Letters to the Editor

Slavery still has its grip on our society

Your articles on ice and other drug addictions in Hawai'i have had a profound effect. Who can now believe that the Civil War ended slavery in America in 1865? Slavery thrives in our Hawai'i in 2004. Auwe!

Drug slavery of many of our children and grandchildren has spread like a fire across our community. The tentacles of drug dealers reach into Hawai'i's schoolyards, neighborhoods and families. They entice our children into the bondage of this modern-day slavery, not with the chains of iron of old — but chains of molecules. Why stand we here idle?

U.S. government did indeed cause overthrow

Frank Scott (Letters, Jan. 23) shows inconsistency in whether the United States had a role regarding the overthrow.

First, he says that U.S. Minister John Stevens would play no part in the overthrow, yet he admits that it was Stevens who ordered a cadre of U.S. sailors to the streets of Honolulu.

The truth lies in the statement by Queen Lili'uokalani, who said: "Now to avoid any collision of armed forces, and perhaps the loss of life, I do this under protest and impelled by said force yield my authority until such time as the government of the United States shall, upon facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the constitutional sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands."

Notice that she did not yield authority to the Committee of Safety, but to the government of the United States.

In addition, President Cleveland, in his address to Congress regarding this matter, stated: "Thus it appears that Hawai'i was taken possession of by the United States forces without the consent or wish of the government of the Islands, or of anybody else so far as shown, except the United States minister."

These facts show that it was surely the show of force provided by the United States that orchestrated the overthrow.

Project aims to change the way we live on O'ahu

Once again the truth emerges where one least expects it. In the Mike Leidemann article on Jan. 20 about the so-called light-rail project planned for O'ahu, he reveals that, in fact, it isn't intended to relieve traffic congestion but is intended "to change the way we live."

When did it become the government's business to change the way we live? When did it become its function to take my tax dollars to fund something to change the way other people live? Does this strike anyone else as arrogant?

According to Leidemann, Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer and author Jim Motavalli stated this outright, saying in effect that the real benefits of rail — the ones the public will have to be sold on if the plan is to succeed — have to do with redefining the type of life our suburban residents want to live. They literally want to change the way you "want to live," like it or not.

Further, Blumenauer suggested that "rapidly growing places like Kapolei and Mililani need to develop more housing choices, such as four-story townhouse complexes, to gain the kind of density in which light-rail projects succeed best." In other words, Honolulu doesn't have the density to make rail work, so we must build highly unpopular, dense, unlivable neighborhoods to make rail feasible.

This has been tried in Portland, and it simply doesn't work. A majority of residents in these high-density complexes use cars anyway, and all this does is increase traffic congestion more than more-reasonable, less-dense housing would have. Further, people have moved out of Portland into less-dense suburban areas to such an extent that falling school enrollment is becoming a problem.

Kawamoto's motives arrogant, self-serving

This letter is in reference to a story that ran on the Jan. 24 front page: No one can accuse Sen. Cal Kawamoto of having a "hidden agenda" when it comes to his efforts to introduce bills that would allow the state Senate to fire the Campaign Spending Commission executive director without cause and to appoint "the proper people in there."

Kawamoto's motives are so apparent, blatantly arrogant and self-serving that even the "village idiot" would have no trouble seeing through these attempts to manipulate an agency whose sole purpose is to ensure a level playing field for all candidates, especially those who do not have special interest backing or leanings.

It's time for Sen. Kawamoto to reassess the needs of his district instead of embarking on personal, self-serving endeavors.

No more developments without infrastructure

Long-term planning is something this island really lacks.

New subdivisions are planned, yet where are the new highways, schools, law enforcement and other infrastructure that is necessary to make a new community attractive? How about decent-paying jobs that are near enough to the residential areas to minimize traffic congestion? Bike thoroughfares?

Strategic planning that incorporates all these things, plus perhaps an emphasis on greenbelts (that are maintained), should be implemented, with draconian penalties to be imposed if we attempt to stray.

I suggest no new subdivisions unless the developer and the government are willing to first install the proper infrastructure.

Concentrate on curbing growth rate on O'ahu

Sen. Inouye certainly has brought in untold billions of dollars in military pork over the years, but does a larger tax base and increased spending translate to improved quality of life? The people commuting from Central O'ahu would tell you it certainly does not.

More precisely, the root of almost all our problems on O'ahu — traffic, schools, power plants, education, dumps, road deterioration and the cost of housing — all have a common denominator. There are simply too many people on the island.

Instead of pouring money into the DOE, BRT and a potential aircraft carrier base, why don't we work on limiting O'ahu's growth and really improving our quality of life here. Think about that, Sen. Inouye, Gov. Lingle and Mayor Harris.

Just start ticketing everyone who drives

I'd like to suggest a quick, inexpensive and effective proposal for Hawai'i's budget and traffic problems: Set up a police task force to issue citations to every driver who runs a red light, doesn't use a signal when turning, drives lower than the posted speed limit, and does any and all extremely annoying, if not illegal, driving.

We'd solve our traffic congestion and budget shortfalls quicker than most would realize just from the money collected.