Letters to the Editor

Dobelle hasn't kept promises on research

UH President Evan Dobelle has frequently laid claim to exceptional growth of externally funded research at the University of Hawai'i. As a leader of the UH Association of Research Investigators, with 300-plus members, I speak for many of my colleagues in saying that we are discouraged that Dobelle continues to take credit for our efforts.

In May 2001, Association of Research Investigators leaders briefed Dobelle on serious problems facing UH researchers. He promised to address these, and we said that we would double research funding to UH. Dobelle set up a Research Task Force, but in 2 1/2 years he has never formally responded to our recommendations. Establishing the position of vice president for research was the only one implemented.

It is true that UH faculty will bring in more than $340 million this year, up from $216 million in FY01. This is in spite of the substantial barriers we face daily in conducting research and delivering on promises that we make in our grant proposals. For many, part of our salary depends on continued success, so it is no surprise that we work so hard. However, our ability to compete for scarce funds is being continually eroded by failure to address the failing administration of research at UH.

Lack of road leaves west side out of loop

I read the April 4 Travel front-page article "Circling O'ahu" by Elizabeth House with interest and pleasure but was intrigued by the irony of the title and of the map showing her journey.

It is a commonly accepted idea that a trip around the island will cross over the center via the H-2 and navigate the north, east and south coasts, but what about the Leeward side? Well, of course one cannot complete the island circumnavigation because the road ends at the far side of Yokohama beach. How can the Leeward community be expected to flourish when it is in fact at a dead end?

The Leeward community has its share of problems, some of which stem from lack of local commerce and difficulty traveling to and from commercial centers for work and leisure activities. It also now has many things happening in its favor.

Developers have already transformed Kapolei and Ko Olina into thriving leisure and commercial centers, but that is as far as locals and tourists drive. If they were enticed to travel a few miles farther west, they would find beaches, surfing and golf courses that are world-class, a beautiful coastline and spectacular mountain scenery that would take their collective breath away.

Locals and tourists do not drive along this coastline because the road doesn't lead anywhere other than to turn around and go back the way they came — it is a dead end. There is already a walking trail and the remains of a rail track running around Ka'ena Point to Mokule'ia. We need to build a short section of road to complete the island and bring the communities together, giving the Leeward community a way out of the dead end.

Van cam doesn't have police powers

I see that the idea of re-introducing the van cam in Hawai'i's streets has become popular enough to warrant legislative discussion.

I take exception to the idea of a program that takes photos of drivers going in excess of 20 mph over the posted speed limit, however, because a camera will never possess police powers and will never be able to pull over a motorist speeding to this degree.

The end product is a picture of an accident about to happen and the danger of racing motorists moving to alternate streets and neighborhoods. And because the program would likely not generate enough revenue to cover its costs because it only takes pictures of a small number of drivers, the result is going to be a cost to Hawai'i taxpayers, for little benefit.

Perhaps the best solution is to take the money that would be used to fund this proposal and use it to better pay police officers, and then perhaps more qualified recruits would think about applying to fill unmanned law-enforcement positions, which could effect a positive change in driving habits on Hawai'i's roadways.

'Pricey seawater' has other benefits, too

Sean Hao's most interesting Page One story (April 13) about the medical benefits of drinking "pricey seawater" from the depths near the Big Island failed to mention that it also restores decaying teeth, improves vision, shrinks the eye fold resulting in the appearance of larger, rounder eyes, and increases sex drive and performance.

And, depending upon the amount consumed, it may bleach your hair to a blond or 'ehu color where once only black hair grew.

Sprinkling or rubbing this precious commodity onto the body can also have a very healthy result.

Ehu is a water mixed with fragrant herbs used in sprinkling or gently rubbing a patient to revive him from fainting. And, as any medical researcher will tell you, it is from 'ehu that we get the word ehu, or vice versa.

City must address affordable-rental crisis

The current rental market leaves no room for O'ahu's low-income and lower-middle-class families.

The average rental price for a small two-bedroom house is about $1,200 to $1,400, and each weekend there are fewer listings in the classifieds. After paying for childcare, food, insurance, gas and other bills, not many families can afford this even if they are lucky enough to find one.

The situation is forcing middle-class families to compete with low-income families for the few affordable apartments left.

Mayor Harris' proposal to sell city rental properties is ridiculous and cruel and will only add to the homeless problem as more families are forced to raise their families in tents on the beach.

