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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, December 26, 2003

Letters to the Editor

Require leaders to send own kids to public school

I would like to comment on Jerry Burris' Dec. 21 column. When discussing school reform and ways to improve our public school system, I agree that abolishing or outlawing the private-school system here in Hawai'i is an extremely radical idea.

Here is something less radical and possible. Perhaps we should require anyone holding public office in this state to send their own children and grandchildren to public schools here. Why do we not demand that from our elected and appointed leaders? Imagine the improved funding and support we would receive for public schools, not just talk.

Kathleen Nullet
Social studies teacher
Kailua Intermediate School


Local airlines turning backs on residents

When I visited the Big Island last summer, I was amused by the bumper stickers saying that our two major airlines, "Non-Hawaiian and No Aloha," were just "taking us all for a little ride." I no longer see the humor.

It is completely absurd for Maui residents to be forced through Honolulu to get to Hilo. Both airlines have trimmed their schedules to the place where it often requires planning a week ahead just to get a seat on one of the remaining flights — with fares that would often take a Mainland traveler thousands of miles from home.

Recently, a recorded message advised me that "lower fares may be available on our Web site." I found that to be true, but only if I were planning to fly their ever expanding routes to a dozen Mainland cities, Pago Pago, Majuro or Rarotonga. I'd love to, but unfortunately, I just want to visit my son at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo.

Local families, students, athletes and business people have literally built these airlines from the very beginning. I feel both airlines have now turned their backs on us. Thankfully, it appears that the day of a viable "third airline" is not far away.

Dale Crabtree
Kihei, Maui


Unwanted construction leaves many questions

Why does the City Council want to raise vehicle taxes? It should look at how the city is spending taxpayer money that it now has.

The people in the Salt Lake area do not want the expensive roundabout that the city wants to build. The residents of Newtown also don't want the roundabout. The people in Hawai'i Kai don't want the median strip. All these construction projects are costing the taxpayers millions of dollars. Why?

The Newtown residents, like the Salt Lake residents, asked for simple, inexpensive stop signs. What do they get? Expensive roundabouts. The city brought in expensive Mainland consultants and they pushed the idea of the roundabout to the residents.

The arrogance of the city planners was evident in the last Newtown meeting when it was told to take the roundabout or get nothing. I wonder who is profiting from all this construction? Is there anyone getting something extra from the design company or the construction company?

Dennis Yuen
Pearl City


Organic agriculture also good for state

Certainly people in the field of biotechnology want to promote their industry as Ania Wieczorek ("Biotech can help revitalize Hawai'i's agricultural industry," Dec. 21) does in her commentary, where she downplays the concerns of consumers and growers for this new technology.

She gives the picture of infallible safeguards even before field tests are allowed. It is somewhat reminiscent of the ads for nuclear energy: "clean, safe and cheap" — an entirely unfulfilled slogan.

The fear of genetically modified organisms (GMO) getting into clean crops is not unjustified as it has happened already around test sites on the Mainland, and our papaya farmers on the Big Island and other organic growers are concerned. Hawai'i is not just a good site for biotech for the reason that we have a year-round growing season as mentioned in the article, but because it is so isolated. A potential bio-related accident would not spread to Mainland farms from here.

It is nice that biotech is a multimillion-dollar industry and good for the economy, but so is our regular and organic agriculture. What about non-GMO agriculture as an economic engine for the state — "Naturally Hawaiian Produce."

Why should people be apprehensive about a Hawai'i biotech industry that has more test sites than does the United Kingdom and where community leaders and government officials cannot find information on these site locations? Why should people be concerned about an industry that hedges on labeling food products as containing GMO, thus preventing consumers from making informed choices?

In a democracy, choice is an essential right. America led the world food industry in requiring the labeling of all ingredients on products. I think people are wary about biotech not because it is new, but because they don't have a choice in the matter. People are only getting information from the salesmen.

Van James
Hawai'i Kai


Adjust millage rate or consider it tax hike

Where's the opposition?

If the City Council proposed a budget that included a double-digit property tax hike, there would be immediate calls for justification and reapportionment. It's no different when the property assessments go up an average of 17 percent and the City Council does not adjust the millage rate. The amount of money a property owner pays in taxes is determined by the value (what a buyer is willing to pay, according to the assessor) and the millage (set by the City Council). By doing nothing the council has effectively approved that tax increase.

To the homeowner, property value is only an abstract amount until the property is sold. An increase doesn't mean any more money available to them for taxes or any other expense. You might even pay taxes on this "wealth" only to find it's not there when you sell your property since there's no guarantee that the property will maintain its value.

If our elected officials don't lower the millage rate, we should rightly conclude that they have approved a large tax increase. And while that might be necessary, it should be viewed for what it is.

