Posted on: Wednesday, July 2, 2003

Letters to the Editor

Kudos are in order for soccer complex

Now that the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Complex has brought to Hawai'i over 8,000 participants of the U.S. Youth Soccer Region IV Championships, it is easy to tout the economic benefits of the complex to Hawai'i's tourist industry and to our citizens. But we should not forget the people who worked so hard to make the facility a reality in spite of past opposition from many naysayers.

We should thank the mayor, the City Council and all the sports enthusiasts who supported the building of the world-class Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Complex for their foresight and determination in making the complex a reality. The sports complex is an economic stimulator for our tourist economy and a great sports venue for the children of Hawai'i — a true win-win accomplishment.

It took courageous political action and faith many years ago to put into action the belief that "If you build it, they will come." And they are coming from all over the world, in sportsmanship, fellowship and goodwill to experience the magic of Hawai'i's aloha.

U.S. attorney humane on medical marijuana

The U.S. attorney for Hawai'i, Ed Kubo, should be applauded for his common sense and humanity for leaving Hawai'i's medical marijuana patients alone.

Following the arrest and conviction of Oakland, Calif., medical marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal by the U.S. Justice Department, many medical marijuana patients here in Hawai'i were very concerned that we might be among the next targets. Thankfully, Ed Kubo has wisely decided to use his limited resources to fight the scourge of crystal meth, aka ice, instead of arresting Hawai'i's sick and injured for using marijuana as medicine.

Hopefully, Kubo won't be forced by his superiors in Washington, D.C., to go after those of us using marijuana under our doctors' care.

The value of marijuana as medicine, long known through anecdotal evidence, is now being established by studies in the U.K. under government license. Eighty percent of multiple sclerosis patients involved in the U.K. medical marijuana study have found marijuana to be the most effective medicine they have used to date, findings that support our own experiences here in Hawai'i.

While Kubo's superiors continue to threaten medical marijuana patients across the United States, Kubo has focused on doing the right thing: fighting ice, and not arresting sick and injured people for using marijuana as medicine.

News reports biased against Maui tourism

What's up with your reporters and editors over there at The Advertiser? It seems you have a policy of trying to scare people away from visiting Maui.

In the edition June 25, a front-page news report tells of "evidence of a big cat ... a jaguar or leopard" on Maui, but buried in section B is a great-white-shark attack at Makua. Every shark attack on Maui, whether it be a human or marine mammal victim, is always front-page news in your paper.

Two weeks ago, you reported that JAL is adding flights "in time for the important summer season." The sister story was "Officials preparing for long lines of impatient tourists at Kahului Airport this summer." How do you know that these visitors are impatient? Did you interview them before they even arrived here?

I've got some "news" for you: These visitors are among the most patient people on the face of this earth. If you can speculate, then I can speculate. And how do you know there are going to be long lines? My biased headline would read: "Long lines predicted at Honolulu Airport due to influx of Japanese visitors."

It's not our fault that Honolulu has been overbuilt to the point that it looks like L.A. with more palm trees, but with all the congestion, drugs, prostitution and crime stats to match. And the missionary families here don't sell off Hawaiian burial grounds to big-box retailers. People come to Maui to get away from all that.

You shouldn't be putting other places down to build yourself up. We are, after all, Neighbor Islands. At least, that's what it says on the 75-cent issue of The Advertiser that I buy here on Maui. What you are doing is called irresponsible and biased reporting and publishing.

Bus that was cut from Waipahu the wrong one

Despite the bus company's positive spin, obviously if you have to cut $6 million from your budget, you can't be too choosy. Case in point: the Waipahu 81 express.

I never saw an "underutilized" bus during the morning and afternoon runs; there were usually a few people standing in the morning and a few more in the afternoon. So cut a 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. bus from an already busy schedule, and the result is now 15 to 20-plus people standing between 6 and 7 a.m. and 4 and 5 p.m.

What does $30 a month buy me — standing-room only? And what happens when the kids go back to school? There hasn't been any word that this is a temporary schedule.

I have a suggestion. As I board my crowded 6 a.m. bus, I see a No. 43 bus with only one rider making its lonely hourly round around Waipahu. Why not deduct one bus from that schedule and put it back on the morning and afternoon 81 express runs?

Surfing's attributes deserve recognition

The quality of Hawai'i's surf and surfers is recognized as a standard of excellence in the sport worldwide. The cultural and historical significance of surfing in Hawai'i is a major element in the state's tourism marketing image. Hawai'i surfboard design and construction are an art, and Hawai'i surfing apparel manufacturing is an industry.

Surfing promotes health, physical strength, stamina, respect for the ocean and awe of nature. The athleticism, grace and dexterity needed by competitive surfers rivals that regarded as exceptional in every sport. Can all this be said about any other of the Department of Education's currently sanctioned scholastic sports programs?

Certainly the dangers and risks associated with surfing can't be considered greater than those in football, gymnastics or springboard diving. A surfing program in the roster of scholastic sports in Hawai'i is long, long overdue.

Contraception veto wasn't Lingle's fault

Those objecting to the governor's veto of the rape emergency contraceptive bill are totally missing their mark.

