Posted on: Wednesday, December 17, 2003

Letters to the Editor

Public alerted to scams during holiday season

During this holiday season when businesses are fighting for the attention of shoppers, it's good to know that Hawai'i's Better Business Bureau is hard at work helping to protect consumers by detecting, reporting and warning the public against a variety of scams.

Recently, the BBB alerted the public to a questionable business practice involving a check solicitation to advertise on the Yellow-Page.net Web site. Checks were sent to businesses in a particular area, and if you were to cash the check, you would be automatically billed for the Internet advertisement. Each check identified the name, address and telephone of the business, which came from a list of businesses in the coverage area purchased by Yellow-Page.net.

With technology increasing the pace of business and tough economic times, more than ever it is important for Hawai'i companies to distinguish themselves as a beacon of solid business practices.

I commend the Better Business Bureau for their work in strengthening Hawai'i's ethical business practices and self-regulation, while striving to build the integrity and leadership of Hawai'i's business industry. As the "go to" organization when both consumers and businesses have issues with scams or other businesses, the Better Business Bureau is protecting Hawai'i from losing millions of dollars.

State should test out toll booths first

This renewal of interest in rapid transit is annoying. The city and state transportation representatives have absolutely no way to prove their statement: If we build it they will come.

One-occupant cars may be 85 percent of the traffic. These drivers will not get out of their cars unless strongly encouraged. A better and more fair way to reduce highway traffic is to build toll booths and charge a $10 toll to one-occupant cars, $2 to cars with more than one occupant and let fully loaded cars go free.

Before anyone says this is unfair to lower-wage earners who can't afford this toll, they can pick up riders at bus stops to offset their costs. Toll booths can be quickly implemented and tested to see if traffic is reduced at very little cost. Of course these tolls would apply only at peak travel times.

This would also help to keep the casual driver and many delivery trucks off the roads at peak time. It's worth a try before we waste billions of dollars on building an expensive white elephant that will improve only the current bus riders' day.

'Peter Pan' had elements of a fine performance

I take exception to the Dec. 10 review of "Peter Pan." It was perfectly cast from the leads to those who appear first for the curtain call, and it had excellent direction. Stage effects could not have been better.

If you did not know the story, perhaps you should not go. If it was too long, I, who am 85 years old, would have noticed. Actually, I was sorry to see it end. One of the finest, and I have seen a few.

Insurance companies use lawyers as scapegoats

I read with interest David Butts' article about the supposed crisis in the medical profession because of rapidly rising medical malpractice insurance rates in Hawai'i. According to the article, Hawai'i doctors' premiums have increased 25 percent this year.

The insurance companies blame the premium increase on increased litigation costs and seek to severely limit compensation in medical negligence cases. Consumer groups dispute this and suggest the increase is because of the insurance companies' investment and marketing strategies. The consumer groups have it right.

I have been a personal injury lawyer in Hawai'i for nearly

25 years. I have never made a claim with my malpractice insurer for any reason. Despite this "clean" record, my insurance premiums have increased by over 30 percent in each of the past two years. This increase is certainly not because of increased payouts due to claims against me, nor have I heard or read anything about a nationwide legal malpractice crisis that would necessitate or justify such increases.

The only logical conclusion is that lawyers and litigation are being used as scapegoats by the insurance companies to promote their real agenda of increasing profits. In fact, doctors, like others, are being manipulated by their own insurance companies.

A new class for those with little Hawaiian blood

When a person has a very small proportion of Native Hawaiian blood, isn't he or she essentially non-Hawaiian or at least much more something else?

With a racial sovereignty a hundred years from now there will be a class of mini-maoli who are essentially much more something else than Hawaiian and will enjoy all the rights and privileges of American citizenship while belonging to a special class with additional rights and privileges.

This in spite of the fact that the government that was overthrown belonged to a multiracial sovereignty. This is racism at its worst.

I love Hawaiian people, but this just isn't fair to the excluded descendants of citizens of the Kingdom of Hawai'i.

Banking giant was also a community leader

When an individual has been gone from Hawai'i for more than 40 years, it is understandable that little was said in his obituary about the many contributions that he made to this community over a short span of five years.

"Rudy" Peterson actually was one of the giants not only as a leading banker but as an innovator in business circles here from 1956 to 1961. He was brought to Hawai'i by Walter Dillingham and J. Walter Cameron among others to bring Bank of Hawai'i into mainstream banking practices, and that he did.

He instigated bankers going out into the community and not just sitting at their desks waiting for business to come in. He was a national leader in the credit card development area as well as consumer lending and more particularly mortgage lending as we know it today.

