Posted on: Thursday, June 13, 2002
Letters to the Editor
Doctor conduct needs more than just reform
The June 8 editorial "Physician discipline in Hawai'i needs reform" should be placed in its larger context. Americans should be outraged and demand much more than "reform" of every aspect of physician conduct.
National statistics indicate that physicians are the third leading cause of death in America (after heart disease and cancer, in which physicians also play prominent roles).
An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the most prestigious medical journal in America, determined that each year physicians are responsible for deaths due to: 12,000 unnecessary surgeries, 7,000 medication errors in hospitals, 20,000 other errors in hospitals, 80,000 infections in hospitals and 106,000 non-error, negative effects of physician-prescribed drugs.
The total is more than 200,000 deaths per year.
Yet, as pointed out in The New England Journal of Medicine, America has the most expensive medical system in the world.
Reform? Way too mild a word in response to such a disgrace.
Terence C. Wade
Non-physicians can't provide proper review
A Regulated Industries Complaints Office staff "that has no particular medical expertise" and a Legislature that would have even less cannot be the ones who lead an assessment of the current process of physician discipline. To do so would risk violation of a fundamental medical practice oath: to first do no additional harm.
Rather, as The Advertiser has suggested, "it should be local physicians and other medical professionals who lead the charge for (any) reform." In this way, the second fundamental medical practice oath for physicians to take responsibility to heal themselves will be fulfilled.
"Wherever the art of medicine is respected," Hippocrates noted in 400 B.C., "there is also respect for humanity." Extreme human and respectful care, therefore, is essential in creating any disciplinary process for those who themselves are caregivers.
Irv Rubin
Concession law is the biggest problem
Your editorial comment of June 6 that "Hawai'i airport shops must adapt to times" is correct.
The new business model you suggest in your conclusion will require more than adding concessions and reconfiguring the terminal. The problem of declining revenues facing concessionaires is certainly the result of the downturn of passenger traffic, which began even before Sept. 11. The real devil is the concession law requiring the award of contracts based on the highest responsive bid. To win a potentially lucrative exclusive airport contract, one must bid high, set prices at the highest the traffic will allow, and hope the forecast of passengers results in revenues that exceed the minimum annual guarantee to the airport. It will work in good times and fail in bad. Alternatively, nonexclusive contracts should be awarded on the basis of a request for proposal for a fixed rent plus percentage of gross revenues. To offer a variety of services for a moving target of customers, the airport needs the flexibility of negotiating the terms of the concession contract that a request-for-proposal process could offer.
Moving the security screening stations has been tried in the past. Finding an alternative to the present location is made difficult by the location of four of the most convenient departure gates and the multi-level Wiki-Wiki transit system. Concession shops before the screening point do not guarantee increased revenues, as has been the experience with the layout at Hilo and other airports. Ground transportation revenues — taxis, rental cars, tour buses and parking — can provide substantial improvement to the revenue picture. However, like the departure tax, it is politically sensitive and will require fortitude to implement a sound business plan for Hawai'i's airports in spite of the detractors.
Owen Miyamoto
Forbes proves we need to throw the bums out
The May 27 issue of Forbes, page 130, should be required reading for every resident of Hawai'i: "Trouble in paradise — Why doing business in Honolulu has become nearly equivalent to suicide."
It says to a national audience what we here have known for years: Small business, 95 percent of Honolulu's employers, is being crushed. Honolulu gets the booby prize for economic development. The state taxes everything that moves but routinely raids funds like the hurricane and petroleum clean-up funds to balance the budget.
The city doesn't pay for services like education or highways but routinely has to borrow to meet its payroll.
It squarely puts a great deal of blame for our rank as ninth most expensive place to do business in the United States on the fact that a whopping 24 percent of the workforce is unionized as compared to the national average of 12 percent.
How embarrassing, how shameful, how ripe for change!
Apathy, special interests and good-old-boyism are killing paradise. Register, vote and throw the bums out.
Martha Harding
Family is grateful for help after fire
A couple of weeks ago, my parents and younger sister lost their house in a fire. I would like to extend much gratitude to all the people who have come to their aid.
First, thank you to "Larry." I believe that he was an off-duty firefighter, as he was able to call the Wai'anae Fire Station directly when there was difficulty with 911. He also kept my mom from trying to go back into the house to save what she could. We may have lost more than material possessions if not for him.
I would also like to thank the volunteers at the Red Cross for all of their help on the day of the fire, and for also helping my family to find housing so quickly.
And also, to our family and friends who have lent emotional and spiritual support in our time of need: My family and I thank you for all that you have done and for the continued support you give so tirelessly.
Melissa Manzano
Kamehameha Schools should be color-blind
The highest court of our land has decided that kanaka maoli are a race of people with no special relationship to the government like Indian tribes.
It has also allowed damages while ruling that a private school on the Mainland that was not receiving any federal money still violated the Civil Rights Act by excluding an African American from admission.
It clearly stated that racially discriminatory admission contracts are prohibited by the Civil Rights Act even if the school does not receive federal funds.
