Posted on: Monday, August 11, 2003

Letters to the Editor

Nuclear power would be right for Hawai'i

Jan TenBruggencate's outstanding article is a wake-up call. For the same amount of electricity generated, an equivalent amount of radiation goes out of a fossil stack (radon) as is released from a nuclear plant (source American Nuclear Society).

Nukes produce no greenhouse gases, and we need never run out of nuclear fuel. Diablo Canyon in California is a saltwater-cooled plant with trouble-free operation. The only real reactor accident occurred in a country that was collapsing.

New reactors are marvels of advanced designs already approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Eighty percent of electricity in France is generated by nukes. There are many nukes in Japan and over a hundred on the Mainland.

Radioactive products would not be stored in Hawai'i but would be carefully removed by the reactor fuel supplier. Older plants are so safe their licenses have been renewed.

A nuclear energy plant would bring high-tech jobs to Hawai'i and could easily solve Hawai'i's energy problems. Nukes can make fresh water from the sea and produce hydrogen for peaking turbines and buses and other vehicles.

The year 2015 is not far away. The time to look is now. The Hawai'i government can get immediate free information from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for exploring this vital solution.

Volunteers are behind primate sanctuary

It was very interesting reading your July 31 article on primate refuges in Hawai'i.

As you indicated, there is only one in actual operation, and that is Pacific Primate Sanctuary. This facility has operated on a wing and a prayer from the moment of its conception, thanks to the dedication of director Lucy Wormser, her financial supporters and the corps of volunteers that work there.

Somehow the primate sanctuary has managed to care for its charges without the benefit of millions of dollars and without the association of celebrity names. No one earns a salary, including the director. They simply saw a desperate need to save some of these highly endangered species and just did it.Ê

They didn't start out with a state-of-the-art sanctuary. In fact, it was pretty much the efforts of one individual giving space in a backyard with the help of a handful of volunteers. It took them 13 years to raise the money to build a new, state-of-the-art facility, but the work went on in spite of the financial hardships.

Because of the nature of their work (the rehabilitation and propagation of New World marmosets and tamarins) and the stress on the monkeys caused by visitors, the sanctuary keeps a very low profile. Many folks on Maui don't even know of its existence.

I am sure that they would welcome any help they could get from public funding or having a famous person as a spokesman, but in the meantime, the needs of their monkeys are their first priority. They have survived and given the best care possible to their charges for as long (and longer) as the other groups have been talking about it.

Our water is finite, but we keep building

It amazes me to see that the in-depth articles on the water shortage make no mention of the root cause of our problem. Every year the demand for water goes up. Add to that trend the fact that our water supply is finite. We can only supply so much water. The Board of Water Supply has done everything it can to increase the supply of water, but there is a limit.

The demand for more water is driven primarily by the development of more and more housing. We cannot keep increasing the demand every year, but we keep building more houses. When is it going to stop? Does anyone have a plan?

This seems to be a taboo subject. No one has mentioned it. I can't believe I am the only person to see this.

Teaching in the '50s was entirely different

How times have changed. It was interesting to read about Jennifer Street's first day with 15 pupils in her second-grade classroom.

I began teaching at 33 in 1957 with a first-grade class of 35 at Mokapu School. I was a mother of four, ages 1 to 7. I earned $400 per month and spent $300 for childcare.

The children's desks were lined up in a row. I had four reading groups and taught from a basic reading series. The three R's plus art, music and P.E. were all part of my curriculum. I ate with and supervised my students at lunch and had two recess duties at least once a week. It was required that I make weekly lesson plans for each of the above subjects. The plans were always available for a substitute or for scrutiny by the principal.

I could handle that large a class, because the children all came from a two-parent family that was always cooperative and appreciative. There were no distractions like we have today. TV was just emerging, and drugs meant a prescription for an illness. There were no special-needs students mainstreaming into my classroom. It was an entirely different ball game then.

I wish Ms. Street well. She sounds like a most dedicated, caring and capable teacher.

Political recognition of Hawaiians overdue

Letter writer Garry Smith needs a bit of education.

First, should he be part Cherokee, he could enroll in the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee Nation enrolls members with an ancestry of one-sixteenth — a percentage of 6.25. Second, if he were to receive any special "benefits," they would come from the tribal offices of the Cherokee Nation and not from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

As a Hawaiian, I would not fit his stereotype, as intermarriage has paled my skin. Yet, I am familiar with the 'olelo of my kupuna and was raised in a Hawaiian community. The prejudices of skin color are his, not ours.

Last, he says that a Hawaiian nation is prejudicially exclusive. The case may be that any current programs are limited to kanaka maoli of aboriginal descent. But in the monarchy days, non-Hawaiians had citizenship as well. The original non-exclusive kingdom was destroyed by non-Hawaiians, so blame is placed on the invaders, not kanaka.

A political recognition is overdue, not only for program protection but for justification. He's got a ton of history to catch up on. Maybe he can't handle the truth.

Higher bus fares? Give us better service

A person riding the bus means one less car on the road and no air pollution. The bus fare is reasonable, but another bus fare increase? Does this mean there will be a reduction in routes?

