That's odd. As recently as December 2000, the governor himself stressed, "The money left in the fund should be returned to the homeowners who paid for insurance" (Star-Bulletin, Dec. 9).

If the governor is right and people have been "duped," then he gets credit for the duping.

Of course, no one has been duped. Indeed, the governor was right in December, just as the Republicans are right now, and just as the people who paid into the fund have been right all along. The fund's surplus — now $230 million — is theirs, and it should go back to them.

A final curious note: The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs is the state agency responsible for regulating insurance — and knowing what is and is not an insurance company. DCCA also plays a role in administering the hurricane fund. Quoted in the same Dec. 9 article, Katheryn Matayoshi, the director of DCCA, said this: "The state is not an insurance company. ... The fund was created for a crisis, and we aren't in this to make money."

She's right on both counts. Now let's do the right thing and give the money back.

Rep. Joe Gomes
R-51st District (Waimanalo, Keolu Hills, Lanikai)

Save social services by using hurricane fund

The budget shortfall facing the state is tremendous. Already the Legislature, in discussions with the directors of the various state departments, is talking about major cuts to programs that provide support to Hawai'i's most vulnerable citizens — our children.

Proposed cuts include after-school programs, children and youth programs, child abuse and neglect services and domestic violence intervention, as well as public safety programs and elder-care services, to name only a few.

What is being discussed will destroy the already fragile safety net that is in place to support Hawai'i's children, families and communities. Most of these cuts are directed toward the nonprofit sector, which already is operating on strained budgets brought about by the increased needs since 9/11 and budget cuts from 1997.

One source of funding that would continue to support these necessary programs is the use of the Hawai'i Hurricane Relief Fund. The HHRF was developed during the time when local and national insurance companies would no longer provide this kind of coverage.

Yes, there is the possibility that those times could return. However, these funds are needed now for a different type of disaster prevention — support of the needed services within the state for children, families, youth and the elderly.

It will take political courage to transfer a portion of the HHRF to maintain these services. Our legislators need your support in assisting them to make very difficult decisions.

Lydia Hardie Kowalkowski
Blueprint for Change

'Helping hands' one homeless solution

The National Coalition of the Homeless in Washington, D.C., rates Honolulu as one of the 12 "meanest" cities for the treatment of the poor and homeless in its national report released in January. There have been many recent articles in The Advertiser on the homeless plight as well.

One report recounts the city's systematic removal of the homeless from the newly renovated A'ala Park area, and how they have been limiting city permits required for volunteers who provide food to these unfortunates. The reality is that there is no place for these vagrants to go, as Honolulu's shelters are full and remain sorely underfunded. Innovative steps need to be taken now before the situation spirals even further out of control.

To the best of our ability, we need to get the homeless off the street and initiate humane long-term solutions and outreach. It is obvious that additional shelters and programs are needed and that local government needs to prioritize its spending and start construction.

Of course, they will only do so if the community gets involved by pressuring them into it. An election is approaching, and now is the time for voters to contact their legislators. The next step is to see that many of the capable homeless get the assistance they need to re-establish themselves in the community.

I recommend the establishment of a "helping hands" program for the homeless who are eligible. There are many handicapped, elderly or just plain lonely folks in our community who desire a live-in helper or companion.

The "helping hands" program matches people without a home to those with one who have needs, too. This innovative program offers a reciprocal arrangement that can provide security and happiness to all of those involved.

Stacy Thourot

Health plans do reveal pertinent information

I would like to thank Martin Simons for his Feb. 21 letter. It provides me with an opportunity to correct a common misconception being advanced by state officials regarding health plan rate regulation.

Some officials would like you to believe that health plans do not reveal any information about their rates and that new legislation is required to get it. That is incorrect. It is political rhetoric in order to gain support for passage of legislation that gives the insurance commissioner new powers over private health plans.

While I cannot speak for other plans, I can assure you that HMSA has been asked by the insurance division over the years to provide financial information about rates. And all of the necessary data have been provided. Employer groups will ask for similar information, and it is presented to them as well. No one, Mr. Simons, is "afraid" to explain how rates are calculated.

Ask yourself, "If this legislation is only concerned with looking at rates, and that information is freely available now, then why do we need another law?" The answer is simple. It's not just about looking at rates. It's about granting the insurance commissioner new powers to arbitrarily decide where rates ought to be set. Any way you slice it, that's rate-setting by state government.

There is absolutely no guarantee that government-mandated rates will improve access, quality or affordability. In fact, it's a risky scheme. We believe it will do harm to all of Hawai'i's nonprofit health plans and our current system of care. Therefore, it is a bad idea.

Cliff K. Cisco
Senior vice president, HMSA

ERS trustees should be held accountable

The disingenuous response of the state's Employee Retirement System trustees to the recommendation of Callan Associates to terminate 3Bridge Capital should not go unnoticed by the public for the utterly dishonest message it sent to the people most affected: our state employees and all of us as taxpayers.

I chair the board of a pension fund with assets valued at $50 million. Believe me when I say we, as trustees, listen intently to the advice of our investment consultant and respond appropriately to his recommendations. To do otherwise is an abridgement of our fiduciary responsibilities and could subject us to charges of fraud and collusion.

