Letters to the Editor
'Bottle bill' doesn't duplicate recycling plan
Those who think the "bottle bill" is an unnecessary hassle and duplication of recycling are missing the point.
The bottle bill is about the horrible litter problem we have in the most scenic of all the 50 states, about the offensiveness to both residents and visitors to our beautiful Islands.
For anyone not acutely aware of the problem, try looking over the edge at any of the scenic viewpoints along Tantalus Drive or Round Top Drive, where thousands of bottles and cans belie the neighborhood cleanup efforts. Accumulations of container litter then attract the dumping of appliances, furniture and vehicle parts.
Roadside litter is virtually nonexistent in Oregon and other states with a bottle bill. Also, the pre-anxiety there about hassle and cost turned out to be unfounded.
Rick Ralston
Principals, schools would be strengthened
In his March 17 column, Cliff Slater did a thorough job of sharing William Ouchi's study of management practices in large school districts.
What needs to be clarified is that Mr. Ouchi's "M Form" of organization promotes decentralization by giving authority, autonomy and resources to principals and schools to make decisions for their students.
Mr. Ouchi does not advocate local or regional school boards. While visiting Hawai'i legislators and Board of Education members and being questioned about such local boards, Mr. Ouchi's response was that "they would add to the bureaucracy."
The debate on public education should not be on the kinds of boards Hawai'i should have, but rather on how schools can be freed from the restrictions that hinder them from making the best decisions for their students. Only then can schools be truly accountable.
Local or regional school boards take decision-making away from schools. Local or regional school boards add to the bureaucracy.
Shannon Ajifu
BOE member
Adult education classes should be spared the ax
Gov. Lingle wants a million dollars for new furniture and drapes but will cut adult education by $2.25 million. She called legislators childish for questioning her office refurbishing. If the Legislature calls her irresponsible for this education cut, they would be right.
As a retired teacher, I know that the DOE's adult education program is one of the few choices many people have to improve themselves through learning and self-improvement. The classes that Gov. Lingle calls "leisure topics" are nearly all self-sustaining, and the real cuts will be felt in the areas of greatest need: English as a second language, the high school diploma program, and citizenship/naturalization courses offered to residents applying for U.S. citizenship.
People can also broaden their career skills, which is important in our shifting economy, by studying computers or accounting, or even learning different languages like Hawaiian or Japanese.
Gov. Lingle promised to improve our schools, not tear them down. I hope the Legislature holds her to her promises.
Laraine Yasui
Pearl City
Hawai'i coffee industry must be protected
"It's premature to ban green coffee beans," says The Honolulu Advertiser editorial of March 30. Exactly when would be the right time to ban green beans — when Kona coffee's quality has been harmed and its value plummeting?
HCR 46 generated a lot of acrimonious testimony, both for and against the measure.
Everyone in the Hawai'i coffee business in is hanging their collective hats on Kona coffee's reputation.
Many opposing the resolution took the position that we had to protect Hawai'i's agriculture industry. How do we protect it by importing coffee beans from Brazil? Let's grow our own.
Currently, importing green coffee beans from Africa is banned — and nobody can provide assurance that beans brought in from foreign countries did not originate in Africa.
While a resolution does not have the force of law, it reflects the feelings of the legislative body that passes it. I support Rep. Alex Sonson's proposed amendments that direct the Agriculture Department to assess the risk of imported beans to protect Hawai'i's coffee industry.
Kona coffee is the standard-bearer of Hawai'i's coffee industry. If Kona coffee's brand is harmed in any way, the entire industry is at risk.
I have long supported a "Hawai'i" coffee blend that brings together all of the unique flavors of coffee grown in our state. All efforts should be made toward growing more coffee locally rather than importing beans that might endanger the industry's bedrock — Kona coffee.
Rep. Robert N. Herkes
D-5th Dist. (Ka'u, S. Kona)
Loud music intrudes on nearby residents
Over-amplified music may appeal to a few and expand the egos of musicians, but there is no doubt that it intrudes on the privacy of residents living nearby.
Sunset on the Beach spoils two weekends every month for Waikiki residents with its over-amplified music and soundtrack. This is made even worse by frenetic emcees yelling into their microphones. It is a major nuisance for those living within two or three blocks of the venue.
Even more pernicious are the over-amplified sounds emanating nightly from the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort. Frequent telephoned requests for lower amplification are of little or no avail. Only the Liquor Commission (telephone 523-4194), it seems, has any power to rein in the excesses of the offending establishments, since the implied threat of losing a lucrative liquor license grabs the attention of management.
This, then, is a request to musicians and management to turn down the sound — and perhaps even reposition their amplifiers — so those nearby can actually hear the music without being overwhelmed by it, and those far away can listen to music of their own choice without unwanted intrusion from their neighbors.
Charles Pomeroy
Waikiki
High court didn't rule on leasehold conversion
I read with interest your March 26 editorial urging our state Legislature to refrain from "trumping" the City Council in regard to condominium leasehold conversion.
Your penultimate statement assured your readers that the "current" city law had passed "legal muster all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court." That statement is untrue.
