honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, September 12, 2003

Letters to the Editor

Continuing losses doomed cemetery

On Sept. 5, we, the children of Herbert M. "Montie" Richards, reluctantly closed the Honolulu Memorial Park cemetery. We kept it afloat over the last 30 years, but because of continuing losses, we can no longer do so.

Mr. Richards set up the park in 1958, along with a nonprofit association to maintain sold property, not only as a business but to further the interest of his own father, Theodore Richards, in cultural harmony between Hawai'i and Japan.

By the time he died in 1970, the new Pali Highway had disrupted the once quiet, peaceful backwater in lower Nu'uanu. Most of the property was sold, but both organizations were insolvent.

In continuing the business, we have drawn no payments of any sort and have subsidized these organizations to well over a million dollars, far beyond any other inheritance from our father.

We have pursued many avenues for solutions, but sadly without lasting success. Meanwhile, our family's good name and intentions have been jeopardized by the problems surrounding the cemetery, in spite of our best efforts to do the right thing.

It is time for us to step aside in favor of others with an interest in the cemetery. We stand ready to donate the cemetery to any such qualified organization.

Manning Richards
Herbert M. Richards Jr.
James A. Richards
Mary Richards Shattuck


Poor management created bus strike

How long will the public allow striking bus employees and the public to suffer? When will more of us recognize the poor fiscal management that triggered and prolongs this strike?

The bus workers are waging a just campaign against the fiscal incompetence of OTS, the quasi-public corporation hired by the city. The striking workers are seeking to preserve bus routes and service and prevent layoffs of bus drivers — laudable goals — and at the same time secure modest and deserved wage hikes for themselves.

The city and OTS management line is that other public workers have not received pay hikes recently (though this is not entirely true — check out the raises given recently to firefighters, the police and the nurses), so why should bus company employees receive one? This smacks of beating down all workers to the lowest level and is obvious divide-and-conquer tactics.

OTS, though claiming lack of money to meet workers' demands, spends public money to broadcast ads pitting workers or retirees against the strikers. Is this a legal or responsible use of public money? The bus employees and drivers themselves are without pay and are sacrificing much for their principles. Hawai'i's labor history tells us that strikes and struggles are often necessary to increase workers' wage levels and win protections for workers and our kids.

John Witeck
Honolulu


Maybe it's time to reconsider light rail

Bus drivers are not going to score points by holding the city hostage. The bus strike affects everyone, yet hurts the most vulnerable groups in our population: the elderly and people with special needs. The rest of us, well, we've learned that one of the prices of living in paradise means gridlock traffic. It's not a new concept because mass transit is not a legislative priority — or is it?

The first thing your financial adviser suggests is to never put all your eggs in one basket. By having just the bus, we're doing just that. Now that the buses are not operating, we're stuck with no alternatives.

Maybe it's time to seriously implement mass transit, be it a light rail system or what have you. As Rome wasn't built in a day, the city could start with town and build the rail outward in phases, as funding becomes available. The buses could play a support role by working off the arteries or the main lines where drop-off points are established.

If that means paying an extra tax on transportation to carry this out, why not? We are already gouged with taxes, so what's another 1 percent?

The city and state need to start planning at the strategic, and not day-to-day, level. Quality of life equals going to work and returning home, not being stuck in traffic for two hours at a time. The people of Hawai'i deserve well-thought-out and well-planned alternatives, not the quick and dirty Band-Aid solutions we've been given for years.

L.H. Ohigashi
Honolulu


Bus drivers aren't customer-oriented

An advertisement launched recently by the union that represents the bus drivers claimed they are on strike for the sake of improved services for bus riders. If they are so customer-oriented, then I would like to ask them the following:

• Why is it that the strike started at 12:01 a.m., a critical time for bus riders going to and from work? Wherever the buses were, they ceased to operate once time expired. Thousands scrambled to find transportation, and others got stranded in the middle of the night. A total disregard of security and common courtesy.

• Why did they strike in the middle of the month? Thousands of dedicated bus riders who paid the drivers' daily salary by buying monthly passes did not use up their passes for one full month. We demand reimbursement from the union (not OTS) for the remaining days.

• Why choose to strike on a day when most public and private schools start? The majority of students relied on the bus for transportation. A slap in the face for the unfortunate few as well as the general public.

If the union wants to make a point, then lay it out straight. Not through the back door and certainly not in our name.

Amanzio Elieisar
Honolulu


Featured dancer in 'Gypsy' misidentified

I appreciate Joseph T. Rozmiarek's review in praise of "Gypsy" at Army Community Theatre, but let me correct an error in the billing in the review. The splendid male dancer is Cole Horibe ("Tulsa"). Gene DeFrancis ("Yonkers") is incorrectly named as featured dancer; Mr. DeFrancis is a performer in the production, but appears in different scenes.

Glenn Cannon
Director of "Gypsy"


Conservation of fish population is critical

It was disturbing to read Aug. 30 that thousands of juvenile 'aweoweo were being caught, and that Clay Tam's quote from the Aquatic Resources Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources is "There's plenty to go around as long as they use it and don't abuse it."

The fact that the current abundance (run) is an anomaly ought to beg the question "Why?" Most will agree that fish, octopus and other inshore populations have been seriously declining over the years. The protected green sea turtles are a happy exception.

Fishing can be a challenging, fun sport and certainly is a critical part of the Hawaiian culture. The part of the culture that needs to be better understood is the conservation/sustainability part (malama). Ancient po'o lawai'a would not be happy to see what a mess their grounds are today.

