Letters to the Editor
'Green Harvest' has been too successful
Regarding your Jan. 8 story "Aid to Big Island drug lab helps police battle dealers": So, crystal methamphetamine has evolved into the "drug of choice" on the Big Island. Whatever happened to pakalolo?
Apparently operation "Green Harvest" has been a bit too successful. The only clear winners in the war on marijuana are drug cartels and shameless tough-on-drugs politicians who have built careers on confusing drug prohibition's collateral damage with a relatively harmless plant.
Unlike alcohol, marijuana has never been shown to cause an overdose death, nor does it share the addictive properties of tobacco. The short-term health effects of marijuana are inconsequential compared to the long-term effects of criminal records.
Unfortunately, marijuana represents the counterculture to misguided reactionaries intent on legislating their version of morality. This country cannot afford to continue subsidizing the prejudices of culture warriors.
Robert Sharpe
Program officer
Drug Policy Alliance
Washington, D.C.
Police OT problem applies to nurses, too
The recent "Police overtime budget shows need for raises" editorial shows thoughtful insight to the underlying problems that administrators deal with day to day. Queen's Medical Center is dealing with the same overtime problem that the Honolulu Police Department encounters.
Taking two people to fill three positions may save on benefit costs but creates "burnout." Overtime pay is better used filling a vacancy or increasing the pay scale to retain good employees.
The thoughts expressed in The Honolulu Advertiser mimic the solutions Queen's needs to make to correct the dispute of patient safety between the hospitals and the nurses. The "art" of negotiation is based on compromise — not on walking away with that "I'm taking my ball home" attitude.
Van Tomokiyo
Invasive species, bike plan are key
The state, city and University of Hawai'i are hosting a workshop today on sustainability. Is this going to be another display of spineless intent? Or are our leaders about to unveil a plan of putting money where their mouths are?
Two huge roadblocks to sustainability are at the forefront of my daily work and life: invasive species and our car-based transportation system. Invasive species are probably the largest threat to Hawai'i as we know it, yet we continue to be lax on enforcement. In a recent study at the Maui airport, the Department of Agriculture documented an incredible array of hitchhiking insects and other potential pests in incoming produce and personal baggage.
Hitchhiking marine species, via ship hulls and ballast water, are also uncontrolled. CGAPS, the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, has a 10-point plan to severely reduce the introduction and spread of invasive species (see the CGAPS web site: www.hear.org/cgaps).
Will our leaders earmark funds for this plan to be implemented? Or will they kowtow to the often shortsighted tourist industry, wary of any kind of restriction or inconvenience on incoming travelers?
We are now in the fourth year after the release of the Honolulu Master Bike Plan (www.co.honolulu.hi.us/dts/bikeway). After five years, according to this plan, we are supposed to have (among other things) a "lei of parks" — a series of connecting jogger and bicycling paths between Kapi'olani Park and Kaka'ako, a safe Pearl City to Kahala bike route and a series of bike lanes and routes leading to the major colleges around town. Where are we now?
Gov. Lingle, Mayor Harris and President Dobelle, do you really want to reduce our unsustainable dependence on fossil fuels? If so, make a choice on the future of our transportation. For starters, implement the bike plan.
Aaron Hebshi
Story had it backward on dividend tax cut
Advertiser headline: "Dividend tax cut could cost Hawai'i $30M."
Why not: "Dividend tax cut to put $30M into residents' pockets"?
Why not: "$30M could boost local economy"?
Why is it when my money goes to the government, it is good, but when my own money stays in my pocket for me to spend, it is bad?
This Advertiser story (which really should be in the editorial section and not tried to be passed off as journalism in the form of a news story) implies that, somehow, this $30 million belongs to the state. It doesn't. It belongs to the people who took a chance and invested their hard-earned dollars in the stock market.
Until our government (and morning paper) realizes the money the state confiscates in taxes is not theirs but belongs to the people who earned it, we will continue to perpetuate the mediocrity that exists. Until our government (and morning paper) understands the equation: Less Government Spending + Less Tax = Vibrant Economy, we will continue to shortchange the people of Hawai'i with empty promises and false hopes for a better future.
Mark Middleton
Kapolei
