Letters to the Editor
Speaker Say missed the point over 'pork'
House Speaker Calvin Say has my utmost respect for standing up against tax and fee increases and for approving, albeit somewhat belatedly, the executive budget. However, he misses the point made by Sen. Hemmings in his May 27 Island Voices column.
For the record, Sen. Hemmings simply corroborated what had been reported in an article that appeared on the front page of the May 18 Advertiser, i.e. that a few influential politicians were able to get more non-priority projects approved by the Legislature for their districts than other politicians, whether Democrat or Republican.
For the most part, those politicians who exerted the most influence were either House or Senate committee chairs. Since all committee chairs happen to be Democrats, it is not surprising, then, that most of the "pork" went to districts controlled by Democrats.
Sen. Hemmings' call for bipartisanship was simply a call to set CIP priorities based on actual need rather than political influence.
Roy Yanagihara
Kane'ohe
Desire to learn is not overlooked by critics
I would like to take exception to Sean Sakata's May 27 letter regarding public schools. The desire to learn is not overlooked by critics but rather by teachers. Motivating the student is one of the principles of teaching. It's about giving the student a reason to learn a lesson (or come to class). Every lesson begins with an introduction, a brief idea of the material to be covered, reasons for learning it, and what the student is expected to know by the end of the lesson.
I, too, went to public school (in the '30s and '40s) in Wahiawa. We didn't get much help from our parents because many lacked formal education, were from different cultures, spoke another language, etc., but what we had was an experienced, dedicated, stabilized staff of teachers and administrators. Additionally, just as athletic coaches didn't blame parents for losing a game, teachers didn't blame parents when their charges failed exams.
In an assessment of our schools in 1991 by Paul Berman and Associates, Berman said that unless we stop beginning teachers from using disadvantaged schools to get their tenure, lack of student success would continue. He was right. Our elementary schools can't seem to get our kids ready for secondary school, and our secondary schools end up with a high number of "special-ed" students because they can't do the work.
Our Board of Education is partly to blame for this situation, which it allowed to happen many years ago. It's time for our elected officials to correct this problem. To do nothing will result in higher taxes to fund more welfare and food-stamp recipients, and more lawbreakers, jails and other social problems.
Bill Prescott
Nanakuli
Is seat belt campaign just to raise revenue?
I find it hard to believe that the state's estimation of citations to be collected during this year's Click It or Ticket campaign does not reflect any goals or quotas.
I also find it hard to believe that the purpose of the program is to increase seat belt use and prevent deaths and injures, not generate revenue.
State law requires me to wear a seat belt while in the front seat of a vehicle, stating that it is for my safety. However, if I choose to ride a motorcycle, I can do so without a seat belt or a helmet, which I believe would be for my safety. Now, should I choose to ride in the bed of a truck, I can also do so without any safety devices. I do believe that there are more cars on the road than motorcycles and trucks, therefore increasing the chances of people not wearing their seat belts — thus increasing the revenue that the state will make on issuing citations.
So was this law put into effect for my safety (I'm an adult who should be able to make my own decisions on my safety) or for revenue for the state?
Tiana Dombrowski
Yes, non-Hawaiians also were citizens
In response to Toby Kravet's May 28 letter, I offer the following for clarity and consideration:
You are correct for pointing out the fact that in the country and kingdom of Hawai'i, non-Hawaiians made up a percentage of the citizenship, a fact I have acknowledged on numerous occasions and most recently in a letter I began writing yesterday to supporters of the Akaka bill.
Nonetheless, I stand by what I wrote and explain my thoughts further:
• Na kanaka maoli were sovereign prior to Capt. Cook's arrival, sovereign at the time non-Hawaiians were allowed to be nationalized citizens and sovereign when the illegal overthrow was committed on Jan. 17, 1893.
• All direct descendants (Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians) of citizens of the country and kingdom of Hawai'i, by the courage and wisdom of Queen Lili'uokalani, today have the inherent right to their true identity— citizens of the country and kingdom of Hawai'i. Of course, it's so only if they choose to exercise this inherent right.
• Sovereignty is supreme dominion, authority or rule. For na kanaka maoli, this was so well before 1840 and more importantly, a large obstacle in colonizing the Hawaiian Islands.
Yes, non-Hawaiians exercising their inherent right in claiming their true political identity as citizens of the country and kingdom of Hawai'i are correct and proper in doing so. The misunderstanding of my statement is this. Regarding the June 27, 1959, statehood vote, U.N. Charter XI, Article 73, states that only the indigenous population can lawfully vote for self-governance (i.e. supreme dominion, authority or rule; in other words, sovereignty). This did not happen. Making the Hawaiian Islands a state of the Union was unlawful.
Foster Ampong
Lahaina, Maui
Calvin Say attempting to suppress fair vote
One of the ironies in the fracas between Central Pacific Bank and City Bank is that Calvin Say — speaker of the House in the state Legislature — is a director of City Bank. Mr. Say and the rest of the City Bank board are vigorously attempting to suppress a fair, open, democratic vote.
City Bank belongs to its shareholders, who are the only voters entitled to decide issues important to the bank. Yet Mr. Say and the other directors of City Bank have gone to great lengths to ignore the voters and to prevent a fair election among them. And, to add insult to injury, they're spending the voters' own money to thwart them.
