Letters to the Editor
Legislature itself must bite the salary bullet
The Legislative Salary Commission's recommendation that House and Senate members' pay be biannually increased should be rejected by either the governor or the Legislature itself.
Politicians — public servants — should set an example for the people of their society. And with tough economic times forecast, all government employees should be prepared to bite the salary bullet.
Voters should very carefully look at how their elected officials react to the commission's recommendation and remember that reaction come next election.
Stuart N. Taba
Protesters should support our troops
As a 20-year-old young man assigned to Danang, Vietnam, in the late '60s, I experienced the same anti-war rhetoric that our young, brave men and women in uniform now face in Iraq.
The peace protesters, the spitting upon, desecration and burning of our sacred American flag and the obscenities at our presence there were truly mind-boggling. In many cases, stories that my buddies relayed to us upon returning home said that some protesters even spat on them in uniform.
Every so often while we were "in country," we would watch Armed Forces Vietnam, a television broadcast, and would witness these graphic images of protesters burning their draft cards and the American flag. And how did we feel? Not good at all. We were there to support liberty, and yet at the same time these protesters humiliated our existence via their First Amendment rights.
What kept us going? Our buddies, our situation and ourselves. We were there and had only each other to justify our existence and purpose.
Support our troops. They need us as much as we need them. Thomas Jefferson once wrote: "Every so often, the tree of liberty must be watered by the blood of tyrants and patriots."
God bless America and our brave men and women of our armed forces. Amen.
Ron Iinuma
War isn't being fought on everyone's 'behalf'
Regarding Cheryl Chin's March 27 letter: Perhaps, Ms. Chin, not everyone agrees that this war is being fought on "our behalf."
I, for one, believe our troops are admirably doing what they are enlisted to do. However, it has not been made clear to me exactly how this war is being fought on my behalf when I do not support it, do not believe it is the God-given mandate of America to use its might to dictate how the Arab nations govern themselves, do not for one minute believe this is about the simplistic, altruistic reasons we've been fed by the Bush administration and do not intend to blindly wave a flag (which, by the way, I still believe to be the ultimate symbol of democracy, fairness and justice) in support of misspent blood and greed.
I will, however, continue to burn a candle of hope and peace and pray for the best outcome possible.
Addie Jackson
Florida election debacle is fair fodder for debate
I'm a fan of David Shapiro's commentaries, but I take issue with his "Bush won — so get over it" column (March 26).
It is perfectly legitimate for anti-war protesters and others to continue to remind the nation of the travesty of the election debacle in Florida, especially in light of George Bush's record as president. While most people accept that Bush is president, the seriously flawed manner in which he was selected can hardly be called a mandate, as Shapiro suggests.
The U.S. Supreme Court made a terrible ruling in Bush vs. Gore; the butterfly ballot disenfranchised thousands of elderly Jewish voters who obviously did not mean to vote for Pat Buchanan; many African Americans were prevented from voting (nationally, blacks favored Gore over Bush by 9 to 1); and hundreds of improperly completed absentee ballots favoring Bush were altered and counted by Republican poll workers.
That's not "fair and square," Dave, and it's certainly not democracy. A statewide recount of the "funny-looking ballots" conducted by major media organizations revealed that Gore would likely have won Florida after all, and by a far more comfortable margin than the official victory tally for Bush.
Unfortunately, this important news was reported shortly after 9/11, about the time the United States began bombing Af-ghanistan.
Chad Blair
A 'three-strikes" law would cut crime here
I applaud Rep. Bud Stonebraker for his fight on crime. His push to jail career criminals is exactly right and would put a big dent in crime.
When California passed a "three-strikes" law, crime in that state went down 41 percent. Jailing career criminals is a great way to lower our crime rate in Hawai'i.
Are you tired of all of our burglaries and auto thefts? Back Bud Stonebraker and vote out legislators who will not.
Mark Terry
More school boards won't improve system
The governor is intent on splitting up the existing Board of Education into seven school boards in an effort to improve the public school system. Why?
Why change the system just because it's broken? Why not look at the root causes of the problem, correct those flaws and then continually improve upon those changes?
Anybody who knows anything about improving the quality of any process knows that minimizing variation is key to improving quality.
Hawai'i is in a unique situation because of our centralized public school system. By creating more school boards, variation will be increased. Will quality improve? Not likely.
Recently, according to the superintendent of education, after federal, state, BOE and DOE requirements are invoked, teachers have very little leeway to teach their classes using their experience and education. Given that situation, it appears very little will change in the classroom by splitting up the BOE.
The present system already has a BOE that includes representation from different districts within the state as well as local districts of education headed by district superintendents. Those people are supposed to address and satisfy localized needs. If that process has failed, then the performance of those individuals, BOE members as well as the district superintendents must be reviewed and their shortcomings addressed.
Accountability is the major problem why the public school system has failed. Accountability involves reviewing and taking appropriate action on the performance of individuals. To this end, the teacher must be accountable to the principal, the principal accountable to the district superintendent, and in turn the district superintendent accountable to the superintendent of education, who is ultimately accountable to the BOE.
