chief) showed through a study done with the USDA that it was four times safer to use vaccinations and blood tests than the 120-day quarantine.
If state veterinarian Jim Foppoli is so concerned about "increasing risk significantly," why aren't vaccinations against rabies required for employment at the quarantine station?
Another of his concerns is "enforcement." The new system would be much easier to use, as the proposed regulations are applied equally to all pets entering Hawai'i. Vets submit health certificates, and lab results are all electronically sent to Hawai'i's authorities via the Internet, thereby eliminating any pet owner tampering. Blood test levels matching microchip identification of entering animals are already computerized and set up for follow-up and compliance, and available on the Internet.
Why can't we do something so simple as eliminating confinement while enhancing safety at the same time? We can — let's "just do it" and accomplish both.
Kathleen M. Curtis
State Library must have adequate funding
Why is it that when some group like the Legislature, the Board of Education or their budget committees start swinging the budget ax, their first target is the library? Compared with other state departments, the library's budget is manini.
President Carter said, "We cannot call for a revival of quality education in America and close our libraries. We cannot ask our children to learn to read, and then take away their books."
Granted, no one is advocating the closure of our libraries, but withholding funds for the purchase of books is not far from it. Books wear out. Some are lost. Not a few are stolen. They need to be replaced.
New discoveries are being made daily. Historical events are happening all over the world. We need to learn about them, and the library is one of our best sources of information. This can't happen without money.
Please call, write or fax your legislators and tell them how important it is that Hawai'i's libraries receive adequate funding.
Mary Helen Ivey
Kihei, Maui
Why publish where cameras will be?
To Sen. Cal Kawamoto: Keep up the good work on getting the traffic-enforcement bill passed. It is the everyday speeders who are making a big fuss.
Brian Minaai of the Department of Transportation should be relieved of his job. Whoever heard of anything as ridiculous as making public through the news media where the camera vans will be located?
If this is what they call being fair, then let's publish in the news media where all the roadblocks will be during the holidays for the DUI drivers.
Mason Takeshita
Traffic scofflaws kill pedestrians
Not long ago, a pedestrian stepped into the crosswalk on the Pali at the Unitarian Church. When she started across the four lanes, the way was clear. A car, which was probably not in sight when she started, killed her.
Tragically, she is only one of several people killed and injured crossing the Pali. One driver killed twice at the same intersection. The speed limit there is 35 mph, more than enough for a residential neighborhood.
When, after a few blocks, these miscreants reach the real highway and a 45-mph speed limit, they break that law, too, bruskly abusing drivers who adhere to the limit. Police are unable to slow traffic to the legal limit. Obviously challenged drivers write that their speeding is safe and that they have the right to speed.
We have a lawless culture, and we are killing our citizens. Our wise legislators have now determined to halt the only effective program yet devised: camera vans. One has "bravely" refused to identify the person who was detected grossly violating the law in his car.
Legislators who allow this lawlessness have the blood of each victim on their hands.
Scott Allen
Kailua
Beware, Hawai'i, of gambling's ills
I have recently returned from another glorious visit to Hawai'i, with plans to return in the near future. While on Moloka'i, part of my daily morning activities included a good cup of Moloka'i coffee, along with The Honolulu Advertiser. One particular idea of interest to me is the current push to legalize gambling in the Hawaiian Islands, citing economic gains to compensate for the faltering tourist industry.
As a psychologist who has dealt with compulsive gamblers (medically referred to as pathological gamblers) for many years, I write with a "buyer beware" alert. Yes, legalized gambling can provide jobs for local residents, but research strongly indicates that the negatives of legalized gambling far outweigh the positives.
Many residents will become hooked on gambling. The gambling addiction is as strong as any addiction to drugs or alcohol. Addictions often lead to neglect of families, local crime, an influx of a criminal element and an erosion of healthy values. Some people can gamble just for recreation while others will become addicted.
We can't predict who will get addicted and who will not. Compulsive gambling can be controlled with extensive treatment but is not curable.
Hawai'i has been blessed with all of nature's gifts. Use these gifts wisely.
Donna Pinter, Ph.D.
Sunbury, Pa.
Unions should support charter schools plan
That Kamehameha Schools has announced an interest in converting public schools with large numbers of Native Hawaiian students into charter schools is welcome news.
It's no secret that these kids have been denied the same quality of education as those in higher-income areas for over 30 years. Their schools are used as entry points for new teachers who then use these students to develop their teaching skills.
If the purpose of our public schools were to produce responsible, contributing members to our society, why are the Hawai'i State Teachers Association and the Hawai'i Government Employees Association opposing Kamehameha's interest? Are they content with the ineffectiveness of the present system?
In 1987, Gregory Pai, then-chief economist of First Hawaiian Bank, reported in a statewide conference at Mid-Pacific Institute that the Wai'anae Coast led the state in unemployment, in lack of medical insurance, in lower-status and lower-paying jobs, in being under the poverty level and in receiving public assistance benefits and on welfare.
As evidenced by today's high number of students in special-education classes and low test scores, it can be safely said, "Nothing much has changed since 1987."
The Kamehameha Schools' proposal will go a long way to correct the injustice to these kids by providing them an improved opportunity to succeed in learning and to succeed in society. And everyone, including the unions, should support this effort.
Bill Prescott
Wai'anae
Harris should identify Democratic accusers
Robert Watada, executive director of the state Campaign Spending Commission, is to be commended for the excellent job he and his staff are doing in trying to carry out the commission's mission.
From all I have read in the newspapers and seen on television, Watada is the type of no-nonsense executive we need more of in the various commissions, boards, committees and other groups that are created to serve the citizens of Hawai'i.
Mayor Jeremy Harris, on the other hand, acts like the kid who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Instead of taking responsibility and holding himself accountable for his own shortcomings, he lashes out and blames everyone else for his predicament.
He blames a conspiracy among other Democrats for trying to derail his campaign to become the next governor of Hawai'i. If he knows who the conspirators are, he has a moral obligation to either identify them or shut up. By making such general charges without any evidence, he is unfairly tarnishing the reputation of all leading Democrats in Hawai'i who are not actively supporting him.
The people of Hawai'i deserve more from Mayor Harris than unsubstantiated allegations against the credibility, character and honesty of political leaders and public servants.
William T. Kinaka
Wailuku
How could Midway be closed to public?
A special thanks to Jan TenBruggencate for his articles exposing the Midway Island closure to the public. Without those articles, the public would never know of this terrible situation.
Apparently the vendor, Midway Phoenix Corp., cannot reach an agreement with the Fish and Wildlife Service on being allowed to operate an ecotourism destination.
As one in a group of over 20 people planning to visit Midway this year, along with 17 UH-Hilo students, this is most disappointing. We are in limbo, hoping for a solution. Aloha Airlines says it has not canceled the flight bookings as it is uncertain how to proceed.
Midway was the last remaining Northwestern Hawaiian atoll that the public could easily access and experience. Only a select few associated with Fish and Wildlife or other agencies can now have access.
Since there is significant economic loss to Hawai'i, how will Fish and Wildlife explain this? It says it will find other operators, but no announcement has been made to the public on how and when.
It is hard to understand how, or why, Fish and Wildlife would let this happen. The public needs answers.
Robert Johnston
Correction: Brian Minaai is director of the state Department of Transportation. A wrong first name was given in a previous version of these letters.