Now, by threatening to invoke a "poison pill," Mr. Say and the other directors are doing everything in their power to silence City Bank's largest bloc of votes, i.e. the largest shareholders.
Will Mr. Say attempt, in his next election to the state Legislature, to disenfranchise any voters who may vote against him? That's what he's doing at City Bank.
Channing T. Lushbough
Pasadena, Calif.
Bravo to the coaches
I would like to thank all the coaches from Team Ohana Hoku for all the hard work they do year-round for their Special Olympics athletes. Way to go! You all deserve the best that life has to offer. God bless you all, and keep up the good work.
Lani Manini
'Aiea
Bicyclists contribute to gasoline independence
John Turner's ideas about cycling prove the point that like so many motorists in Honolulu, he simply doesn't get it ("Bicyclists should be licensed, pay fee," May 29).
He correctly points out that bikes don't use gasoline — that's the point.
We as an island community should reduce our dependence on gas and oil. You hear hype about hydrogen, yet bikes are a proven, inexpensive form of alternative transportation, especially in a climate such as ours. Unlike cars and trucks, bikes don't tear up the road, so the infrastructure actually lasts longer and costs less to maintain — especially when there are fewer cars.
I also agree cyclists should obey traffic rules. But before you enforce traffic laws for cyclists, why not start with enforcing traffic laws for the motorized vehicles? That means yielding to cyclists when appropriate — stay out of the pitiful excuse of a "bike lane," stop cutting cyclists off in traffic — and when a cyclist has control of a traffic lane, stop forcing your way past. Cycling in Honolulu is currently a full-contact sport.
Until you cycle the streets of Honolulu, you have no idea how many drivers demonstrate a blatant contempt and disregard for cyclists and their safety. The attitude of drivers like Mr. Turner must change.
It is my understanding that Hawai'i has more cars per capita than any state in the Union. Why? Perhaps you're planning a trip to Maui or Kona for the weekend? Or is the long-term vision of Mr. Turner and our "leaders" to change our moniker from "The Gathering Place" to "Parking Lot of the Pacific."
Paul Sosso
Press censorship may be on its way
The FCC is about to rule in favor of removing a cap on broadcast media ownership, which would allow the monopolization of the free press by fewer and fewer megacorporations. That is, the press would be less free. But isn't a free press one of the foundations of a free people?
The FCC is supposed to be a guardian of public rights. Now it seems that it will allow the power to censor the news in through the back door, through news monopolies. The news in our country already is markedly different from the news in Britain. Accurate and reliable news reporting is the foundation for voting and other important decisions. Are these democratic functions to be co-opted at the level of FCC decision-making, i.e., at a level of abstraction so removed from daily life that the public won't know which of its rights and freedoms are being removed and when?
If we truly want more citizens to vote, then we need to ensure that they are getting the complete news on issues that concern them in a timely manner. And that means no media monopolies.
Sue Liang
Tourism summit tackled the issues
On May 23, we heard the results of the governor's tourism summit. When several summit participants spoke, they were articulate and no time was wasted. Following the presentation, many in the audience spoke.
An often-used term that afternoon was "stakeholder." The stakeholders are those whose fortunes and businesses are tied to the success of tourists coming to Hawai'i. The Capitol auditorium was filled with stakeholders large and small. Most of the summit participants were hotel managers, marketing directors, activities owner-operators, airline managers, travel companies, association executives. The folks who bring tourists to Hawai'i. The rest of the audience appeared to be small stakeholders who serve tourists after they are here.
The Legislature was criticized for taking back committed and badly needed Hawai'i Tourism Authority advertising funds and then putting a lid on the amount HTA could ever have to advertise Hawai'i. Many speakers, including the governor, said this was wrong and must be turned around.
Many said that Hawai'i's tourism industry is in serious trouble, particularly with the Far East markets, which are shrinking by double digits. Because Hawai'i needs an HTA board that is equipped to respond to the rapidly changing tourist travel patterns, the law requires at least six HTA board seats go to industry leaders, and there are fewer than six now.
Another major concern is the request-for-proposal process. Soon HTA will award certain major marketing areas to marketing firms like the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau. Because the current HTA board lacks skills and tourism experience necessary to make the right selection, the summit requested that this process be put off until a new HTA board is installed.
The HVCB, HTA's current marketing arm, is a Hawai'i-based, nonprofit, quasi-public, membership-driven marketing company that has been successfully selling Hawai'i for much of the last century. Tony Vericella, president of the HVCB, has proven to be creative, bold and not afraid to take risks when opening new markets and attracting new marketing partners to Hawai'i. It is clear that the HVCB is going to be hard to replace.
HTA has failed to produce a workable "accountability" plan to tell us if money spent on advertising Hawai'i is doing the job. The summit's accountability will be measured by what suggestions are implemented and if they solve the problems outlined.
Many industry folks stood to praise the work of the summit and confirmed the need to act. Many of these folks were from small segments of Hawai'i's tourism industry, like the military hotels and eco- and wellness tourism. Each of these people said the same thing before they sat down: "Don't forget about us."
At the end of the summit presentation, Gov. Lingle took the stage to express her pleasure with the summit's results. It was also obvious that she heard the smaller market segment's plea because her instructions to the summit participants was: "Don't forget about them."
Bob Hampton
Waikiki Beach Activities
