Posted on: Tuesday, December 16, 2003

Letters to the Editor

Safeguards on steel imports helped economy

The Dec. 8 editorial, "Bush: A free trader once again, for now," on the steel safeguard measure the president terminated on Dec. 4 misses the mark.

The president enacted a temporary safeguard on steel imports in March 2002 after an exhaustive nine-month investigation by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), which found that a surge in imports to the U.S. market was causing serious injury to our domestic steel industry.

The president made the right decision then and the right decision now. Safeguards are specifically allowed under global trade rules, and with other U.S. trade laws, are an important part of responding to legitimate domestic pressures from imports.

In September 2003, the ITC concluded another study demonstrating that the safeguard had worked, with limited costs to the overall U.S. economy. The industry underwent major restructuring and became much stronger: productivity rose, exports expanded 49 percent, pension benefits were protected, new labor agreements increased flexibility, profitability returned and an improving economy increased new opportunities for the industry.

Because of these and other changed economic circumstances, the president determined that the safeguard measures worked and he removed the tariffs. Opening markets provides a world of opportunities for American farmers, workers, consumers and businesses.

An integral part of the president's commitment to free trade is a commitment to enforcing our trade laws. We'll continue to work to open foreign markets for our goods and services.

Trustees disappointed; mother needs lesson

I was very disappointed by the decision the trustees made in favor of allowing a non-Hawaiian student to attend Kamehameha Schools.

My husband and I are Japanese and currently in the process of applying our son to three independent middle schools, which do not include Kamehameha. Why? Because we are respectful of the last will and testament of Bernice Pauahi Bishop and we admire her desire to help her people.

Kalena Santos needs to learn the universal laws of life. If I may quote Kristen Zambucka in her wonderful book, "Ano Ano the Seed":

"And they were taught the laws of life ... that their treatment of others will return at last upon themselves. Those who cheat will be cheated. Those who slander will be slandered. For every lie you tell, you will be lied to. Brutality will meet with brutality. We get what we give and to the same degree."

In other words, what goes around, comes around. I hope when it does come back around, it won't befall innocent Brayden Mohica-Cummings.

Media should inform if victims used seat belts

The recent tragic automobile accident in Wai'anae raises the question: "Could any of these young lives have been spared if seat belts had been in use by any of the occupants?"

I cannot recall ever seeing a mention in the local newspapers after an accident indicating whether or not seat belts were being worn by the victims. I'm sure the investigating police officers include such information in their reports as standard procedure and it is available to the media.

If the press were to make this information public, wouldn't it eventually act as both an incentive and a deterrent thereby saving lives and serious injury?

If we preserved just one life a year, surely it would would be worth the effort to make this information available to your readers.

Half of state's waste could be composted

Organisms that feed on the detritus of trash, such as earthworms, termites, snails, bacteria and fungi, are not paid wages. They work for free. More than 50 percent of Hawai'i's garbage is food for the organisms and the dark-colored, semi-soluble organic substance formed from such decomposition is called humus. The process is composting.

The University of Tropical Agriculture should establish the rules. Practice has also shown that when scientific procedures are used, the compost pile can rot down to a fine humus in half or less the time than was needed in the old days. It's estimated that about half of our total waste could be composted — you can imagine how that could shrink a landfill.

The humus is gone from Hawai'i's fragile soil. Without humus/organic matter in the soil to store plant nutrients, minerals alone will not produce plants. Chemical fertilizers, with no humus/organic materiel to reside in will simple leach though the soil to the water table and contaminate.

Hawai'i has acres and acres of farm land crying for humus. The end results of garbage treated properly into humus would not even be noticed spread over the land. The humus nature gave Hawai'i took millions of years.

Coach Dave Shoji — the real $801,000 man

Rainbow Wahine Coach Dave Shoji not only brings accomplishments and pride to the University of Hawai'i, but to the entire state of Hawai'i. This he delivers with dignity and grace.

Don't force students to choose band or science

After reading Khalil J. Spencer's letter "Electives should fit around core studies," I am led to believe that he, like many others, is not aware of what's going down.

At the middle-school level in Hawai'i, science is required for one semester in grade seven. At Dole Middle School, we believe that science is important so we have eighth-graders take a semester of science as a required elective. This science elective is not part of the promotion requirement to ninth grade.

Up to this point, the electives fit around the core subjects. However, science in eighth grade and any science classes taken after grade nine are electives (they are not core).