The challenge to the city leasehold condemnation legislation — presently codified as Chapter 38 — was heard by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richardson v. City and County of Honolulu. The appeal was heard in Honolulu by a three-judge panel, which upheld the law by a 2-1 majority. This ruling was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which decided to not hear the case, letting stand the decision of the lower (9th) appeals court. This obvious disinterest of the high court only expresses its disinterest, nothing more. It does not constitute a ringing endorsement of the law, nor "passing legal muster," as you characterize it.
A careful reading of the appeals court decision — which would profit you and others to study — relied on the judgment of the Legislature in crafting the law, regarding the legislative assessment of public purpose as a necessary element of condemnation. The court was neither interested nor prepared to challenge this basic premise of the law, since it recognized that crafting of law is a legislative prerogative, not a judicial function.
As a logical extension, it remains the legislative prerogative to strengthen, modify or repeal laws as contemporary reassessment of public purpose would so dictate. The present legislative process seeks to modify, not to "trump."
Paul Murray
Pearl City
Let's get rid of all gifts to campaigns
Let's keep it simple — no campaign contributions at all. Give all candidates a specified amount of free time on television and in the newspaper to express their views and plans for the state. That's it.
It's ridiculous that someone would need more than a million dollars to win elected office. If people and corporations want to donate money, have it go into a pool from which a percentage, say 50 percent, would go to the state or city and the other half would be used equally for all candidates' expenses.
Please pass this plan on to the legislators and perhaps they would do something truly bold and overhaul the entire corrupt campaign donation system instead of messing around with minor changes.
Dennis Sanada
Kane'ohe
Legislators didn't get best deal on laptops
After reading the story about laptops for legislators being purchased from Gateway, I went to Gateway's Web site and found that I could purchase the same model described in the article, along with all the add-ons described, at a cheaper price than that given in the news article.
The only difference was that I would receive a computer with XP Professional rather than Windows 2000 and that my computer would have a slightly faster processor than the legislators received.
So, did we really get a good deal, or should this procurement have been put out to bid? And what happens to these computers after a few years when they have a little wear and tear on them? Undoubtedly they will also be considered obsolete after a few years. Will lawmakers be able to purchase them at a substantially reduced price, or will they be given over to the schools?
I'm also wondering how the House was able to have money stashed away when other departments have been forced to trim their budgets. Shouldn't their excess monies have been returned to the general fund?
Bill Nelson
Hale'iwa
Traitorous group of subjects involved
I want to thank Thurston Twigg-Smith for his March 27 letter regarding the "attempted" 1893 revolution. He helped to clarify that it was in fact a traitorous group of Hawaiian Kingdom subjects responsible for the 1893 attempted overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.
According to the Blount Report, as referenced by Mr. Twigg-Smith, the Portuguese, the majority of the Annexation Club, were coerced by the traitors "to balance the native vote." Blount went on to write that under the 1887 constitution, "foreigners unnaturalized were permitted to vote." Imagine that, Lorrin Thurston wanted and allowed non-citizens to have the right to vote. The Blount Report is available online at www.HawaiianKingdom.org/blounts-report.shtml.
Today's commonly used definition for the term Native Hawaiian is not consistent with the definition of the same term during the 19th century. Without this distinction, people can easily misunderstand exactly who, among the Native Hawaiians, were a part of the Annexation Club. Just as anyone born in Los Angeles can be referred to as a native of that area, such was so within the dominion of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
In the 19th-century Hawaiian Kingdom, there were Hawaiian subjects who were native-born or naturalized. Among the native-born Hawaiian subjects (a.k.a. Native Hawaiians), there were non-aboriginal and aboriginal Hawaiian subjects (or kanaka maoli). The number of Native Hawaiian members of the Annexation Club (1,022) appears to be many until you compare it to the 21,269 who petitioned against annexation.
Derek H. Kauanoe
Aloha Stadium should have a grass field
Why can't Aloha Stadium have natural grass? No dome, year-round summer, and it is easy to install. Green side up. And if we need extra manpower, Waiawa Correctional Facility can supply the manpower.
If there are too many teams playing, the high schools can play at the Waipi'o soccer park.
Why do we continue to spend money on bad AstroTurf or FieldTurf? There are fewer injuries with natural grass. Natural grass is good for the players and the environment.
Sherman Takao
Rainbow athletics getting out of hand
It's sad but true: There are not enough dyed-in-the-wool fans who'll take the time off after work or on weekends to rush to a Rainbow athletic event to keep the stands full.
The traffic is always a problem, and bus-riding on O'ahu doesn't solve the problem and never will.
Football dropped 5,000 to 8,000 fans per game when the tailgate times were restricted. Rainbow fans love to tailgate, providing they have enough time to get there, put up their tents or shelters and cook and drink their beers. Getting stuck for stadium food and drink prices defeats the purpose. Ditto at the arena.
There are always those who get too enthusiastic and drink too much too fast. They should be fined a hefty sum — quickly — and they will calm down in the future.
The seat prices are another matter. Fans have been raided enough. They have lost good seats and been asked to pay more for junk seats. And, soon, Pay-for-View will be too high to keep them. What a dilemma.
That guy Dobelle should act now.
Bob Cole
