Letters to the Editor

Public restrooms are like a garbage dump

The public restrooms at Kahala Beach Park are the absolute worst! The only word to describe them is disgusting. With sand, water, mud and toilet paper everywhere, it is like a garbage dump inside.

Another thing that bothers me is that the stalls have no doors. We need privacy in the bathroom.

The city should have people to clean the restrooms daily. It should also have doors installed. It doesn't make sense to have such ugly buildings on our beautiful beaches.

Carefully target what money is available

Your June 30 editorial cartoon is amusing, but I'm afraid it might confuse some people about the arts funding reductions. The Art in Public Places money is derived from 1 percent of construction money, and this is not affected by the budget cut. The state Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) grants program will be taking the brunt of the reduction.

I belong to several art organizations. I do sympathize with those who seem to rely on grants, but perhaps they should think about their "reason for being" and find ways to be more self-sufficient.

In an Advertiser article about the cuts, someone from the Lyman Museum said the loss of grant money would prevent its continuing to acquire archival boxes to preserve things in storage. This museum has been in existence for 75 years but cannot manage archival storage on its own? Maybe it should have a "buy a box" fund-raiser.

What definitely should not be cut are our arts education programs in all disciplines: visual arts, music, literary, dance and theater. I hope the SFCA will use the money it does get to continue these very important student programs. Creating art produces creative thinking in all other aspects of a student's life. Subsidized attendance to the symphony, Honolulu Theatre for Youth and museums is the only way most children will ever be exposed to these arts. This is essential.

Our economy is looking better, but the state or county cannot live on "projected revenue" any more than a household, a business or an organization. Let's live within our means for now, and when the money is actually in the bank, I'm confident the SFCA will get its share.

Fireworks by public should be prohibited

As citizens of Hawai'i are aware, fireworks use in this state is a sensitive subject.

There is a lot of resistance to ban fireworks use on New Year's Eve, based on tradition and the diverse cultures of Hawai'i. However, the same is not true for the Fourth of July.

No million-dollar study is needed to determine that fireworks use on the Fourth of July is significantly much less than use on New Year's Eve. There are multiple public displays of fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Especially in Hawai'i, the ground is very dry and the potential for fire is very high with fireworks use.

Although the recent requirements for permits have reduced the use of firecrackers, they do nothing for the use of other novelty items that amount to nothing more than sparks and smoke. The health and safety issues still remain with the use of these novelty items. And in terms of safety, children are usually the ones setting off fireworks on the Fourth of July, and much of the time they are unattended.

The negatives far outweigh the positives as far as fireworks use on the Fourth of July is concerned. (What are the positives?)

The bottom line is this: With all the public displays of fireworks available, and because the majority of the citizens would support it, the use of fireworks by the public on the Fourth of July should be banned.

Celebrate July Fourth by boycotting politics

I believe that on July Fourth, it's appropriate to do patriotic things. You wave the flag, sing the national anthem ... you express your love for this country.

This year, I plan to celebrate by taking my family to see the film "America's Heart and Soul." I just visited the film's Web site, and it promises to be a feel-good, non-political movie about real Americans.

I know many Americans plan to see "Fahrenheit 9/11" this weekend. Go and see it if you want, but wait until after the July Fourth holiday. Give politics a holiday by boycotting this one-sided "crock-umentary" that promises to do nothing but make you suspicious and cynical.

I think it would send Michael Moore a powerful message if his record-breaking box-office profits of the premiere weekend would dwindle to insignificance for the second weekend. Some of us still love our country.

Mayor, council should now cut back on fees

During Honolulu's long economic malaise, the mayor and the council promised not to raise taxes. Instead, they chose to raise old, and invent new, fees, fines and licenses; cut manpower, programs, services and maintenance; borrow heavily; divert special funds, etc.

Now that the malaise is over and revenue from traditional sources is flowing again, have the mayor and council given any thought of rescinding any of these emergency measures? Or will these temporary measures become permanent, surreptitiously or by default, and provide the mayor and council revenue galore for their unceasing wasteful spending?

Stop rubbernecking

I go down the freeway in slow traffic every day. When the radio says that traffic is slowing because people are rubbernecking, I get so upset. If those people just wouldn't look at the accident, then there would be no traffic snarl.