Melvin T. Minakami
Kane'ohe
Hawaiians should get over the overthrow
It's time for us Hawaiians to get over the overthrow of the monarchy and get on with making our great country a better place to live in. OK, the overthrowers were wrong, but so was Kamehameha I when he caused the demise of many Hawaiians in his takeover of the Islands.
Another thing: Like other Americans, we are of diverse ethnicities. No one forced our ancestors to marry those of other cultures, and no one forced Western religions on them. They chose change, believing that doing so would give them and their children an opportunity for a better life. And they were right, especially for the commoners.
If the concern is about improving the lives of Hawaiians, then begin with asking the kids why they're dropping out of school, absent from school, cutting classes, in special-education classes, failing and not earning a graduation diploma; then come up with solutions. Ask the superintendent and Board of Education if our kids are being afforded the same quality of education as schools in other areas.
Since the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is always vocal on the plight of Hawaiians, it should not only take the lead in this effort but fund programs to get our kids back in school, assist in motivating them to succeed and equip the classrooms so that they are places kids want to go to.
Folks, the root cause of our people's problems is the lack of success in learning by our youngsters in school.
Bill Prescott
Nanakuli
Downtown doesn't need another 'tot lot'
As a citizen and taxpayer of the City and County of Honolulu, I read with dismay your editorial comments in the March 19 Advertiser: "Give downtown its long-awaited tot lot."
Either you have not checked the facts, are misinformed or are just writing an emotional editorial.
The news has been filled with stories of how difficult a financial situation the city is in. Budget hearings are ongoing, with all parties trying to make ends meet with very meager resources.
The facts are (and I checked with the city):
- A typical play apparatus that is erected in city parks averages slightly more than $100,000.
- There are four such apparatuses in less than a mile radius of the Smith-Beretania park: 'A'ala Park, Beretania Community Park, Kamamalu Neighborhood Park and Kauluwela Community Park.
- This is by far the greatest concentration of play apparatuses on the island of O'ahu.
The argument that the citizens have waited 20-plus years for the Smith-Beretania park has nothing to do with the subject. Play apparatus has been installed in the neighborhood and the need has been met.
Rather than being puzzled by Parks Director William Balfour's stance, I think he should be praised for taking a very practical approach. We need more thinking like that in government.
F.M. Scotty Anderson
Those who recycle should get a break
Regarding the proposed fee for trash hauling: I recycle and compost and have very little trash going out. I don't feel it is right to charge me the same as someone who doesn't.
The automatic trucks can be fitted with a scale that weighs the can before it is dumped. Charges should be by the pound of trash hauled. Much more fair and encourages recycling and composting.
Greg Kemp
Kaka'ako aquarium has much to offer
I would like to clarify several points about the Marine Science Center and Aquarium at Kaka'ako raised in the March 24 editorial "Where's the market for two big aquariums?" First, the aquarium will be a world-class visitor attraction, but it will have significant research and education components.
Adjacent to the Aquarium at Kaka'ako will be a substantially expanded Pacific Biomedical Research Center of the University of Hawai'i. The center currently generates $9 million in research volume. The expansion will likely be a boon in recruiting some of the world's leading scientists, which in turn could dramatically increase the amount of research funds to the center.
The research campus will also include a private research institute that will develop commercial applications for research from both the center and the Aquarium at Kaka'ako. We expect this institute will conduct exciting scientific research that will enhance Hawai'i's position as a leader in biotechnology.
Second, the combination of these three entities in such a close proximity will create a one-of-a-kind research and revenue-generating campus. The location of the Marine Science Center and Aquarium adjacent to the new John A. Burns School of Medicine will provide a continuum of leading-edge research in Kaka'ako and achieve a critical mass of development.
One of our goals is to lay the foundation for transforming this area into a hub for high-end employment that will create jobs and be a magnet for residents and visitors.
Third, the development of the Aquarium at Kaka'ako will not come at a financial risk to the state or the university. While an agency of the state would issue the revenue bonds, the bonds will be purchased by private investors and be repaid by the revenue generated from the aquarium, and not by the state.
Fourth, this project does not necessarily have to come at the expense of the proposed Ko Olina aquarium. The Ko Olina aquarium could serve visitors on O'ahu's west side, while the Aquarium at Kaka'ako is just a few minutes away from Waikiki, the state's tourism epicenter.
The Marine Science Center and Aquarium at Kaka'ako will help diversify the state's economy by attracting some of the world's leading scientists and at the same time create a world-class visitor attraction that makes Hawai'i more competitive in the fierce worldwide competition to lure visitors.
While our Kaka'ako campus is in the preliminary planning stages, rather than fight projects of this nature, lawmakers and the business and visitor communities should support sensible efforts to broaden Hawai'i's visitor infrastructure and create opportunities for cutting-edge research, wherever they are proposed.
Marvin Suomi
President and CEO, KUD International LLC
