Posted on: Friday, January 17, 2003

Letters to the Editor

Judy Winner gave new meaning to life

Judy Winner, former director of Hospice Hawai'i volunteer services, enlightened many hearts with her zest for life. Last December, the news of her terminal illness was shared with our hospice 'ohana of volunteers. Her fragility was evident. We learned she was receiving compassionate care at home.

Judy influenced my decision to volunteer at Hospice Hawai'i. She enthusiastically supported my belief that the terminally ill are profound teachers. Little did I know that she, too, would ultimately teach us how to live.

I am reminded of the words from a hospice annual report: "Repeated confrontations with life and death force us to be in the present. We repeatedly witness confirmation that the most meaningful accomplishment in life is the development and nurturing of relationships. We evaluate our own personal relationships realizing that they are very precious, albeit transient."

The hospice butterfly logo is a universal symbol of hope and transformation. Like the butterfly, Judy's essence continues to inspire us. It's comforting to know that on Jan. 7, angel's wings replaced butterfly wings as Judy's loving spirit danced into "The Light."

Aloha, Judy, beloved friend and teacher. We embrace your presence.

Bobbie Pidot-Guffey
Kane'ohe

Republicans crossed over to help Ed Case

I need to respond to Steve Uyehara's Jan. 13 comment that "Republican Party members could not organize among (themselves) and select a good, viable and supportable candidate to run for the 2nd Congressional seat."

Yes, it seems true the Republicans did not unite behind any particular candidate, but Rep. Barbara Marumoto is a good, viable and supportable candidate; the 2nd Congressional District (as well as the state of Hawai'i) would have benefitted greatly by having her as its representative.

Because of the timing of the election, I believe too many Republicans were fearful of Matt Matsunaga winning, thus throwing their support behind Ed Case (a fiscal conservative and maverick Democrat).

Another Uyehara comment — "Talk about party unity, or lack thereof, the Republicans sure showed Hawai'i what divisiveness can do" — the flip side applies to the Democrats as well, since Ed Case certainly has felt, on more than one occasion, the sting caused by the strong divisiveness of the Democrats. Fortunately for him, his strength as a candidate transcended the negative aspects of his party.

The message I've gotten is this: I strongly believe our state needs and wants bipartisan representation. More important, our state needs the kind of representation that promotes positive opportunity and choice to make our state strong, vibrant and healthy.

Donna Rewick
Kane'ohe

Government must pay attention to crime

I read the recent statistics on property crime in Hawai'i, which don't seem to change from year to year.

With Hawai'i's No. 1 industry being tourism and with marketing phrases such as "The Aloha State," this should be a wake-up call to government officials to change the way it tries to combat crime.

One suggestion is to personally notify people who have been a victim of property theft to be able to come down and view items recovered by the HPD before the public auction.

Chris Jansen
Mililani

State should retain investment company

Letter writer Janet Dagan wrote on Jan. 14 in support of Hawai'i Benefits Inc. The Hawai'i state government is moving, I understand, to replace Hawai'i Benefits with another firm in the management of the deferred compensation assets of Hawai'i state employees and retirees (of which I am one).

I support Dagan's view that Hawai'i Benefits should be retained. Since 1984, I have found the company and its representatives to be unfailingly efficient, caring, available and knowledgeable. Many more complimentary adjectives also apply. I urge the state to retain Hawai'i Benefits, a proven performer.

Omar Holcomb
Fremont, Calif.

Theater pipe organ must be preserved

The word has traveled even back to the Mainland: You are about to lose a treasured piece of history. The Waikiki Theater pipe organ has entertained generations both locally and, as importantly, those who have visited the Islands. Like the Royal Hawaiian, it is a part of Hawai'i lore.

You may know that it originally was supposed to be moved to the Palace Theater in Hilo, but that has fallen through. It must not be demolished with the building. It must not be scrapped for a few parts that would most likely go back to the Mainland.

May I suggest that there are a number of prominent places where it could be relocated and where it would serve local needs and be a viable tourist amenity. Either the exhibition hall at Neal Blaisdell Center or even at the new Hawai'i Convention Center would be a beautiful and useful home for this treasure.

Hawai'i needs to preserve its heritage above and beyond its native culture. Move quickly. Call your City Council and county government. Time is of the essence.

Jon Busch
Aspen, Colo.

Volunteer crossing guards are needed

Catherine Toth's recent article on the death of Yin Chun Tam is another red flag to get volunteer crossing guards at busy crosswalks. I have written letters to the editor and spoken with Sen. Fred Hemmings, city and county personnel and Duke Aiona about this very problem.

Drivers in Hawai'i can be very courteous to other drivers. But when it comes to pedestrians in crosswalks, drivers will honk or drive around a car that is allowing a pedestrian to cross the street. Many pedestrians are afraid to cross the street. They will wave you on and wait until there are no cars to cross safely.

