Letters to the Editor

Pity the prosecutor: Nobody is listening

Poor Mr. Carlisle. No one listens to him. Put the bad guys in prison, he says. No, says everyone else. They are not bad. They just need help. Bad guys need rehabilitation and understanding, not punishment, they say.

We need more prisons, says Mr. Carlisle.

No, says everyone else. We need laptops for legislators. Besides, we don't want a prison in our neighborhood, cry the people.

Mr. Carlisle says it will get worse.

That's OK, as long as nothing happens to me, shout the people, as Mr. Kawamoto lies in his hospital bed with a gunshot wound to his chest. The misguided child is only 17 and has only 10 prior arrests. Give him a chance. He's just a boy. He really is a nice kid. All he needs is another chance. We need to show him we care, the people reason.

Poor Mr. Carlisle. No one listens to him.

Opposition to Wal-Mart more than just a 'few'

To my amazement, Wal-Mart's hired guns are still peddling the canard that opposition to the planting of the world's largest box store in the middle of Ke'eaumoku residential neighborhoods comes from a few malcontents with "selfish motives." (An interesting choice of words from the world's largest company, which faces a monster lawsuit from its 700,000 women employees for discrimination in pay and promotion and just lost a mammoth suit for working its people thousands of hours of unpaid overtime.)

We "few" include U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie (who once represented the district in the City Council), former Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono (who once represented it in the House), state Sen. Carol Fukunaga (who represents it now), state Reps. Scott Saiki and Ken Hiraki (whose districts meet at Ke'eaumoku Street), City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi and Mayor Jeremy Harris, who says the project will generate intolerable traffic gridlock, pollution and noise 24/7, kill local businesses and result in a net loss of jobs and tax revenues.

How "few" is a few?

Add in the U.N. Environmental Center, the former director of the city Department of Planning and Permitting, several unions, environmental groups, retail establishments, a top law firm and some 1,300 people who have signed an invitation to join Citizens Against Reckless Development — not some airy-fairy "we like cheap socks" petition — and a similar number demanding a traffic impact study before the gridlock and poisonous air.

Some few.

As for selfish, we treat the women in all our organizations equally; we all work countless hours of unpaid overtime to fight this blatant case of corporate greed.

Money Jones is being paid is buying talent

The writer who said "money cannot buy success or championships" obviously never heard of George Steinbrenner.

Regarding June Jones: The money he's being paid is buying talent — coaching and recruiting talent. Successful athletic programs are built by talented coaches who can coach the talented athletes they recruit. June Jones is highly successful in both areas.

The UH athletic department went into the community to find the money to pay for that talent. Whining academicians who complain about the money being paid to Jones have the same phone book the athletic department has — they should use it to find their own donors in the community. It would seem to be a fitting test of their own commitment to academia.

Children, elderly should pay more

Not to add salt to the kaki'o, but I am tired of the City Council or Department of Transportation always making the same decisions for adults and students on being the chosen ones for the next bus fare hikes.

You know what? Children under age 6 should be paying a fare because they occupy a seat when accompanied by a fare-paying passenger. I don't know how many paying passengers are aware of signs regarding the fares that say something like: Any child under 6 may ride free when accompanied by a fare-paying passenger if he does not occupy a seat.

I've called the City Council regarding this matter and was told to call the DOT. I have spoken to both agencies and have yet to receive a letter from the DOT.

Furthermore, as much as I sympathize with the senior citizens, they should also pay their fair share. It should be $25 per year rather than two years.

Do any of you within the City Council or the DOT commute on the bus during morning and afternoon rush hour or at all?

Others also donated

I was a participant in the Petwalk on June 22. There were other donors of doggie treats besides Hawaii Doggie Bakery, and in fairness to all the generous donors, they should have been recognized in your Petwalk article on June 23. My dogs received goodies from Happy Snacks, Bark Avenue and Doggie Bakery. It was unfair to give credit to one donor when the others were just as generous.