Last year's 9/11 tragedy and subsequent security mandates created long lines for our visitors where there were none before. A drop in revenues from our shops and concessions has drastically affected our Airports Division operating funds for Honolulu International Airport. As lease revenues fall short, the state must look to the airlines to make up the difference. Therefore, all airport expenditures are closely monitored.

The funding halt for the Hookipa Aloha Council was based on several factors: A preliminary audit of their expenditures revealed that a high percentage was spent on administrative costs and not trickling down to the volunteers; the consolidation of other volunteer entertainment programs at the airport was determined to be more cost effective using our own in-house personnel; and the airport needed to use its resources on shortening the queues through the security checkpoints.

While the loss of funding has curtailed Hookipa-sponsored performances, two Hawaiian musical programs are presented every Friday for our visitors in partnership with the Musicians Union. There are also plans for our department's visitor information program to coordinate an airport-administered volunteer program that will include musical entertainment.

In the meantime, volunteer entertainers are more than welcome to perform their aloha at the airport once again.

Brian K. Minaai
State director of transportation

Older boat owners should be grandfathered

I am a 63-year-old disabled citizen diagnosed with both a serious heart condition and severe chronic depression.

A couple of years ago, when it was obvious I couldn't work any longer, I put the last of my small savings into an old sailboat and retired to the Ala Wai Harbor for a life of solitude. My Social Security pension is my total monthly allowance — so I have to stretch every dollar to be able to afford the current rent and eat a meal each day.

With the proposed fee increase, it will be impossible for me to stay at the Ala Wai. The new rent would be more than my total monthly Social Security income. I would have to find a single room somewhere.

The state plan would all but empty the Ala Wai in an exodus of boats, greatly reducing income to the state.

My plan is to allow the existing registered boat slip renters to stay at their current rate and have all newcomers pay the proposed increased rate. When a current boat owner moves or dies, it's over.

How much longer can the existing registered boat owners be around? Most of us are near to being senior citizens now. Don't punish us. We can't start over.

Bernard Morry

Fee increase isn't justified right now

Working with the existing income at Ala Wai Harbor will provide for all its needs and more. Accountability for 100 percent of the income earned here needs to begin today.

If you continue to take funds from this money machine and not take care of the machine, it will break down. Rebuilding this harbor with the existing funds will take time. It took quite some time for it to decay as it has.

We are the majority. Is there a larger majority of citizens who oppose leaving the slip fees the same? Until all the money provided by our slip fees is used for our harbor only, a fee increase is premature.

To hand the harbor off to a private company reflects our inability to manage as a government. If the DLNR cannot handle this due to a lack of time or staff, change the staff now, not the fees.

Boating is a pleasure and a responsibility. Please work with the citizens supporting our harbor — we are not just tenants, we are a community.

Joseph Marlow

Honor Patsy's memory with a prudent vote

Am I the only one angered by the Democrats' pleas for everyone to keep on voting for a lady who is divinely called?

Mrs. Mink was an exceptional individual and invaluable congresswoman and our state is somewhat diminished by her passing. So let us honor her memory by asking ourselves what Mrs. Mink would want us to do under this current candidacy dilemma.

I do not know Mrs. Mink personally, but what I could gather from her public declarations and congressional stands that she would want us to save $4 million and use it for numerous worthy causes and concede to her current opponent.

We are not compromising our representation by voting for the other guy. People who choose to run for a prominent public office are prodded on by constituents' trust in their character and personal accomplishments, tempered with a solid academic background.

Dan Inouye's insistence that we should vote Democratic to ensure a capable representative is belittling other people's and party's ability to represent. A party association is not a guarantee of a capable representative.

I appeal to all voters who feel the crunch of our state economy to honor Patsy Mink's life by observing what she vehemently stands for: curtailing government spending. Do not be fooled by the Democrats' ploy that $4 million is a worthwhile investment to ensure our state is efficiently represented.