Under his leadership, Bank of Hawai'i became the largest bank in the state. He went on to become the CEO of Bank of America. Truly, Rudy was one of the great leaders of our community and deserves to be recognized as such. He lived to be just short of 99 years of age. Few these days recall his efforts but those who do will always remember him for his many accomplishments.

Keep party politics away from Board of Regents

The Dec. 13 article "UH won't retain chief of finances," which attributed to the University of Hawai'i Board of Regents the nonrenewal of the contract for our chief of finances, is incorrect.

The correct characterization is contained in the fifth paragraph wherein Board of Regents chairwoman Patricia Lee said "the board acted on (UH President Evan) Dobelle's recommendation in not renewing (chief financial officer J.R.W. "Wick") Sloane's contract."

Moreover, Lee is not identified as a Ben Cayetano appointee, whereas reference to Regent Kitty Lagareta is noted as a Linda Lingle appointee. This distinction borders on editorializing in a supposed "news" article suggesting board politics along party lines.

By the way, I am also a Cayetano appointee and can assure the public that we are united in our goal of developing UH into a higher education system of international stature. Party politics has no place on this board.

UH volleyball players role models for women

I want to thank the University of Hawai'i women volleyball players for their great and positive sportsmanship. They are by far the best role models for the young women of Hawai'i to reach for the stars.

Let us tell all our friends and relatives who live in Dallas, Texas, to get out there to the playoffs and support our UH team this week.

Trustees are allowing breaking of the will

I am struggling to calmly express my anger, disappointment and dismay with the decision to allow a non-Hawaiian person to continue to attend Kamehameha Schools.

Brayden Mohica-Cummings will ultimately enjoy the privilege of graduating from that school, a privilege that was denied many other deserving Hawaiian and part-Hawaiian children.

Whatever the legal ramifications of this case are, I believe the trustees have too easily given up the fight. The breaking of Ke Ali'i Pauahi's will has begun.

Lawsuit unfairly tainted some officers

The lawsuit filed by Detective Kenneth Kamakana against the city and the Honolulu Police Department has been settled and will be dismissed with prejudice. The city's insurance company will be the sole source of settlement funds. No monies will be paid to Kamakana on either my or Capt. Milton Olmos' behalf. We were dismissed from the lawsuit months ago.

From the beginning of this case, it has always been my concern that if any monies were paid to settle, people would incorrectly assume that there must be truth to the allegations of wrongdoing in the Honolulu Police Department.

Kamakana sued because he claimed he was wrongfully transferred from the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU). The simple fact is that Kamakana's inability to work effectively with others in the CIU caused me to order his transfer. As part of the settlement, Kamakana will not be allowed to return to the CIU.

Kamakana's allegations include a claim that there was an improper meeting with a confidential source in a major federal gambling case. The meeting did occur. It was proper and a product of good intelligence gathering. The underlying federal gambling case was successfully prosecuted with all defendants entering into plea agreements.

In the news reports about this lawsuit, there has been the suggestion that there is corruption in the CIU. As the chief of police, I am deeply offended by this suggestion. I, and many other police officers, have dedicated their adult lives to public service in this community. These officers have worked very hard with dignity and honor.

It is particularly unfair for those officers and their families whose names have appeared in the newspapers or on television. They have had no real part in this lawsuit and have not been able to respond to allegations made against them.

This lawsuit has been prolonged, costly and damaging to law enforcement relationships. No credible evidence of corruption or wrongdoing at any level of the Honolulu Police Department surfaced in this case after review by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney.

The Honolulu Police Department will continue its joint efforts with all federal and local law enforcement agencies to carry out its mission to protect members of the community from crime and other threats to public safety associated with our current times.

I am gravely concerned about the unfortunate release of raw criminal intelligence to the media. The potential for misperception or misinterpretation of such intelligence is great, particularly when the information is being considered by persons who are not, by training, professional law enforcement officers.

Professional law enforcement officers understand that to cultivate good intelligence from reliable sources, police are required to engage in activities and conversations with persons associated with the criminal element to establish trust and an ongoing working relationship. How each officer accomplishes this with a particular informant or source is highly variable.

Unless one is experienced in this area, it may be difficult to understand why it was necessary for a particular officer to conduct a particular investigation in a certain fashion. The newspaper reports of the CIU activities contain incomplete and often inaccurate information.

I am very concerned that the reputations of many loyal, dedicated and outstanding police officers in the Honolulu Police Department were smeared, tarnished or cast in a negative light. These officers have done nothing wrong and I stand by each and every one of them and their records of public service to the community.