Letters to the Editor

State 'sunshine' agency needs more resources

For years I have been watching the slow demise of our state's Office of Information Practices. The OIP serves the critical function in our democracy of determining what government records are available to the people.

In the past, the OIP had a national reputation for the work it had accomplished in making government records available to the public. The OIP also played a major role in fostering ethics in government, merely by making government more transparent.

However, the OIP has had its budget cut back time and again to a point where it can hardly be expected to perform its duties. I believe that not enough people in Hawai'i fully understand the important role the OIP performs for our state. Yet, the OIP can hardly be expected to be responsive without adequate resources.

Senate Bill No. 2545 has been introduced this legislative session to establish a commission to determine where the OIP should be permanently housed in our state government. The bill would also require the commission to review the laws administered by the OIP.

This bill, I believe, should instead be amended to provide to the OIP the resources it needs to do its work. Finding a place for the OIP is not a difficult problem. The problem is giving the OIP the resources it needs to operate.

I urge people to contact their legislators to re-establish an agency that plays a vital role in good government.

Daniel J. Mollway
Executive director, Hawai'i State Ethics Commission

Now's not the time for budgeting timidity

Amen to your March 15 lead editorial, "Construction budget must not slip away."

Hawai'i is in an economic crisis. Yet the House has cut the governor's $900 million construction budget proposal by more than half a billion dollars. What's more, the House would hurt our children's future by more cuts in the public education budget and would eliminate funding for a new campus for West O'ahu.

This is not the time for such timidity or misplaced "prudence." It is the time for bold action to get Hawai'i's economy moving again. The House slashings bring to mind the discredited economics of President Hoover at the beginning of the Great Depression. We learned long ago that priming the pump is the answer to such economic downturns.

While I'm sure the House speaker and Finance Committee chairman want to safeguard our bond ratings, that is a minor and temporary concern to the suffering of thousands who are without work or are underemployed. And this time Japan will not bail us out.

We can only hope the Senate will move to stave off the impending disaster and the House will see the light in conference committee. Otherwise, disaster is at the door.

Al Lynde
'Ewa Beach

Tap into OHA, leave hurricane fund alone

As a concerned resident, taxpayer and homeowner, I follow with great interest the discussions concerning the state's budget shortfall and ideas to correct the shortfall. To date, discussions seem to be centered on the use of $100 million of the Hawai'i Hurricane Relief Fund.

As a homeowner, this proposal concerns me because money will not be available to all of the homeowners, including myself, who paid into the fund in the event a hurricane strikes the state.

I suggest our lawmakers consider using part or all of the $350 million of our taxpayer money now held by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs rather than using the hurricane fund.

Act 304 SLH 1990 is the law that gave OHA 20 percent of gross revenues (more than the entire net income from the public land trust) and led to the appropriation of $130 million to OHA from the general fund in 1993. This, with later appropriations, enabled OHA to accumulate its $350 million horde, and it threatened the state with liability for an additional $300 million to $1.2 billion.

Fortunately, the Hawai'i Supreme Court decided in OHA vs. State of Hawai'i on Sept. 12, 2001, that Act 304 was "repealed by its own terms." That means there is now no legal basis for OHA to hold our money. It is now time to "think outside the box."

Patricia A. Carroll
Waipahu

Senate GOP against merger from the start

At the beginning of the legislative session, the Senate Republicans introduced a package of bills collectively known as the "Breaking the Monopoly" package. Contained in the collection of measures were two resolutions opposing the Aloha-Hawaiian merger.

It was recognized early by our caucus that this proposed merger would be extremely detrimental to free enterprise in Hawai'i — a monopoly on interisland air travel in the true sense of the word. The proposed merger between the two carriers would have left Hawai'i with a single interisland carrier for the first time in more than 50 years, which would have effectively increased the cost of interisland airline tickets for Hawai'i's consumers as well as erode the quality of service.

The proposed merger would have also nearly monopolized freight operations in Hawai'i, resulting in higher rates for the daily delivery of essential goods and products to Neighbor Island and Honolulu consumers such as mail, fresh flowers, fish, newspapers, construction materials and electronics.

We are relieved that this proposed merger has been called off. It would have contributed to an already unfriendly business climate in Hawai'i.

Sen. Sam Slom
Minority leader

Sen. Fred Hemmings
Minority floor leader

Sen. Bob Hogue
Minority policy leader

Harris should resign so we can be served

The thrust of your March 16 editorial, "Electorate deserves quick resolution in Harris case," has an erroneous basis. It should instead have emphasized that the electorate deserves a full-time mayor.

Harris can quickly resolve this matter by resigning instead of remaining in office and using taxpayers' money to finance his campaign. His is at best a part-time administration, relying on fluff instead of substance to "serve" the people.

Downtown traffic is a mess. Raw sewage is being dumped into Ke'ehi Lagoon. There are cost overruns in Hanauma Bay construction. Yet a great deal of time and public funds are used to put on brunches and dinners on the beach and vision projects that cost $600,000, for neighborhood signs in East Honolulu and millions for canoe sheds.

These extravagances have now required the city to dip into the sewer fund to balance the next budget.

Harris is not serving us by staying on. He is only serving his ambitions. He should resign immediately so someone can serve the public full-time.

H. Lau

KHNL manipulated its No. 1 news ranking

Your March 19 article on KHNL's "win" over KHON in the 10 p.m. news wars failed to report the real story.

By running the Olympics coverage until 10:10 each night, KHNL forced its viewers to watch its late news if they wanted to know the top local stories of the day because by the time the Olympics were over, so was one-third of KHON's more popular newscast with Joe Moore.

Now, I see where KHNL is running commercials thanking Hawai'i for making its 10 p.m. news No. 1. Thanks to its scheduling, one had no other option other than switching stations before Olympics coverage was over.

Shame on NBC and KHNL for manipulating their viewers and their ratings and for your failure to report this manipulation.

Gordon Hino