I was and am very much in favor of the bill, with an exemption for St. Francis Medical Center. The governor asked for that exemption and it was included, but before the final bill came out, it is my understanding, Sen. Roz Baker saw fit to delete the exemption, thereby guaranteeing the governor's veto. Now she is publicly expressing her dismay at the governor's action.

The attorney general advised that the bill was unconstitutional. St. Francis, if mandated, would have just cause for a lawsuit against the state. I keep reading where other Catholic hospitals have accepted providing such contraceptives. The fact is that St. Francis has not and said it would not. I would like to hear Sen. Baker address this issue.

What I do not see any of these women applauding is the passage of HB 123 (Act 201), which allows pharmacists, with physicians' collaboration (a prescription) to dispense the "morning after" pill. There is nothing to prevent any rape victim from receiving this assistance. If there is a pharmacy in the hospital, the contraceptive is down the elevator. If not, it is effective within 72 hours and available at your preferred pharmacy with your doctor's approval.

These misguided women should be protesting the actions of the Legislature, not the veto.

New system for taxis levels the playing field

We applaud the Lingle administration for taking courageous action to level the playing field for all taxi drivers from any taxi company in order to improve supply and service for arriving passengers at Honolulu International Airport.

When this new system is put into effect, it will finally put Honolulu in stride with other major metropolitan cities in the United States.

For 40-plus years, taxi service at Hawai'i's main port of entry was a virtual monopoly, subordinating the public's convenience and need in favor of the contractor's competitive advantage. The state has lost not just $700,000 in fees, but possibly millions of dollars in other fees mandated by the state and paid by drivers using the facility because the fees collected and trip counts were set up to avoid audit and verifiability.

Those in the industry who cry foul play about the new terms of the contract are acting solely out of self-interest, as this new contract will allow any qualified taxi to service the airport on equal terms.

We welcome the cleansing of operations at the airport — it is the fairest thing the taxi industry has encountered since statehood.

Lingle, Legislature wasting our money

The governor and Legislature urgently gave OHA tens of millions of dollars; then they cut general fund education, healthcare, housing, welfare, etc. by — tens of millions.

Gov. Lingle ordered state agencies to immediately segregate 20 percent of ceded land revenues and send the cash to OHA; then she ordered state agencies to slash their general expenditures by — guess what? — 20 percent.

Lingle and numerous state officials flew to Washington to lobby Congress and the Bush administration for the unconstitutional apartheid bill (Akaka) and funding for unconstitutional Hawaiians-only programs.

Something's terribly wrong here.

OHA spends more on advertising, lobbying and overhead than it spends to actually help needy people. OHA had a $350 million stock market portfolio — money sucked out of Hawai'i's economy and sent to New York. That money benefits nobody except the stockbrokers who collected investment fees while losing $80 million.

Hawai'i takes money from all our people (including poor ones) and gives it to one racially defined group of people (including rich ones). This reverse Robin Hood syndrome is a sick way of running the government.

Is there a doctor in the house?

Court interpreters again being ignored

Some people suffer from receding hairline. After 20 years without a raise, Hawai'i's court interpreters are suffering from an ever-receding pay raise.

The Legislature gave the judiciary 50 percent more funds for court-interpreter pay. Court administrators came up with a "pay raise" scheme that gives only a minor raise in most circumstances, no raise in others, and sometimes even less money than interpreters are earning now.

But not to worry. Interpreters won't get any pay raise, phony or real, anytime soon. Not even though the new fiscal year begins July 1 and the judiciary has the money. The judiciary's current issue of its interpreter newsletter says: " ... the Office on Equality and Access to the Courts recommended an effective date of Jan. 1, 2004."

Looks like going 20 years without giving interpreters a pay raise just isn't good enough. The judiciary wants to set a record, and go for 21, 22 ... who knows how many more years without giving court interpreters a raise?

No, those aren't red sails in a Hawaiian sunset. That's our pay raise, receding into an infinite bureaucratic future.

Coach Jones has done amazing things for us

I know many oppose the results of UH head football coach June Jones' new contract. I just wanted to express how I feel about this person and all he has done for the people of Hawai'i as well as for me.

Take a close look and you'll see how sincere and down-to-earth this man really is. He came to us from the NFL, where he would've been a head coach had he chosen to stay. Since completely turning around the UH football program, the NFL has wanted him back, and he's chosen to stay here because of the strong bonds he has with his players.

Many disagree with the "It's not about the money" statement now that his new contract has been announced. It's obvious to those who have followed this team that it really isn't about the money — for if it were, he would've gone back to the NFL, where he could be making millions.

Coach Jones has done amazing things for his individual players, the entire team, the school, the community and the state of Hawai'i. We're fortunate to have him here, and as a teenager who's been going to games season after season since I was a toddler, I look up to him as a role model as do those fortunate to play under his coaching. The way he carries himself with such class and how dedicated he is to what he does are things I keep with me all the time.

Distorted priorities

It shows that the people who run this state have a pretty distorted sense of values: On the same day UH announces it is paying its football coach $800,000-plus per year, the governor announces her veto of a bill (SB 745) to provide air ambulance service to the remote areas of Maui County.

What's wrong with this picture?