What if we had limits on size? Wouldn't it be a good idea for fish to reach reproductive maturity before they are caught (babies don't make babies)? What if we limited the catch rate to one at a time (e.g. maximum of one hook)? What if we had a limit as to how many could be caught in a day? Those rules exist for some fish ... how about the rest?

We need an ethical shift away from "the thrill of the kill" to a reverence for the diversity and potential abundance of sea life. The article reports where the fish are running: Waimea Bay (part of the Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District). Auwe! Mixed uses are a challenge.

Bob Leinau


Sharing our treasures through assisted living

This week, The Ponds at Punalu'u joins thousands of assisted-living facilities, in Hawai'i and across the nation, in celebration of National Assisted Living Week, Sept. 7 to 13.

Under the celebratory theme "Sharing Life's Treasures," our staff, residents and families will focus on sharing memories and conveying our dreams still pursued. The National Assisted Living Week observance reminds us that time spent sharing our treasures with others enhances life's pathway.

On behalf of our residents, I encourage readers to visit friends and loved ones and to volunteer with us as often as possible. Our residents are active, caring members of the community and seek to share exciting new adventures. From coordinating a book club or a children's letter-writing campaign to offering weekly visits or special lectures or classes, volunteers add great depth to our residents' lives.

National Assisted Living Week is a time to highlight the vital role assisted living plays in helping our community's elderly live as independently as possible while enjoying a meaningful quality of life. Let it also be the time to share your treasures with us. Please call me at 293-1100 to discuss volunteer opportunities.

Jeannie Acheson
Director of activities
The Ponds at Punalu'u


It's time for the U.S. to recognize North Korea

Do Bush administration decision-makers want a nuclear-weapon-free North Korea or do they want violent regime change? If the former, the solution is clear: Give a guarantee of no U.S. nuclear attack and enter into normal diplomatic relations.

China and Russia have recognized the ROK since 1992. Why cannot the United States and Japan now recognize the DPRK?

However, regime change seems more important than the solvable nuclear weapons issue. This is implied by the resignation on the eve of the Beijing talks of Jack Pritchard, the State Department's top North Korea negotiating envoy, reportedly because he favored a more conciliatory approach.

Having recognized the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1995 20 years after defeat, why cannot the United States recognize the DPRK 50 years after stalemate in 1953? And solidly support peaceful ROK-DPRK relations? What explains the continuing bellicose rigidity in U.S.-Korean policy, as contrasted with the earlier ability of Republican presidents to establish diplomatic relations with the vastly more dangerous U.S.S.R. and China?

Glenn D. Paige
Center for Global Nonviolence
Honolulu


DOE hiring practices depend on who's talking

Regarding Norman Sakamoto's letter, which was prompted by Cory Ahn's letter about the DOE hiring freeze: I have a friend who's a fully qualified teacher in California. When she inquired about getting hired by the Department of Education, she was informed that as an out-of-state resident, the DOE couldn't hire her. She decided that as much as she wanted to move here, she wasn't going to wait tables for a year just to achieve residency.

Obviously, the DOE doesn't know what its policies are; what you get told depends on who answers the phone. I myself have been a public school teacher for less than a year and could tell countless horror stories about dealing with the DOE.

The piece of knowledge that has been passed down to me by older teachers is, "You better get a few friends in the DOE or else you'll never be able to get anything accomplished."

Why should we be surprised that the old-boy network still exists in certain places? I challenge Mr. Sakamoto to use his position and investigate DOE teacher recruitment and hiring procedures.

Bryan Mick
Kailua


There was a way to have prevented anarchy

The United States will not get any more international help in subjugating the by-now-rebellious masses of Iraq. The U.S. came as victors who overstayed their welcome.

Immediately after the cessation of all hostilities, all Iraqis over the age of 20 should have been given photo ID cards. These ID cards would have entitled all Iraqi citizens to participate in an open, countrywide election to establish a new government. All the U.S. would do is make sure that the elections were internationally watched and perhaps supervised.

A new government would be formed with duly elected representatives from among the majority Shiite, minority Sunni, mixed Kurdish populations and other minorities proportionately elected.

This newly elected government would have done the following immediately: Allow citizens in the various sections of the country to elect or establish their own police forces to guard against all forms of banditry. The American and British armies would be restricted to camps outside of all villages and cities. Absolutely no "patrolling."

The next simultaneous actions by this new government should have taken place: Work 24 hours to restore and improve all power lines. Repair all bombed water main pipes. Get refineries going to supply gas to the gas-starved population. Distribute to the population on a per capita basis the enormous cash hordes found in various locales. It is the property of the Iraqi people. This money would have allowed them to buy propane gas and food.

All the above actions in combinations done on a massive scale might have forestalled what is now more and more becoming the norm — badly controlled anarchy.

Willi F. Moelzer
Kane'ohe


What's up with this 'Warrior' nonsense?

I am a kama'aina now living in Utah. For myself and the rest of the Hawaiian populace here, it is a thrill when one of the UH teams comes to town to play. But, we are all wondering, what is this "Warrior" nonsense? What gives a football coach from the Mainland and a small group of athletes the right to abandon 75 years of proud tradition?

"Rainbows" belongs to the entire student body, the alumni and the community. UH always was, still is and always will be the "Rainbows." "Rainbow Warriors" we don't mind. But you have absolutely no right to drop the "Rainbows"!

I hear sales are down. People feel betrayed. The "Warriors" are not our team. We are ashamed of the "Warriors." Let's go, 'Bows!

Laine Wong
Kaysville, Utah