Posted on: Friday, July 4, 2003

Letters to the Editor

Breakup of HECO unlikely to help us

I would like to comment on Michael Cashman's June 27 letter suggesting the breakup of HECO into three competitive units.

I don't think it will work, Michael. They wouldn't compete any more than Chevron and Tesoro compete, or Matson and CSX Lines compete. Besides, I think HECO as a public utility is already regulated.

Non-competitiveness is why the gasoline price control law should go into effect. What we have now certainly isn't working.

Suspect, 17, should be tried as an adult

With the horrific daylight house robbery resulting in the shooting of the owner of the house, the suspect, although only 17 years old, should be tried as an adult.

We deal harshly with offenders who commit crimes against tourists, and we should continue that fight in support of our Island residents.

Prosecutor Peter Carlisle's game plan is right on; our courts need to back up that plan and ultimately send a crystal-clear message that crime of any sort in Hawai'i will be dealt with severely to the letter of the law.

This could be a long, hot summer; let's not compound that reality with more tragedies such as this one.

We need tough stance on career criminals

Today we read about a 17-year-old with many prior arrests (and convictions?) almost killing a man while burglarizing his house. It is all too common here in Hawai'i to read of criminals with 40 or 50 prior arrests or convictions once again arrested for a crime.

I do not want to see a person sent to prison for life for stealing a six-pack or cigarettes under a three-strikes law like California's, but the situation here in Hawai'i begs for a tough stance on obviously career criminals.

The police and attorney general are doing a great job and need the necessary laws to put these career criminals away for good.

Kamehameha Schools being targeted unfairly

I am writing this letter in response to the lawsuit against Kamehameha Schools regarding its admission process. As a Kamehameha High School student, I was outraged by the lawsuit. I feel the only reason Kamehameha Schools is the victim of such a case is that it is one of the wealthiest schools in the nation and that many people would like to see all Hawaiian programs flushed down the toilet.

For example, you don't see St. Louis getting sued because it doesn't allow girls, or Sacred Hearts because it's an all-girls school, right? Sex and race are all under the same amendment. Pauahi's desire was to create educational opportunities in perpetuity to improve the capability and well-being of people of Hawaiian ancestry.

There are still many Hawaiians who need to benefit from the Kamehameha Schools, and by allowing a non-Hawaiian to enter for the second time, the desire of our beloved princess will not be fulfilled.

Yes, the acceptance of a non-Hawaiian to the Maui campus was a mistake, but that mistake affected many and will not happen again. This lawsuit is going to destroy a 116-year-old legacy and will. There are many lawsuits being fired at OHA, Queen Lili'uokalani Trust, Pauahi's trust and Kamehameha Schools, which is more reason why we should all stand together.

Action-oriented mayor has done a great job

With summer upon us and more time to relax and enjoy, I would like to take the time to thank Mayor Harris and his vision teams for improving and making Honolulu the most beautiful and wonderful city for the people who live here.

Over the years, I have attended many planning and vision meetings in support of services for our kids, and I am impressed to see what our action-oriented mayor has accomplished. From the soccer fields in Waipi'o to the hockey rink, skate parks and canoe hale in Hawai'i Kai — thank you for listening. Your vision for bringing the community together down to the beach in Waikiki for a sunset and a movie — I couldn't believe how many local people were in attendance. And finally, the newly unveiled statue of the surfer riding a wave in Waikiki is awesome.

Thank you for your vision.

Get your facts right on June Jones' salary

I am tired of hearing all the whining about coach June Jones' salary. I'd like to respond to all of these crybabies once and for all.

First, this whole deal was not about the money for him. June turned down a $3 million contract to remain as coach of the San Diego Chargers so he could come here and coach a team that everyone thought was a lost cause, a loser not only on the gridiron but financially as well, that the school and state of Hawai'i itself had lost confidence in.

He turned it around with less talent and fewer resources than most schools have and made us a winner. Also, through his hard work and recruiting, he has molded the team into a powerhouse. While doing this, he spurned lucrative contract offers from the NFL and other colleges to coach here for less pay.

Jones had no part in the negotiation process for his contract, but let his agent handle it for him. His only advice to his agent is that he wanted to remain in Hawai'i. A man with that kind of commitment and loyalty is hard to find anywhere, let alone in today's football market.

As far as not playing in a major bowl game, Coach Jones has no control over that. If he did, we'd be in a BCS bowl every year. In the 2001 season, the team had a 9-3 record — better than most of the teams that qualified for bowl games that year — and it wasn't invited to a single post-season game.

Also, people don't like that we open with a AA opponent. Neither does the coach. The athletic department had to schedule those opponents because bigger-name schools pull out of playing us. June has been on the phone with coaches from Texas, Texas A&M and Florida State, just to name a few, and none of them want to play us either here or at their home stadium.

High public officials must pay for crimes

Your June 26 editorial said "We're satisfied that Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto did a reasonable job of balancing the gravity of their crimes with long records of public service by these first-time offenders."

This sentence is deja vu for all public officials who have been caught cheating in the past. Hawai'i's judges always show favoritism when it comes to sentencing high public officials. When no jail time is given, that sends a loud message to the rest of the crooked officials: Do the crime. You may not serve any time.

