Aloha Stadium staff is unfriendly to fans

As a longtime UH football fan, I have seen a number of changes in the past few years at the stadium. Unfortunately, not all of these changes have been positive.

As the number of fans attending games goes down, fewer cars are now coming in to tailgate. This last weekend, our group was tailgating at 4:30, in a mostly empty section of the parking lot, when a stadium employee zoomed up on his little golf cart and told us to move the canopy we had between two of our cars, as it was forbidden to "save spaces." We told him we were not saving a space, merely providing shade for the group, and that if it got really crowded, we'd happily tighten up. He told us to open the space or he'd "call the cops," then zoomed over to scold another group down from us, who just laughed him off.

We backed one of our cars under the shade; however, he came back again and shoved a list of unauthorized actions at us, which includes Frisbee-tossing and loud music. For some reason, he didn't address the cars whose music could be heard several rows away.

We have been tailgating for ages, and it seems the only time there is interaction with stadium parking staff now is negative. They certainly haven't been helpful on the days there are a lot of tailgaters and parking is hard to find. Instead of assisting fans by helping with parking, when asked for assistance, they say it isn't their job.

Management at Aloha Stadium needs to remind staff that their duties are to assist their customers — the fans.

NCAA has history of mistreating UH

I am sure that many fans of UH Wahine volleyball will be expressing their anger and disgust over the recent draw announced for the NCAA tournament. Perhaps the time has come to do more than merely express our outrage and consider investigating the possibility of legal remedies for the continual slights against teams from Hawai'i in the decisions of the NCAA.

Although seemingly ridiculous and even petty at first glance, a review of the declared policies of the NCAA and how Hawai'i has been treated in this case and other incidences indicates that the NCAA ignores its own directives and charter frequently based on whim and fancy. This year's decision is ludicrous on its face — economy and saving flights — because that reason would have seemed to have more validity in the immediate post-9/11 period than now when we are "safer than ever before." I would wonder how many of the other schools having to travel are taking the bus or driving in cars to get to their games.

The actions of the NCAA committee are not only a slap against the No. 1 team in the nation but also another example of the disrespect shown for the University of Hawai'i and the people and state of Hawai'i.

Wahine deserved better treatment

I pray that the remarkable members of the UH Rainbow Wahine volleyball team draw inspiration from the NCAA's recent deplorable behavior and bring home the national title anyway.

Besides proving once and for all that this 2004 team is a true champion, it certainly would go a long way to sending a clear message to the NCAA that on-the-court performance is far more important than strength of schedule or frequent-flier miles.

As most coaches throughout the league would testify, any team could beat another at any given time. Hence the phrase: "That's why they play the game."

Excuses aside, the Rainbow Wahine and the people of Hawai'i deserved better. Go 'Bows!

The Snub Regionals

Due to the current decision by the NCAA selection committee concerning hosting venues, I think the first and second rounds of the NCAA volleyball tournament should be renamed the Snub Regionals.

We should get our prison money back

Regarding "Inmates didn't get rehab help," Nov. 28: I am astonished at what this article said and incensed that the state of Hawai'i would not attempt to recoup the sum of $1.3 million paid to the state of Oklahoma for services not rendered at the corrections facility housing female Hawai'i inmates.

Why would we just "roll over" and allow the state of Oklahoma to rip us off?

The reason given, that there was "no gross neglect," is unacceptable. Of course the inmates were kept clean and well fed — this is a big positive for the Department of Corrections in Oklahoma? That is a basic level of care, and if these women needed rehabilitation, which was not provided, then we should get our money back.

Who is running the show here? Who should be responsible for ensuring that our state gets a rebate on money paid in good faith?

Last time I looked, a contractual obligation has to be honored or legal recourse is called for, or am I missing something here? I hope that we are kept informed of how this situation is resolved and that someone in the proper office follows up.

OHA is wrong in its defense of Akaka bill

Cliff Slater cited Thomas Sowell that race-based programs are bad for everyone. "Far worse, the politicizing of ethnic group disparities exacerbates interracial dissension," Slater wrote Nov. 22.

Clyde Namu'o responded with Office of Hawaiian Affairs propaganda.

