Posted on: Saturday, April 5, 2003

Letters to the Editor

Long-term-care plan lacks accountability

According to a February series on elder neglect and abuse in Hawai'i, "three-quarters of abuse and neglect cases investigated by Adult Protective Services in Hawai'i involve victims 60 and older. Victims are more often female, and perpetrators are most often relatives."

Let's see if I have this straight. We are now going to pass a long-term-care tax plan that would hand over in excess of $25,000 a year to family members in order to care for the elderly at home? If the abusers are "most often relatives," how can senior advocates speak out of both sides of their mouths and entrust millions of dollars to the very people they target for elder neglect and abuse? Where is the accountability in the plan?

Additionally, if the plan is for those "who can't afford care," how come the law applies to all?

Dan Nakamura

Blame Democrats for law enforcement mess

I am compelled to point out a printed untrue statement from Jerry Dupont in a March 24 letter to the editor: " ... it was politicians like Stonebraker ... who got us into our present law enforcement mess ... "

Jerry, some of your statements are correct — for instance, you pointed out that we are presently in a "law enforcement mess." But alas, you point the finger of blame in the wrong direction.

I know Bud Stonebraker, and his platform and goals have not changed. As a Republican, he has always made it clear that he supports our law enforcement officers. He has worked closely with them to find a solution to Hawai'i's rampant recidivist crime rates. This is precisely why SHOPO endorses Rep. Stonebraker and why Gov. Lingle has endorsed "three strikes."

The fault is lying at the front doors of weak-kneed Democrats and their lenient stance that has perpetuated Hawai'i's crime problem.

And I'll give you the perfect example. On Friday, March 21, every single Democrat voted solidly against "three strikes." I've never seen a bunch more eager to shoot down legislation.

Timothy E.R. Moulson

Budget cut editorial needs to be rewritten

Your March 27 editorial was absolutely insipid: "As budget cut details emerge, so do defects." As my grandkids would say, "well, duh."

If you have magic insight as to the impact the war will have on our revenue, please tell the governor and the Legislature. That would certainly make their job easier. If not, why do you expect them to know, and then criticize them for not making specific plans for the unknown and unpredictable?

You also criticize transferring unused special funds to the general fund and make a totally unsubstantiated statement questioning whether such funds are really not needed. The plan is to use $24 million of these idle funds.

You were then quick to quote the school superintendent's defense of her adult education program, and implied the governor had not done her homework on the subject — again an unsubstantiated and, I suspect, incorrect assumption. No facts or figures were reported. How many people attend the serious classes and what do they cost? Do the recreational classes truly pay for themselves?

Last, you question tightening of Act 221, which is only to close loopholes and make sure industries receiving the tax credits are truly deserving. You make it sound as if the plan is to abolish the credits.

May I suggest you tidy up your nonobjective and sloppy editorializing before criticizing others?

Shirley Hasenyager
Kailua

Security guards at libraries earn their pay

Regarding Clemi McLaren's March 27 letter about security guards at the libraries being superfluous: I suggest she go to the Liliha Public Library during afterschool hours. Its security guard is a master at crowd control — and needs to be.

She might also want to be present when a library patron becomes agitated over a question about his fines, or when someone who hasn't been taking her anti-psychotic medication has a "meltdown" in the library. How about the times when homeless people decide to "freshen up" in the library restrooms and take a bath at the sink; or when a patron tries to take library materials out without checking them out (also called theft); or when patrons give unwanted attention to either staff or other patrons (harassment)?

True, these things don't happen all the time, but you can't schedule a security guard to be there at precisely the moments they occur. And often the mere presence of the security guard is a deterrent to these situations developing at all.

In any case, if Ms. McLaren would like to volunteer her services in working with groups of schoolchildren at a library convenient to her, she can certainly make a contribution toward helping libraries continue to provide valuable and valued services.

Louise S. Storm

Stay tuned on turnip

Is it true that the famous Japanese pickled turnip is named after the Buddhist monk Takuan, whose life coincided with Miyamoto, Musashi, in the 1600s? The 49-episode series called "Musashi" just started on one of our local television stations showing Japanese programs.

Roy E. Shigemura