Inouye meets with legislative panel on war preparedness
By Walter Wright
Advertiser Staff Writer
Travelers will soon realize terrorism is not a local issue, and will again choose Hawai'i as a favorite tourist destination, U.S. Sen. Dan K. Inouye said here yesterday.
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Inouye, who made a rare appearance before the state Legislature, testified for nearly an hour before the House Select Committee on War Preparedness, which has been wrestling with how Hawai'i can cope with a downturn in tourism because of terrorism and the war in Iraq.
"Many polls suggest that travelers consistently choose Hawai'i as their favorite destination," U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye said.
In a brief news conference after the committee hearing,
Inouye was asked about the prospects for Hawai'i's primary industry.
"Tourists will eventually realize that terrorism is not localized but is occurring all over, in Europe and in Asia," he said. "And many polls suggest that travelers consistently choose Hawai'i as their favorite destination."
Inouye last appeared before a state legislative committee 30 years ago when he testified against a bill to legalize gambling.
Committee Chairwoman Rep. Sylvia Luke, D-26th (Punchbowl, Pacific Heights, Nu'uanu Valley), agreed after the hearing with
Inouye's suggestion that the committee reshape itself to deal not only with the terrorism issue, but with preparedness for any sort of emergency.
Inouye also suggested the committee establish a subcommittee to help make sure Hawai'i's Muslim community does not suffer the prejudice faced by Americans of Japanese ancestry here and on the West Coast after the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
And he said that the committee should focus not only on the big issues, but also on "local issues," such as street and highway traffic on O'ahu, which he said is so bad it rivals Los Angeles.
The ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Inouye also expressed concern about the United States losing credibility if it does not find the weapons of mass destruction it cited as a reason for the war in Iraq.
"I wake up every morning and turn on the television hoping to hear that we have found the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq," he said.
Reach Walter Wright at wwright@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8054.
