Letters to the Editor

Investing in children reduces need for prisons

America has a long history of supporting shortsighted, punitive investments in prisons over long-term prevention strategies. Once again, we see evidence of this costly trend.

The Advertiser reports that a recent study submitted to the state calls for a $1 billion investment in our prisons. Imagine if those funds instead supported quality childcare and afterschool programs — we could surely reduce expected crimes before they are even committed.

Among many benefits, research clearly demonstrates that quality childcare and afterschool programs cut crime. Compared to similar low-income children, those in Chicago's Child-Parent Centers were 70 percent less likely to be arrested for violent crime by age 18. In fact, this program prevented an estimated 33,000 crimes by the time children reached the age of 18.

These programs benefit parents, too. Fathers who are incarcerated tell us that time bonding with their children will help them live a life free of crime.

Quality childcare and afterschool programs prevent crime before it occurs — clearly a wiser investment than prisons.

Charles Bishop didn't cheat the Hawaiians

Bob Krauss' column of Nov. 30 gives us information from the book "Kahana, How the Land Was Lost," by Robert Stauffer, who suggests that bank owner Charles Reed Bishop, husband of Princess Pauahi, cheated the poor Hawaiians out of their land by loaning money to three-acre farms and then passing a law to facilitate foreclosures.

The outrage of this is not what Mr. Stauffer wrote — people write the darnedest things — but that a reporter for The Advertiser for over 50 years would repeat those lies without blinking.

According to Mr. Stauffer, the kuleana lands "constituted 43 percent of the total value of the land distributed in 1848."

The actual value is shown in, among others, the book "Resource Units in Hawaiian Culture," published by the Kamehameha Schools in 1969: "Between 1850 and 1890, pasture land sold for an average of 25 cents an acre, while good taro land (irrigated) brought $5 an acre."

In 1865, James Campbell bought the oceanfront Kahuku ranch for $4 an acre. Therefore, 28,000 acres of kuleana lands, even at $5 an acre, would be valued at $140,000.

The kuleana lands consisted of an average of three acres, each valued at $15.

Can anyone believe that Charles Bishop, a multimillionaire (billionaire in today's value), who was the greatest benefactor of the Hawaiians, would be interested in cheating Hawaiians for a few dollars? Bob Krauss did.

Man, woman of year: Kamakana and Higa

Our nominations for man and woman of the year: Detective Kenneth Kamakana and state Auditor Marion Higa.

We applaud every family member, teacher and friend who ever invested time and energy in you during your formative years that provided you with the tools to live a life of integrity; we thank you for the consistency of your choices to honor the pledges you took to look out for all of us and to live lives that are pono (upright, moral); and we hope that your biographies are taught repeatedly in every school, so children can embrace you as the excellent models you are for taking the high road, regardless of peer pressure, risk or personal gain.

Coach Jones blew it as game was ending

Any other coach in the world — from college down to neighborhood playground — would have considered it a no-brainer. All UH had to do to end the Hawai'i Bowl in regulation was use a couple of running plays. It should have been a great win, no overtime and probably no brawl either.

But not coach June Jones. The ESPN announcers noted that failing to run out the clock was stupid and something that would always haunt Jones. USA Today was kinder, calling Jones' bonehead "strategy" a "coaching mistake."

Duh. Nice that UH won in spite of him. But what an impression to make on potential Warriors watching the game on national TV. Lotsa luck with recruiting, coach.

Here's the other side of the wild boar story

Auwe to the macho men who claimed the 200-pound swimming boar of 'Ewa Beach. They went on local television news and gave the people of Hawai'i a warm and fuzzy story of a Christmas meal.

Well, the truth is, after the pig was cleaned and skinned, the intestines and remains were tossed near my front yard on Papipi Road for all who jog and walk their dogs to enjoy. The stench was atrocious and the maggots were appalling.

Hey guys, remember, "What goes around comes around." Oh, and by the way, I really hope you don't contract trichinosis from the meat.

Safest path for soldiers is withdrawal from Iraq

The Dec. 22 front-page article displayed many impressive high-tech gear designed to protect Iraq-bound U.S. soldiers, with two notable exceptions:

• The "M40 chemical & biological protective mask" is totally unneeded as the United States has not found even a single liter of the Bush-claimed "tons" of deadly chemical or biological agents inside Iraq.
• Soldiers lack a high-tech, Palm-pilot-type translation device. The critical device is needed by soldiers to interpret the latest Newspeak coming from the White House. So, every time the president tells them they are fighting for "freedom," soldiers will automatically understand that they are fighting for freedom of corporations like Halliburton Co. to secure Iraqi resources (latest news: Halliburton is selling gas to the U.S. occupation authority at $2.64 per gallon in Iraq).