If Hawaiians are indeed a race like any other, one wonders how is it that Kamehameha Schools can exclude other races from admission? That also might violate the Civil Rights Act. In the eyes of the law, there is no difference between African Americans and Hawaiian Americans, and all American schools, public or private, are required to be color-blind in the execution of school admissions contracts.
Should an applicant who is not Hawaiian be denied admission on the basis of race, perhaps he or she also could recover damages from Kamehameha and its trustees.
Paul de Silva
Sen. Menor's position on price cap correct Sen. Ron Menor supported the gasoline price cap based on facts and with the best interests of Hawai'i consumers in mind. It was very evident by his May 2 floor speech that he had done his homework on this issue. His words to his fellow senators were sincere, compelling, accurate and addressed all concerns.
As the consumer protection chairman, this issue weighed heavily upon his shoulders. He had a responsibility to bring fairness to all parties involved.
This gas price cap is a very complex issue that cannot be compared to regulating the price of a hamburger, and Sen. Menor surely had many sleepless nights searching for alternatives to the problem of high gas prices in Hawai'i.
As consumers, we must now be cautious of the oil companies' free-market campaign to allow the market to fix itself. It hasn't and it won't. Remember, only a few dealers out of 100 or so dealers in this state showed up to protest and support the oil companies' position despite a massive campaign by the oil companies soliciting dealers.
Thank you, Sen. Menor, for your commitment to the consumers of Hawai'i.
Frank Young
The perfect way to spend a hot day
On a recent, stiflingly hot weekend, I struggled to think of an activity I could do with my little girl. Rather than hibernate in a dark movie theater, I decided to head down to the Sheraton Moana Surfrider Hotel to play tourist.
We had a delightful, fun and relaxing afternoon. The staff at the Moana was so considerate and conscious of our every need. When I pulled up to the valet, he took one look at me, my baby and my cooler and asked "Poolside? Let me help you with that bag." I had initially worried that perhaps I would have to do the traditional sneak-in. Instead I was unabashedly welcomed. The valet didn't even gawk at my incredibly messy car.
The waiter, though young and new, checked on us and delivered every single nitty-gritty item we asked for, without a single snide look and always with a smile. Even the pool guys, seeing that my baby had discarded her loose swimming suit, actually gave us swim trunks and extra towels for us to use. For my child, the pool and the ocean could not have been more fun. She delighted in swimming with other little children. For me, I enjoyed talking to the tourists and parents as we waded in the pool. Indeed, tourists are still amazed that people actually are born and raised here. Waikiki Beach, crowded and all, is brimming with activity and eye-candy to keep children and adults alike endlessly entertained. Back at the Moana, my child munched on an early dinner of grilled mahi-mahi and grilled veggies, that, for once, I did not have to cook. Meanwhile, as the sun set and the end of this awesome afternoon drew near, my daughter quietly napped as I sipped happily on the best darn Mai Tai in this entire state. It is a tough time for our state, our economy and our No. 1 industry, tourism. The Sheraton Moana Surfrider recognizes that its kama'aina visitor is its most cherished guest. It showed me that it welcomed and appreciated my patronage to its most respectable establishment. I urge everyone to take their families to Waikiki and enjoy what millions of people pay big bucks to come here for: true aloha.
Malia Manol
Parade organization was sorely lacking
The Kamehameha Day Parade has just gone by and I am puzzled by something: Whose bright idea was it to place nearly all the bands next to each other?
There were incredibly long segments of the parade with no musical entertainment whatsoever, then suddenly several bands one after the other, each one trying to outdo the rest. The viewers were faced with a horrible cacophony that dramatically diminished the enjoyment of the event for everyone involved, including, I suspect, the marchers themselves.
One of these bands was a visiting high school band whose members probably spent thousands of hours raising the funds to make this once-in-a-lifetime trip, only to be placed in front of the very professional Marine Band. All of their hard work, and nobody could hear them for the music of the Marines. Not a ton of aloha in that.
Perhaps the organizers could learn a bit more about organizing before it's time for the next parade.
Andrew Thomas
Blame the government, not librarian, for fiasco
The Kapolei Library fiasco is just the latest example of the state government working backward. Those days of "build it and they will come" are long gone if "it" is not properly equipped, staffed, on-line and ready to use by the public.
I applaud state Librarian Virginia Lowell for her commitment to building the best facilities for the public to utilize. She is being paid to make the hard decisions that come with this highly qualified position. Let's allow her to do her job.
Our public librarians are not your children's baby-sitters. They are educated, dedicated professionals who are trained to provide assistance as needed. Let them do their job.
Dolwin Matsumoto
Boon for cardiologists
It is certainly encouraging to see McDonald's concern for the nutritional needs of our state by adding Spam to its menu. It's good for Hormel, too. And later, more work for the HMOs.
Dave Ashworth
Waimanalo
Mililani
Hilo
Former owner of K&Y Chevron
Kailua
Kapolei