An ordinary citizen might be charged with a misdemeanor like petty theft, and his record will be with him the rest of his life with no chance of erasing his conviction. Well, Mr. Editor, do you see any balance-of-justice here?

I doubt it. Seems that your editors are biased when it comes to Hawai'i's court system.

State, public workers on a collision course

Gov. Lingle has shown us her true colors. By vetoing Senate Bill 768, she has put the state of Hawai'i on a collision course with public workers.

This bill was supported by 75 percent of state legislators in both the House and the Senate — Republicans and Democrats alike.

This common-sense bill would have restored a semblance of sanity to the strained working relations between the state management and state workers by requiring that all contract disputes be decided by a neutral panel of arbitrators, as opposed to the current system forcing state workers to strike if agreement cannot be achieved.

Why should this necessarily result in a "collision course," one may ask? Why shouldn't the state management and the state labor unions simply be able to work out a fair contract through negotiations? I wonder how many of the public are aware that over the last five years, the state's consistent offer to the workers has been a zero-percent increase with no room for compromise. In addition, the state lawmakers have reduced workers' benefits, such as vacation and healthcare.

No wonder Gov. Lingle does not like the idea of binding arbitration — because a fair and impartial arbitration panel might actually award a modest increase to underpaid state workers. She would rather force a showdown with tens of thousands of striking state workers, shutting down essential services and adversely affecting tourism.

Contact your state legislators and urge them to have the courage to override the governor's veto. Two-thirds are required for an override. Three-quarters supported this common-sense bill. You do the math.

Liberal columnist ignored fact on Iraq

The Advertiser could do a lot better than to publish commentary by L.A. Times columnist Robert Sheer. Mr. Sheer's views spring from a foundation of dislike for his own country so bitter and virulent as to either seem irrational or driven by a very negative hidden agenda.

Sheer's Advertiser piece is representative of his work. In it he accuses the Bush administration of lying outright to create a pretext for the Iraq War. Sheer ignores the fact that more than one U.S. administration, the United Nations and multiple foreign intelligence services were certain that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. As usual, Sheer distorts or cloaks the broader political context on Iraq in order to attack a conservative administration.

That neither the L.A. Times nor The Honolulu Advertiser would publish commentary by Sheer's opposite, a conservative extremist, underscores the liberal bias endemic in much of the country's mainstream media — and may explain the growth in popularity of conservative outlets such as Fox News and others.

Lucy Gay brought hope to LCC Wai'anae

Hope is an imaginary thing. You can't measure it or observe it directly. But you can see its effects indirectly in the actions of people.

Now, I don't mean to put down how LCC Wai'anae was before Lucy Gay started there, but it really just seemed to be a place where people could go to take a few classes. Not much more, not much less; it was fine, a place to go take a few classes.

In the year since Lucy Gay has been in charge of the place, it seems to have turned into a place of exciting opportunities. Old 486K processors and dot-matrix printers were replaced with better equipment. The building was spruced up and the bathrooms were fixed. Grant money was acquired to help educational assistants earn degrees so they could satisfy No Child Left Behind requirements. In short, LCC Wai'anae became very much a place of hope.

Now, I don't know exactly why the powers-that-be at LCC and UH wouldn't want to see that hope continued. Maybe Lucy has pushed too hard and asked for too much. I am not sure but I sure am glad to have her voice speaking for Wai'anae.

Maybe economics dictates that what we can do out here is limited. That can be fine within reason. But not only should LCC Wai'anae continue to be a place where people can get a good start at a college degree, Lucy Gay should continue to lead the way here.

If the UH/LCC administration can show that things have become worse or not progressed since Lucy has been at LCC Wai'anae, then they are right to move her. If I am right that things have improved markedly since Lucy's arrival, then she should be reinstated.

Anyone using roads must be accountable

Time has arrived for the state of Hawai'i to ensure that everyone who uses public roads or who may become involved in an on-road accident be held accountable and share in the liability expenditures.

There are too many vehicles (bicycles, mopeds, motorized scooters) using public road space with no regard toward insurance coverage, registration, safety inspection and safe operation laws, creating an unfavorable situation for those who are in state compliance. The public road should be an area where all operators share a commonality for maintaining basic operation requirements. This goes for everyone, no matter what type of vehicle he may be operating.

No motorist welcomes the nightmare of being involved in an accident with an uninsured vehicle operator who has sidestepped liability and financial responsibility by operating a vehicle that is outside the realm of accountability. Because everything and everyone on the road is vulnerable to injury and damage, no one should be exempt from state-imposed financial responsibility. There should be equal protection with no discrimination against anyone using state public roads.

When state budget cuts are affecting libraries, elderly services, air ambulance service, school repairs, and health and social service programs, creative thinking is desperately needed. Implementing measures to ensure equal protection for all road users could generate more dollars for the state's purse.

All vehicles that use public road space should be subjected to similar annual registration fees, safety inspections and insurance coverage, and be exposed to all laws and fines governing motor vehicles that operate on a public road.

Mow the grass at park

The grass at the soccer park at the end of Kihapai Street in Kailua is being allowed to grow, making the playing field smaller. Lots of money was spent to plant trees for shade and appearance, and now whoever is mowing it is just mowing a small area and letting the grass grow to where it was before. What a waste.