Ultimately, all the high-tech protective gear will not save many soldiers, who will be killed or injured by low-tech weapons such as rifles, mines and grenades used by Iraqis who are righteously opposed to the continuing occupation of their country.

America must learn that the safest path for soldiers is a complete and rapid withdrawal of all U.S. forces.

Hybrid-electric buses will be good for city

A recent letter to the editor concerning the city's plans to use hybrid-electric vehicles as part of the BRT system was flat-out wrong. It is misinformation like this that has been denying the citizens of O'ahu better, cleaner and quieter transportation for over 30 years.

Hybrid-electric vehicles, or HEVs, are powered by an electric motor. A diesel engine generates electricity for the on-board electric motor. A battery stores additional energy generated and provides backup power when needed. The battery is recharged when the driver applies the brakes (this is called regenerative braking).

In HEVs, the diesel engine is smaller than the standard diesel-powered buses and, therefore, less polluting. A 2002 U.S. Department of Energy Study that compared HEVs with diesel-only buses showed that the hybrid buses emitted 98 percent lower carbon monoxide and 33 percent lower carbon dioxide, and increased fuel economy by 48 percent. HEVs are also much quieter than conventional diesel buses. Please check out www.ott.doe.gov/hev/what.html for more information.

Hybrid-electric buses are proven technology. Consider this: The buses being procured for the BRT project were tested by King County in Seattle, running 20 hours per day for six months in simulated revenue service, including weight to simulate a full passenger load. They accumulated over 50,000 miles over those six months without one single road call for service. King County was so impressed that it ordered 250 hybrid-electric buses.

The 10 new HEVs being purchased for the BRT project cost $695,000 apiece for a 60-foot articulated bus that seats 62 people. This compares to about $515,000 for a standard diesel articulated bus that uses more fuel. The Department of Transportation Services replaces buses when they reach 500,000 miles or 12 years, whichever is sooner. This amounts to 15 to 30 new buses each year. Costs for new buses, whether diesel or hybrid-electric, are paid for by city funds, federal funds, or a combination of both.

Cayetano wrong on gas lawsuit

Former Gov. Ben Cayetano's recitation of the facts of the state's very thorough investigation of the charges against ChevronTexaco is very flawed (Advertiser commentary, Nov. 30). He argues that a lawsuit should have been filed based solely on the claims of two Mainland professors.

However, as required by Hawai'i law, the state's own tax department examined these allegations and concluded that there was no basis to support a lawsuit. Winston & Strawn, a law firm hired by Gov. Cayetano's own administration, conducted a separate investigation and analysis. It concluded that there was no evidence that ChevronTexaco committed fraud in this case. The two Mainland professors as well as state legislative committees described Winston & Strawn as highly qualified to handle this case.

But Gov. Cayetano's factual recitation does illustrate one major flaw in his thesis. The state's outside counsel took the case on a contingency fee agreement. That means the law firm, not the state, paid for the law firm's investigation and that the firm would be paid only if the state won.

Taxpayers and consumers should bear in mind that by recommending against filing a lawsuit, the law firm gave up any hope of recovering a large potential fee from a successful lawsuit. Had there been money to be made because there were grounds for a suit, surely its own self-interest (if nothing else) would have led it to recommend suing. Its investigation saved taxpayers millions that may otherwise have been spent on an unsuccessful legal challenge.

Gov. Cayetano got it wrong when he stated that ChevronTexaco executives were not under oath and therefore ChevronTexaco was not to be believed. In fact, Winston & Strawn obtained sworn testimony from key executives, and that testimony was corroborated by internal documents. ChevronTexaco replied to every request we made. It complied with every documentary demand. It spent significant resources meeting every deadline. The investigators made a complete report of its cooperation, which is also a part of the record. ChevronTexaco, or any taxpayer for that matter, is subject to civil and criminal penalties to the extent any submissions are false or misleading.

The investigation found no case for the state against ChevronTexaco. Contrary to Gov. Cayetano's suggestion, the "crime fraud" documents were considered along with all other evidence. Winston & Strawn found no basis upon which the state could anticipate vindication by a court. It recommended no further action. After a most thoroughgoing review, the state agreed with the law firm's findings, conclusions and recommendations.

Despite one year of wide publicity of the professors' allegations, including stories in The New York Times, why is it that not one single state brought suit against ChevronTexaco based on the professors' theories? I believe it is because such a suit would fail.

Gov. Cayetano also suggests that a confidentiality agreement with ChevronTexaco means the public will never know "the truth."

The confidentiality agreement covered information that was already strictly confidential under the law — ChevronTexaco's tax returns. The agreement merely allowed the state to share information with key administration personnel and Winston & Strawn.

Our state remains vigilant in demanding compliance with our tax laws. If we find the facts necessary for a successful tax fraud prosecution, we will bring one. By the same token, our taxpayers are not well-served to find us charging off to court to tilt at the windmills created by political rhetoric.