The absolutely dismal performance of 3Bridge, together with its linkage to the former ERS administrator, provides indisputable reasons for the immediate termination of 3Bridges.

The ultimate issue here, as is the case most often with the state, is accountability. In the real world, people may lose their jobs or, worse yet, get sent to prison for their screw-ups. But in the Alice-in-Wonderland called state government, the ERS trustees continue on their merry way, blissfully free of any accountability they ought to bear for the diminishment of ERS plan assets.

Robert T. Guard
President and general manager, McCabe, Hamilton & Renny Co.

Once again, Wahine suffer from NCAA's bias

So, the NCAA selection committee has once again left Vince Goo's Rainbow Wahine out of "The Dance." That is deplorable and an injustice to a team that had a great regular season capped by an almost-Cinderella WAC tournament.

But lest we think the NCAA's bias and unfair treatment of talented, high-achievement teams is directed exclusively against the Wahine, we should look at the stellar won-lost records of other teams snubbed by the NCAA and forced to find post-season satisfaction in the WNIT or not at all.

From the highest percentage down, the list of 20-win teams in the WNIT includes Valparaiso (24-6), Ball State (23-6), Delaware (23-6), Sienna (23-6), Hawai'i (23-7), Holy Cross (23-7), St. Joseph's (23-7), Eastern Kentucky (22-7), Houston (22-7), North Texas (21-8), Vermont (21-8), Rice (21-8) and UNC Greensboro (21-9).All won at least 70 percent of their games.

The Rainbow Wahine will be in good company if they advance through the WNIT. We should congratulate Goo and his Rainbow Wahine on this season's accomplishments and wish them success in the WNIT without wallowing in the NCAA selection committee's annual slight of a fine program.

Michael Ho

It's all about respect for coach June Jones?

Help me understand why the UH coaching situation hasn't been resolved. If it's not about the money, what is it about?

So coach June Jones is respected, but not as much as he should be. Let me see if I understand correctly. Disrespect is shown when other coaches with lesser credentials make more money than he. So while this standoff isn't really about money, a strong indicator of respect is money? And having an agent helps a person gain greater respect?

Oh, I see, the agent is a "respect expert" since he has an image to maintain for his current and future clients. So a coach's agent doesn't feel totally respected either?

You know, suddenly I understand the IRS better. All they really want is a little more respect.

Coach Jones is a good fit at UH, and hopefully he will get the respect he wants.

Russell Stephen Pang

Gays and lesbians are experienced travelers

Regarding Eduardo Hernandez' March 3 letter chastising the HVCB for ignoring tourism's emerging groups such as the upscale gay and lesbian travelers: I have to agree.

An effective bureau will need to be agile and open in uncertain economic times, as other travel destinations and providers have been.

I would encourage anyone within the tourist industry to study the research of Community Marketing, a San Francisco-based gay and lesbian travel consulting and communications firm, which reports that in 12 months of American gay and lesbian travelers:

• 91 percent took vacations (national average is 64 percent).

• 49 percent took three or more vacations.

• 54 percent took an international vacation (national average is 9 percent).

• 82 percent spent five or more nights in hotels.

• 20 percent took a cruise (national average is about 2 percent).

The full report can be found at www.mark8ing.com/These numbers are hard to ignore when our state's economy and so many industry workers are suffering from a downturn in travel.

Jeff Tidwell
Kapa'a

'Sharing' information on war effort wrong

Once again our shining beacon for liberalism in Hawai'i comes out in favor of "sharing" information about our military plans and objectives.

The March 11 editorial echoes the sentiments of our esteemed liberal Sens. Daschle and McCainthat "Congress, the American people and our allies should have an understanding of where all this effort is headed, how much it will cost and how long it might last."

Well, I ask the editorial staff of The Advertiser, along with our dear liberal senators: Did bin Laden call Hawai'i Kai resident Georgine Corrigan at her hotel room in Boston on Sept. 11 to "share" the information that today would be her last before she stepped onto United flight 93? Or did he notify the local police and fire departments in New York the day before to tell everybody to hug theirs wives and children a little tighter before they went to work because they might never see them again? Or did he hang notices in the lobby of both World Trade Center towers a few days before Sept. 11 to "share" the information that it wouldn't be wise to show up for work that day?

The extremists we are up against operate in total silence in order to achieve maximal surprise. In order for us to protect our troops in the field and accomplish our obvious objectives, we need to ignore the harmful voices on the left, support our president and stay the course in total silence.

Joe O'Neill

Symphony concert a wonderful memory

When my husband and I leave Hawai'i at the end of the week to return to the Mainland, we will have a wonderful memory of the way we spent our last Sunday, March 10: attending a very exciting Honolulu Symphony concert.

The selections, Mahler's 4th Symphony and Schwantner's Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra, showcased the orchestra's ability not only to perform a familiar piece but also to introduce a highly original modern selection.

Under the baton of guest conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson, the orchestra once again expanded our appreciation of fine music.