Steven Newell
Hawai'i Kai


Islands must not pawn off trash to other states

Having just read about Councilman Mike Gabbard's suggestion to ship O'ahu's 3,000-tons-a-day garbage habit to the Mainland, specifically Washington State, I am completely amazed and furious.

How dare you, Mr. Gabbard, say with such arrogance, "Obviously no one on O'ahu wants a landfill in their back yard, so I'm saying if there are people on the Mainland who actually want our trash, then I say more 'opala to them."

Along with this I read daily letters complaining about Mainland tourists, Mainland companies and how people on the Mainland have no respect for the land. People in other states have learned to deal with their trash problems.

Washington State is one of the nations leading recyclers. Continue to keep your eyes closed and your noses high in the air, but don't pawn off your trash to others because you can't take care of your own land.

The Honolulu Weekly's Oct. 8 front page read "Keep it on the Mainland." This article reflected the sanctimonious attitude that plagues the Islands and that is leading to their continued degradation. I can't believe how many people preach about the beauty of Hawai'i and taking care of the 'aina, and yet it is quite literally being destroyed. The arrogance is mind-boggling.

Instead of continuing to be complacent so long as the state isn't the worst in the nation, try setting your goals higher. Strive to be better than the best, and then strive to be even better.

Until then keep your trash on the Islands, in the ocean, forests, Ala Wai canal, in your illegal front yard dump site or wherever else you find it convenient to dump.

Chris Bowling
Kaimuki


All people in Hawai'i should have say in vote

A couple of weeks ago there was a story to the effect that Gov. Linda Lingle was very pleased she had convinced Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon and Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah to be counted among supporters of the Akaka bill.

The Akaka bill, as I understand it, represents the 200,000 citizens of this state who are of Hawaiian ancestry. It proposes a separate government and sovereignty for Hawaiians that would be administered by federal employees of the Department of the Interior. The bill would be passed and made into law by a simple majority vote of both houses of Congress.

There would be no vote taken by the citizens of Hawai'i on the acceptance of this bill. In fact, there has never been a vote on this bill by all of the citizens of Hawai'i.

The Akaka bill is actively supported by Hawai'i's governor and lieutenant governor. It is also actively supported by our congressmen.

My question is this: Who is representing the citizens of the state who do not claim Hawaiian ancestry? We all pay taxes, in one form or another. Our taxes, along with the taxes of the 200,000 Hawaiians, will be used to support this bill. Is this taxation without representation? Will these federal employees of the Interior Department have the power to decide how our tax dollars are spent?

Evanita Midkiff
Kahala


Academic excellence at UH takes back seat

Travis LaBoy is right to be "a little disturbed" by the media attention on his academic ineligibility. After all, along with University of Hawai'i officials and an apathetic public, the local media have encouraged UH's attempt to develop a Big Time football program.

While the athletic department strives for autonomy and the coaches receive outrageous salaries, the Manoa campus continues to deteriorate both in terms of facilities and academic standards.

In this environment, does anyone really expect that football players take academics seriously? Does anyone really consider "student athletes" to be anything but jocks? No, LaBoy's troubles are a predictable outcome of UH's focus on sports.

His ineligibility is ho-hum news ... no more unexpected than red following green at the corner traffic light.

Todd Shelly
Honolulu


Hawai'i may not have many grinches

Greg Knudsen could qualify for nomination

Nomination for 2003 Grinch Award: Greg Knudsen, communications director for the Department of Education.

Using his title of communications director, Knudsen sent an e-mail to Bruce Willison, dean of the Anderson School at UCLA, charging that William Ouchi, co-author of a recent report to Gov. Linda Lingle that was critical of DOE finances, "is giving UCLA's reputation a black eye with phony research that has one purpose — to advance the governor's political agenda."

Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, "May we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion." Honest dissent is every man's right. I agree wholeheartedly. But dissent borne out of political affiliation, and which creates a blind hatred for change, is not quite the same thing.

History fails to mention a single leader who pleased everyone, probably because none exist. That's another way of saying that dissenters have been around as long as politics. A good thing, if practiced honestly. Knudsen clearly crossed the bounds. He is a clear winner in this contest.

Carol E. Seielstad
Princeville, Kaua'i


Mayor, city don't deserve the label

The mayor and the city do a considerable amount to provide seniors with mobility they would not otherwise enjoy. As one example, during the recent bus strike, a special senior shuttle was established.

The call-in of old senior bus passes was a good-faith interpretation of the council-passed fare ordinance. When U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor interpreted otherwise, we have moved swiftly and voluntarily to honor the old passes and to extend the eligibility of those who came in for the new picture passes.

Therefore, we do not share your view that this episode deserves inclusion in your grinch list. We value and honor all our bus riders, including and especially our seniors.

Cheryl Soon
Director, Department of Transportation Services