Volunteer crossing guards would not cost any money. There are so many talented people with time on their hands who could do a fine job of organizing the project.

It is my understanding that there would be an insurance issue involved that would be too costly for it to be a practical solution. There must be a way for this to be handled.

In times gone by when life was more simple, this would not have been a problem, but, if it had been, the community would have had a meeting and figured out a solution and taken care of it.

Emma Howard
Kailua

Physician-assisted suicide is humane

Allow me to respond to the political message of Jan. 12 by Dr. Craig Nakatsuka opposing physician-assisted suicide.

A physician's calling is not to prolong the physical life of the body without regard to any other consideration. That might be religious dogma. It is not medical wisdom or compassion. Our duty is to alleviate suffering, by all means available and with the maximum possible participation of the patient.

We all die, and it is first and foremost the right of the individual to determine when and how to go, to the fullest extent possible. Not to understand this brings into question one's understanding of both medicine and democracy.

Nakatsuka asserts dogmatically that physician-assisted suicide will forever damage the doctor/patient relationship, causing trust to "crumble into distrust." He asserts that the "cost/benefit ratio" and making patients "feel like a burden to their families" will impose upon them a sense of "duty to die."

This is insulting to the doctor's medical colleagues and to families. I pity a physician whose confidence in his relationship with his patients and whose respect for their family ties are so feeble.

More than a few local physicians explicitly support physician-assisted suicide, including a past president of the Hawai'i Medical Association, distinguished specialists and family doctors. Our patients respect and trust us more, not less, because they know we will never allow them to suffer needlessly and endlessly, never deny them the loving help we render our aged pets, because we adhere to some 2,500-year-old dogma or are afraid to do the humane and moral thing because we might be criticized.

Willis Butler, M.D.

Lingle disparagement of academia unfounded

Despite all the talk about UH autonomy and the university as an economic engine for the state (assuming the absence of contradiction), it appears that the election tiff between Gov. Lingle and UH President Dobelle cannot be laid to rest.

In her announcement of the appointment of a new director for business, economic development and tourism, Lingle invited the audience to share her pride that the nominee was "a person who is not out of academia, not theoretical about Asia or about business" — whatever or whomever that implies.

But what she forgets, or doesn't know, is that it was UH academia that laid the groundwork for establishment of the East-West Center, developed the concept and initial organization of our community college system, lobbied and pushed through appropriations for expansion of the Hilo and West O'ahu campuses, and brought town and gown together to develop a science and technology industry alternative to continued reliance on tourism.

And she forgets it was bookish academics who oversaw construction of the Hawai'i pavilion at the Osaka World Expo in 1970 and set the agenda for our meeting with Japan's powerful Keidanren that was to follow with investment from its business elite, not to mention millions of visitations from their famed OLs (office ladies.)

So unless the governor's wordsmith loosens his or her disparagement of academia, the best advise to those who voted for "change" is to "look to your laurels."

Shelly M. Mark

Parole violators must be found

As a key person in the paroling process, I believe I need to make some points relative to your Jan. 12 editorial, "Parole violators not worst of our problems."

While I do agree with your assertion that it may not be the worst of the problems facing the state of Hawai'i, I must inform you that parole violators are the worst problem for the Hawai'i Paroling Authority. For this reason, the HPA has been trying for some time to gain the assistance of the Honolulu Police Department in locating and arresting those parolees who absconded from parole supervision.

Presently, the state sheriffs are officially assigned to HPA warrants, but they are unable to attend to most warrants because of lack of manpower.

I infer from the editor's remark wondering where exactly would the Hawai'i Paroling Authority "park 374 bodies" that the degree of prison overcrowding should dictate whether felons should be retaken when in violation of parole. The deciding factor for the HPA must be the perceived level of risk posed by felons "on the run" and not, in my judgment, on the space available in prisons.

The writer also asserts that many times violations of parole are trivial, naming curfew, failure to report and drug and alcohol use. Only the parole officers and the Parole Board members are privy to the levels of domestic abuse, drug use, alcoholism, mental health deterioration and unemployability that are often linked to new criminal behavior by parolees.

No violation of parole is trivial; if parolees decide to run rather than talk it out, the HPA has the task of bringing them back. I can imagine the furor by the public if there were to be a policy decision by the agency tasked with their supervision to leave absconded parolees to their own devices unless they are caught in the act of committing a new crime.

The Department of Public Safety may want to take issue with the remarks about treatment. Your writer was not correct and needs to know about the millions of dollars spent on inmate treatment each year.

The editorial staff may feel that the Honolulu Police Department is better deployed in the investigation of new criminals rather than on rounding up Hawai'i Paroling Authority's runaways. However, they may be able to do both: Let the HPD answer that question.

Mary Juanita Tiwanak
Acting chair
Hawai'i Paroling Authority