Letters to the Editor

Long-term care must be affordable

Affordable long-term care is a necessary part of Hawai'i's life, not only for the elderly, but for the disabled young.

We need to keep those needing care in their own homes, in the midst of their families, and their caregivers need respite.

Families spend all of their savings in a very short time for loved ones who need care in nursing homes and hospitals.

Long-term-care insurance needs to be borne by all, as in Social Security. We need to keep long-term care in our psyche so that it becomes an integral part of our approach to human service and the common good.

Sheila Gardiner

Let voters decide on Hawai'i gambling

I'm from an area outside Atlantic City that was an economic wasteland before casinos were built. Now all my friends have good-paying jobs where there were none before. They are buying homes, and the school system has benefited enormously from the tax dollars.

I now live in Wai'anae, a lot like my hometown before the casinos: no jobs. You have to drive to town for work, and it takes over an hour because our lawmakers can't raise the speed limits to a normal rate like the rest of the U.S. God forbid some of these poor welfare folks get a good job at a casino.

If our lawmakers won't speak for us, just let us vote on it. We all know it would pass 4 to 1.

E. Wida
Wai'anae

Offshore casinos would end up in town

Gambling in Missouri started out on riverboats that cruised up and down the Missouri River. The casino owners convinced the politicians that it was unsafe to cruise the river, and wouldn't it be great if the boats just stayed tied to the docks? We can't take the chance that someone might drown.

Then they said if the boats are just tied to the dock, why do we need motors? Then they convinced the politicians that because the river might flood, it would be better if the gambling boats were in private ponds or moats hundreds of yards from the river.

Eventually the speaker of the House in the Missouri Legislature was convicted of taking bribes from the casinos. He went to prison.

If you get gambling boats on the beach at Waikiki, it won't be long before they convince your politicians that someone might drown. Pretty soon the boats will need to be up by Punchbowl or the Pali because a tsunami might get them.

Oh, yeah, that money from gambling that was supposed to go to the schools? Haven't seen it.

James E. Grimes
Wathena, Kan.

U.S. should probe local airline merger

I would like to see the U.S. Justice Department initiate a full-scale investigation into the Aloha-Hawaiian airlines merger. Because such collaboration would violate the Sherman Antitrust Act, a federal statute, this matter falls under its purview.

Further, I honestly believe that Aloha and Hawaiian have clearly ignored their responsibilities to the citizens of Hawai'i as outlined in the scope of their articles of incorporation.

Daria Jacobs

Airline merger good

Anyone who thinks our long-range strategic interests are best served by two marginally profitable local carriers is shortsighted. Jobs lost in the short run will mean more jobs and more autonomy for Hawai'i in the long run. This is good business for a change.

Jim McKellar

Cameras won't be able to catch drinkers

While many people have written voicing concerns about a proliferation of traffic tickets from the new traffic cams, my concern is that police scrutiny will be lessened.

News reports of traffic fatalities usually name speed and alcohol or drugs as concomitant causes of these accidents. As traffic cameras replace police officers in highway vigilance, instead of the possibility of being stopped, tested and arrested, these drunken or drugged speeders now have only to be concerned about a mailed citation.

Robert Chanin
Kailua

How can state fight speeding citation?

Let me get this straight: Marilyn Kali of the state Department of Transportation is going to bat to fight a speeding ticket for a private citizen who just so happens to work for a firm that was awarded a state contract from her department. She is going to conduct an investigation utilizing the power of her position and her department to help this citizen fight a ticket issued by one of Honolulu's finest.

Isn't this a matter between only the citizen, the officer who issued the ticket and ultimately the traffic court?

As a taxpayer and a citizen of this state, I certainly hope that Kali will extend to me the resources of her office and department if and when I receive a speeding ticket in the mail. Marilyn, I'll be calling for your help soon.

Mike Waggoner

Highway camera vans show state contempt

If these highway camera vans do not show the contempt and disregard that politicians and state officials have for the people, I don't know what will.

They must believe that we can't see that millions of dollars will be funneled out of the state through gambling, photo-citations and rising insurance rates.

Buy Hawai'i? Ha! Who are they kidding?

L. Higa

Is state ignoring the rule of evidence?

Your Jan. 5 article "Family pursues justice in car crash" says the "family has been told by police that the case was going to be dropped because of a lack of evidence ... police had no proof that the man they believe was driving the car ... was actually behind the wheel."

Yet the state Department of Transportation, in its use of traffic cameras, seems not to be restricted by the same rule of evidence. The DOT states, instead, that the registered owner of the car is responsible even though the DOT has no evidence that the owner was the driver actually behind the wheel. This becomes even more bizarre when there are two registered owners, such as husband and wife.

Is the DOT attempting to become an actual "Hawai'i 5-0," similar to the mythical state police force of TV fame that was subject only to rules set by its producers?

John C. Burgess
Kailua

Closing off freeway for politician correct

I can share Bryan Geoffrey's frustration when the freeway was shut down on Jan. 5 (Letters, Jan. 9). He is correct in his observation that these closures are reserved for heads of state for security purposes.

Elected officials such as members of Congress are not entitled to this privilege. Dennis Hastert, who is speaker of the House, would become the president of the United States should President Bush and Vice President Cheney become incapacitated. Therefore, he was provided with the necessary security protocol due to the post-Sept. 11 times. It is not normally the case.

Howard Chong Jr.
Bush-Cheney 2000 Committee