Posted on: Saturday, May 25, 2002

Letters to the Editor

We're not getting NBA playoffs live

"Love It Live" is the catch phrase that the NBA chose to promote the playoffs this year; unfortunately, Oceanic Cable never caught it.

What true sports fan wants to come home from work to watch a three-hour-old game? When it comes to games of this importance, even 10 minutes would be too long of a delay.

Today you can catch scores live on the Internet or tune to ESPN and catch all the highlights or even better yet you can get a satellite dish like many of the local bars and "Love It Live" as the NBA intended it to be.

Vic Arvizu

Kobayashi sincere, brave in her efforts

I wish to acknowledge, support and thank Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi for her sincere and brave efforts in her attempt to rein in and pare the city budget.

I don't know the many nuances of the city's operating budget, but I know that there exists a big problem in the city's projected revenue shortfall. We have been on a "credit card government" for too long.

Now Kobayashi is faced with many people and agencies bellyaching about her proposed cuts, organizing to discredit her and crying "not in my back yard." If we do not take positive and unselfish actions to mitigate our looming financial debacle now, the questions are "If not now, when?" and "If not us, who?"

I don't think there is anyone else on the City Council who would want the very tough budget chairmanship. And given the present financial plight of the city, I doubt if anyone else can do a better job than Kobayashi. Budget hearings, one lasting over 13 hours with almost 200 people testifying, would undo anyone.

Thank you, Ann, for taking the heat, flak and criticism to help us. You are doing a tremendous public service for all of us — the ofttimes unsuspecting and hapless taxpayers of Hawai'i.

Wyman Au
Salt Lake

Police officer ignored flagrant violation

On Friday, May 17, I was disgusted by the actions of an HPD patrolman.

As I walked to work down Bishop Street at 6:30 a.m., I noticed a patrol car parked behind a red Mercedes convertible, which was parked illegally outside Starbucks. As curiosity consumed me, I waited to see the results of the blatant violation.

After three minutes passed, a middle-aged female strolled out of Starbucks sipping her steamy cup of coffee. Recognizing that she had been caught in her violation, she smiled and walked up to the HPD officer. They proceeded to have what can be assumed to be a polite conversation, and without a citation, she slipped into her car and drove away.

While the city is on a rampage to address the issues of speeding and jaywalking, evidently the HPD is in no hurry to enforce parking violations, especially ones that could affect downtown rush-hour traffic on a Friday morning. This is clearly another example of HPD hard — I mean hardly — at work.

Joshua Delio

Democratic attacks on Bush uncalled for

Sue Doucette
Kailua