Namu'o stressed that the Akaka bill would establish a political relationship, not a racial one. But the political entity "Hawaiian kingdom" gave fully equal citizenship to all persons born or naturalized here. The Akaka bill clearly says "Hawaiians only."

Namu'o says "we are the only indigenous group in the United States without federal recognition." Nonsense! The New York Times reported March 29 that there are "291 groups seeking federal recognition as tribes." Most Indians are neither tribal members nor eligible to join. The United States does not recognize "indigenous people" nor the racial group of all Indians, but only tribal governments that have exercised substantial authority continuously from original European contact until now.

One thing Namu'o got right: "The future of our state is very much at stake." Shall we carve it up into racially separate governments?

Pleadingly, Namu'o ends with: "What would Hawai'i be without Native Hawaiians?" Rest assured, Native Hawaiians have multiplied tenfold during the first century of American sovereignty here: fewer than 40,000 in 1900; more than 400,000 in 2000.

Honolulu Marathon pickup an imposition

For the past 13 years, I have picked up the Honolulu Marathon running numbers for my family. This year each of us must pick up our own numbers. All this will do is add to the congestion around the Convention Center and Ala Moana Center.

The Honolulu Marathon every year tries to get local residents to participate, but it is making it very hard by placing this restriction on the pickup of the numbers. I really have to think about running in this race next year. Please reconsider and allow us to pick up the running numbers for our immediate families.

It's deep everywhere

Maureen B. Ko's letter of Nov. 29 ("Saying 'deep kimchee' is offensive to some") left out some other epithets like "deep panduce, deep lomi salmon, deep pasteles, deep gandule rice, deep vichyssoise, deep sauerkraut," etc., etc., etc. Auwe. Some people, yeah!

DOE has resources it needs

The Advertiser's Nov. 19 editorial on public school repairs starts out by saying that "Without necessary staff and expertise, the Department of Education will be hard-pressed to take on repair and maintenance responsibilities for public school facilities." The Department of Accounting and General Services understands this and is working with the DOE, the HGEA, the UPW and community and business leaders on the Act 51 Interagency Working Group to make the transfer of responsibilities as smooth as possible.

For now, the DOE has the resources it needs because the normal school repair and maintenance function is still being performed by DAGS and will not be transferred to the DOE, along with the associated resources, until July 1, 2005.

By normal repair and maintenance, I'm referring to the kind most homeowners are familiar with, such as fixing things that are broken or doing preventive maintenance.

The $100 million referred to in the editorial is for school repair and maintenance capitol improvement projects. CIP projects are larger projects that should last 20 years. The governor's recent release of $100 million for school repair and maintenance CIP was a shot in the arm for the state's public schools that was not suddenly thrust upon the DOE.

Act 51, passed by the 2004 Legislature over the governor's veto, transferred the "expending agency" responsibility for school repair and maintenance CIP to the DOE effective July 1, 2004. To prevent disruption of the program, DAGS and the DOE signed a memorandum of understanding that, among other things, defined DAGS' responsibilities for FY 2004-2005 projects that the DOE would assign to DAGS.

The DOE asked the governor to release and assign the first $50 million of school repair and maintenance CIP to DAGS, and the governor approved both actions. The DOE held the second $50 million while it determined which projects it wanted to do itself and which projects it wanted to assign to DAGS.

The governor's decision simply released the second $50 million to the DOE to implement itself. The DOE can, instead of assigning the work to DAGS, contract it to a private consultant and construction management firm. It doesn't need more people to do this.

Besides requiring that repair and maintenance CIP responsibility be transferred to the DOE on July 1, 2004, and normal repair and maintenance responsibility be transferred to the DOE on July 1, 2005, Act 51 also requires that responsibility for new construction CIP, including new schools, new buildings, new athletic and other facilities, be transferred to the DOE on July 1, 2005. It should be clear that none of these responsibilities has been transferred to the DOE ahead of time.

As to the readiness of the DOE to accept these responsibilities, that is completely in its hands. The DOE has asked for these responsibilities for years. If the DOE needs more time, and the Legislature changes the law, or effective date, we will change our plans. Meanwhile, we are planning to follow the law and transfer the functions currently performed by DAGS for the DOE as effectively as possible, as specified by Act 51.