By increasing the science requirement to one year in grade eight, electives will no longer fit into the schedule unless you increase the classes a student can take. If our students elect to take band, they should be able to have the class for the entire year.

This year, Dole wanted to go seven periods to get a head start with the increased science requirements.

We advertised for a science position and were unable to find a science teacher. Imagine when 30-plus middle schools advertise for a science teacher this spring to cover the increased science requirements for next school year. Teacher shortage = positions not filled.

Khalil Spencer, that's great that you participated in sports and music. So did I.

It's not a matter of the students handling choices as with this increase, they will have no choice. Imagine going to football games, graduation ceremonies and parades with smaller and weaker bands or maybe no bands. I agree with you that science is important, so is music. They both are electives,

Why increase science in middle schools when they can take science electives in high school? If you took a student vote, they would choose band over science.

Read Derek H. Kauanoe's Sept. 19 letter; his research findings prove that band lessons teach more than music. We band teachers also teach math, history, foreign language and science, too.

Musicians didn't leave because of 'union clock'

Regarding the Dec. 6 review "Nabors' holiday show shines — even in dark," I think it is necessary to clarify some of the information reported about the "A Merry Christmas with Friends and Nabors" show.

It is true that toward the end of the Dec 5 concert, the electricity went out, putting the Hawai'i Theatre stage in almost total darkness. After a 20-minute delay, representatives of the Hawai'i Theatre, Honolulu Symphony and Jim Nabors made the decision to continue the performance with acoustic piano, acoustic bass and drum set.

With the musicians of the orchestra in darkness and unable to play, and not knowing when, or if, the power would be restored, the decision was made by symphony management to release the musicians. Shortly after the musicians had left, power was restored.

The suggestion that the musicians of the orchestra had packed up and left because of the "union clock" was not true.

In fact, as with each time we are faced with the unexpected during a performance, the musicians and the union are always right there with management working to come up with solutions so that the show can go on. Such was the case on Friday.

As for the question posed "one wonders if strings and brass and reeds are really necessary." There is no substitute for the depth and quality that is added by performing with a live symphony orchestra. The audience knows the reality of what is experienced with the addition of live music played by talented musicians.

We think the people of Hawai'i do appreciate the talent and quality of the musicians of the Honolulu Symphony. That's why we are here, and have been for 103 years and counting.

Slow down, turn it down

To the drivers, five or six of you (you know who you are) who speed up and down East Manoa Road mauka of Lowery Street: Slow down, turn your stereos down and, for sanity's sake, get rid of your pointless polluting mufflers.

Are you having that much fun being completely inconsiderate toward those of us who live in the neighborhood?

Please, a little peace and quiet would be great.

Iraq's ex-leader is caught. Now what?

Show Saddam justice the all-American way

Now that Saddam Hussein has been captured, I say we show him American-style democracy and justice in action:

First, hire Johnnie Cochran as a defense attorney and plead, "Not guilty!"

Post your $100 million bail and hit the talk show circuit while your attorney is working on your defense: the weapons of mass destruction evidence was planted and discrimination against Arabs. The LAPD was obviously involved.

Get interviewed by Katie Couric on the "Today" show, Oprah in the afternoon and David Letterman and Jay Leno before sunset.

Geraldo Rivera, Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters will stand in line to do a prime-time TV interview, where, teary-eyed, you can talk about your abusive childhood in Baghdad.

Book deals, movie rights and golf are right around the corner.

You'll get a hung jury since 12 Americans can't agree on anything.

Have O.J. Simpson pick you up from the courthouse; you two have so much to talk about.

Bush got wrong guy, wasted lives and money

So? We were able to catch the wrong guy. The 9/11 hijackers were Saudis, and 9/11 was masterminded by Osama bin Laden. Bush finally admitted that Saddam Hussein was not involved. No weapons of mass destruction were found and the Iraqi army was not a threat.

So Bush killed thousands of innocent people and squandered billions to satisfy a grudge held by Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. They have increased the threat of terrorism and made the world a meaner and more dangerous place by far.

The real issues for 2004 are now enormous debt and deficit, employment, the environment, health (including women's reproductive rights), Congress, the Supreme Court, peace, truth and our reputation throughout the world community.

Give him a shovel to dig up victims' remains

The verdict: Guilty. The sentence: to be put into a portable cell that will transport Saddam Hussein around Iraq.

Each day for the rest of his life he will be given a shovel. After a sustaining breakfast he will dig up the human remains of his victims from all of the mass graves.