My husband and I have recently made the heartbreaking decision to leave Hawai'i rather than struggle to raise our children on two full-time incomes. The city needs to address the affordable-rental shortage before more families are forced out.

Farmlands do indeed absorb much of the rain

After reading the March 31 letter "Farms don't hold back rainwater," I had to stop and ask myself, does this explanation validate the rezoning of Kamilonui Valley (agricultural land) for new residential development? After all, is that not what this is really all about?

Shame on you, Hawai'i Kai Marina Community Association, for propagating a red herring. While it is true that during normal rainfall, there is little if any silt or debris running into the marina or waterways, it is only during these heavy rains that problems occur. Under normal rainfall, the farmlands absorb much of the rain, and less of it runs into the marina. The vegetation along the path of flow often filters the water that reaches the marina.

If homes are built in this area, they will tremendously reduce the absorption of water into the ground and increase the amount of water flowing into the marina. If the thought of that amount of water does not alarm you, just think back to the New Year's rain that caused the problem in Haha'ione Valley, which caused extensive damage to property.

The farms of Kamilonui Valley are an integral part of Hawai'i Kai and if not protected are most certainly destined for a fate similar to the appalling attempt to rezone preservation land for the proposed Koko Villas town homes in Kalama Valley.

Enough is enough. Respect the 'aina!

AIG center not created as a 'drop-down' subsidiary

We appreciate your interest in AIG Hawaii and our newly established technology development center ("Insurer benefits from Act 221," March 27). However, we wish to clarify that AIG did not create the AIG Hawaii Development Center as a "drop-down" subsidiary to avoid paying taxes.

The AIG Hawaii Development Center — one of seven development centers in parent company AIG's worldwide network — will enable us to develop major software applications for AIG companies worldwide and for other high-tech ventures in Hawai'i. This is one of the key objectives of Act 221.

Another is job growth. Because of the development center, we were able to save more than 17 technology jobs and create 10 more. We have also reversed the trend of high-tech jobs moving offshore by bringing six of AIG's partner consultants from India to Hawai'i to get the development center and its staff up to worldwide standards.

We are also doing our part to help stop the "brain drain" loss of talented local programmers to Mainland companies. We recently hired our first local resident back from the Mainland, a trend we are determined to continue.

Act 221 was designed to help start-up tech companies compete in a global marketplace. Clearly, AIG Hawaii is not a start-up. Yet in order to remain competitive, we must act like a start-up. That means being entrepreneurial and taking risks.

There are no guarantees that our development center will be as successful as we hope. But isn't that the nature of high tech? Established companies like ours have the potential to play a major role in long-term high-tech development for Hawai'i. Like start-ups, we should not be denied the opportunity to succeed.

We are acutely aware of the potential for abuse of Act 221, and we support tightening rules to help curtail abusive tax shelters. Nonetheless, when considering Act 221 reforms, we ask that all concerned proceed with caution. In the effort to make widespread corrections to the law, we run the risk of sabotaging the law's original intent — to diversify and grow our economy.

Empower principals, teachers

The people of Hawai'i have expressed themselves intelligently in hundreds of letters to the editor about public education in Hawai'i. And those letters have been duly printed by our daily newspapers.

Every facet of the subject has been explored from almost every point of view. And for more than a year, there have been studies by experts, editorials and polls of the public.

Unfortunately, conflicts in the political system and in the bureaucracy have produced gridlock, which stands in the way of the progressive reform that the public demands.

As a result, we have to step away from what is a real battlefield and endeavor to analyze what must be done to a system that has become incapable of serving the public good.

The process must start in each principal's office and in each teacher's classroom. The principal must have the power to govern, and the teacher must have the authority and tools necessary to teach properly, including an orderly classroom environment, current textbooks and appropriate computer capability.

This may seem to be an oversimplification. But if we can agree that the Department of Education, working with the Legislature, must determine which of the school functions will become the responsibility of the principal as a matter of law, we give ourselves a better opportunity to improve the performances of public education in Hawai'i.

The pay scale for principals must be commensurate with the management functions for which they are responsible.

Teacher salaries must be increased so that many of our best teachers are not forced to accept Mainland opportunities or leave the teaching ranks to become part of the bureaucracy.

Nothing that we have said is new. We feel privileged to join those who have previously expressed themselves imploring our government to take action.

Forty years of failed promises have caused Hawai'i's current educational crisis. And if the new promises that must be made to parents, teachers, principals and students are not kept, our elected government must be replaced at the ballot box.