As one of 240,000 bus riders, I don't mind paying more, but I would expect better service. I just paid $30 for my monthly bus pass and hope there won't be a strike on Aug. 26. To generate revenue, senior and student bus passes should also be increased. If there is a strike, I hope Mayor Harris' contingency plans work.

To Local 996, good luck and I hope you get what you want. As for Oahu Transit Services, your professional bus drivers gave you recognition for winning national awards as the best bus transportation system in the nation.

I am hopeful a strike will be averted. If not, I am going to have to resort to riding the Mililani and Waikele trolleys and transfer to the Pineapple Express and 'Ewa Railway Train. Pray for us bus riders.

Western legislators were well-hosted here

As officers of the Council of State Governments-WEST, a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization that has served Western state legislators for 56 years, we would like to thank the state of Hawai'i, the Hawai'i Legislature and its staff for hosting our 2003 annual meeting last week in Honolulu.

Every year we come together to share innovative ideas across state borders and to share solutions to the common challenges we face as Westerners. As we rotate our meetings around the Western states, we are aware of the many common ties that bind us together as a region. At the same time, each Western state puts its own stamp on our organization when it showcases its own natural and political landscape. From Asia-Pacific trade to cultural diversity to tourism in the 21st century, we are taking home valuable lessons from Hawai'i.

We especially would like to thank Senate President Robert Bunda and House Speaker Calvin Say, honorary host committee co-chairs; Sen. Brian Taniguchi and Rep. Dwight Takamine, our host committee chairs; and Hawai'i host committee Sens. Fred Hemmings, Cal Kawamoto, Suzanne Chun Oakland and Norman Sakamoto and Reps. Eric Hamakawa, Marilyn Lee, Marcus Oshiro and David Pendleton, as well as Senate Clerk Paul Kawaguchi and House Clerk Pat Mau-Shimizu. The support of local legislators and staff is deeply appreciated by their colleagues from other Western states. We were honored to be their guests.

Western legislators will long remember the aloha spirit we found in your beautiful state.

Consolidated, Gabbard are due congratulations

I want to say a big "mahalo" to Consolidated Theaters and Councilman Mike Gabbard for organizing a free showing of the movie "Whale Rider" for over 400 people.

It appears that most of the attendees were clients of different drug treatment centers around the island, and I bet they really benefited by seeing this very heartwarming and inspiring movie.

Consolidated truly cares about the community and should be commended for this wonderful gesture. Councilman Gabbard should also be praised for coming up with this great idea.

Fill the UH football stands first

I just got through reading the article "UH hopes fees offset ticket sale dropoff." Huh? Let's gouge the current season-ticket holders by adding a "mandatory donation." You know who, the ones who have supported us year in and year out, win or lose, regardless of whom we play that Saturday.

So what happens? Three thousand fewer renew. Duh! But wait, let's pat ourselves on the back because even though we lost 3,000 "former" fans, we still might "break even" because we charged the few remaining diehards more money. Say what? Is that how to run a business? Yeah, that's right. We'll just keep biting the hand that feeds us until the hand is all gone.

I have an idea. Why not just sell one season ticket to Bill Gates and charge him a $860,000 "mandatory donation"? That way maybe we can get the other 49,999 seats filled at a reasonable price. Sarcastic, maybe. Wait, it gets better. I know a way to get even fewer people in the stands and make the ones who do show up look even more gullible. Why not add Pay-Per-View and sell it for only $13Ê(or whatever) per game? That way, no one has to go to the game at all. Only one person has toÊorder it, then — now it gets real good — invite 20 of his closest friends to watch. Just bring beer, poke and 75 cents. More sarcasm, maybe. You know it's happening already.

I'm not a fly-by-night fan. I'm a diehard. We (my family) have been season-ticket holders for over 25 years. We have 18 season tickets for three different UH sports. I don't mind paying the price, though it is getting tougher. Even if it is raised next year, I'll still be there. I enjoy the atmosphere (tailgate, live action, etc.). But you are killing the "gate" that feeds the "bottom line."

Ten thousand to 15,000 more fans per game will make the PPV revenue look like change. Don't blame the economy; you are only fooling yourself. That is not the reason. The reason is that you are virtually giving the games away for "free" with PPV and same-night coverage. Sorry, K5, I'm one of your fans, but the truth is the truth.

The reason for low attendance is right in front of the administration's face, but it can't see it. Fill the stands first. Don't give the product away for virtually nothing. Why would anyone, except the most faithful fans, deal with parking, searches, traffic, etc., and still pay for something they can get for almost free on TV?

I've read that June Jones said the same thing in an article a year or two ago. No other NCAA program does what UH does. Why? Because no one would go to the game. Duh! We prove that every home game. Only our fans on the Neighbor Islands should get the games for "free." Show the game delayed on Sunday morning. That makes more sense.

PPV might have a place in the future, but we need to re-establish a solid fan base first that can fill the stadium. We averaged 35,000 to 40,000 during the Tomey/Wagner years. Why? Two reasons. First, because it was the only way to see it live. Second, because we had exciting, competitive teams. We now have that type of team again, thanks to June Jones and company.

Anyway, I'll be there with 22,000 of my closest friends. Hopefully next year we can keep it over 20,000 after you nail the "stadium faithful" again. I hope I'm wrong ... GO WARRIORS!