Posted on: Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Letters to the Editor

Depression-era projects could help the homeless

Perhaps it is time we reconsider Depression-era projects like the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a federal agency established in 1933 as part of the New Deal program of President Franklin Roosevelt. The CCC offered employment on projects that included reforestation, fire-observation towers, laying of telephone lines and development of state parks.

In the nation and Hawai'i, one can still see evidence of Works Progress Administration projects in the form of buildings such as schools, dormitories and hospitals, and facilities such as roads, airports, docks and parks. In addition, the WPA incorporated the Federal Writers', Theatre, and Art Projects. This was the largest federal subsidy ever provided for artists. Ala Moana Park was built in part as a WPA project.

Many of Hawai'i's trails and trees were established as part of CCC projects. In these programs, the individual was often given free room and board and a small salary in exchange for work on the projects. Today, at Koke'e, Kaua'i, one can still see the barracks that housed the men of the CCC.

What remains to be answered is what portion of the homeless would participate in such an opportunity? Seems like a good way to rehabilitate the watershed, roadways and humans.

U.S. must ban shark fin harvesting, soup

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration must change its warning on mercury poisoning regarding the consumption of shark fin soup to a complete ban. The House of Representatives has already voted to ban shark finning.

Worldwide, approximately 100 million sharks are killed yearly. Ninety-nine percent of the shark is discarded; the one and only fin is sliced off and the shark is thrown back into the ocean to die a slow death. The shark fin is used to make the popular and expensive shark fin soup served in Chinese restaurants.

This virtually tasteless (chicken broth adds flavor), overpriced soup is the reason why the world shark population has declined as much as 90 percent, threatening the health of the oceans' ecosystem and sustainable fisheries. Customers have no idea that by ordering shark fin soup they will help contribute to the possible extinction of a 400-million-year-old species, since sharks mate and reproduce only after reaching seven years of age.

Most Chinese restaurants are unaware that vegetable bean curd is an excellent alternate that gives the same gelatinous texture as shark fin but is rich in nutrients and has no harmful mercury toxins. They can call it vegetarian shark fin soup substitute.

The WILD AID Organization is working on a worldwide ban promoting that using shark fins as a soup thickener is a tradition that must stop, and is the most wasteful use of a species in the history of mankind.

We should indeed resort to finger-pointing

Regarding "Iraq, one year later: We're in this together" (Editorial, March 19): It is hard to swallow the contradiction in The Advertiser's position.

After spending much of the editorial space enumerating the deficiencies of the military operation in Iraq, The Advertiser advises us to "not get bogged down in finger-pointing." On the contrary, there should be more vigorous debate on the war's merits.

In light of the clear misrepresentations of the threat from Iraq and misuse of intelligence, how can a concerned electorate in good conscious concede the entire issue and hand a political victory on security to the Bush administration? After all, for lack of strong election issues, President Bush put the "national security card" on the table. Cheerleading to the effect that "we're in this together" overlooks his ultimate accountability to the electorate.

If it were not clear previously, we now know that there was no "imminent threat," and Iraq had nothing to do with world terrorism and 9/11.

Meanwhile, the attacks continue, and peace has yet to come as advertised. The costs for our own country mount — not only in lives but also an economic burden passed down to the coming generations. As more National Guard members ship out from Hawai'i, it pains us to see their sacrifice for an ill-conceived policy.

Still worse, the administration has made feeble headway on the transition in June; there is still no clear vision for the future of Iraq. Surely, we are safe from Saddam. But do not be diverted; the alliances that serve America's security are damaged, and on balance, the world is not safer.

At one year, it is time for a hard dose of reality: The current policy is not working. If there were ever a time for finger-pointing and a fresh policy, this is it.

Na Keiki Law Center helps foster parents

The Hawai'i Foster Parent Association provides support and information to foster parents, adoptive parents and even birth parents of children who have entered the foster-care system.

When a child becomes a foster child, legal issues immediately come into play. The child is appointed a guardian ad litem, who is usually a lawyer. The parents are appointed a lawyer, Department of Human Services has a lawyer, and the case comes before a judge in court at least once every six months.

With all this legal involvement, it can become overwhelming for foster parents and others to understand what is going on and to effectively advocate for the child's needs. Na Keiki Law Center has been an invaluable resource for our callers.

These extra "eyes and ears" of the system help to ensure that social workers and others never forget to keep the focus on the children. Na Keiki has stepped in when the children truly needed that extra pair of eyes and ears. Children would be the ultimate losers if the Na Keiki Law Center is no longer there for them.

Laura Thielen opened herself up to attack

Sen. Fred Hemmings' March 22 letter in defense of school board member Laura Thielen launches into the same kind of intemperate denigration of others of which he accuses Ms. Thielen's critics.

Calling all those who speak for the Board of Education (presumably except Ms. Thielen), the Department of Education or the Hawai'i State Teachers Association "purveyors of falsehood" does not contribute to the public's understanding of her views or those of her critics.

The members of the Board of Education who chastised Ms. Thielen did not do so because she was "speaking the truth." They objected to Ms. Thielen denigrating the superintendent of education, Patricia Hamamoto, and the professional staff of the Department of Education in a radio interview on which she presented herself as a member of the Board of Education without making clear that she was voicing her private views, not those of the board.

For Sen. Hemmings' edification, what Ms. Thielen said was not a matter of truth. It was her opinion, to which she is entitled. She is not entitled, however, to speak her piece without others having equal right to criticize her in return. Sauce for the goose is sauce also for the gander.

Legislature must allow voters to have their say

With the huge amount of dollars allocated to education, it is time for the Legislature to allow the voters to have their say on whether local school boards are desired and have the outcome be determined by the overburdened taxpayers.

The actions of many legislators regarding their desire to stop the people's governor from succeeding in education reform — as she has proposed — is also demeaning to her and to us.

In the same vein, the BOE is acting childish and is lacking in character and credibility by chastising one of its board members, Laura Thielen. It is obvious to me that such action is simply attributable to Thielen's opposing view regarding education reform.

In my view, the actions of the BOE and the Legislature simply reflect a stance to preserve the power and benefits of their own self-interests.

End infamous Act 221 and pay UH faculty more

The total annual salary for UH faculty is around $175 million, yet these folks bring in well over $300 million a year in research and training grants from outside the state, making UH by far the biggest high-tech industry in Hawai'i (and a bargain for the taxpayers, to boot).

However, all parties agree that faculty members are greatly underpaid. This is particularly true for the senior professors, the ones who generally bring in the biggest bucks.

In contrast, the infamous Act 221, which has no demonstrable record of promoting new high-tech industry, looks set for renewal. More depressingly, we learn that 15 to 20 percent of its associated tax write-offs are fraudulent, not just ineffective.

This suggests an obvious solution to the faculty salary issue: Why not reduce the unproductive Act 221 tax credits and use the recovered dollars to bump UH faculty salaries up from their abysmal levels? At least that way we are using state resources to promote high technology in the one way that is known to work.

Van cams are a waste of our money, upsetting

The van cam that everyone speaks about is an absolutely ridiculous idea. The latest and greatest thing that these backward politicians can come up with is the use of fixed cameras to catch red-light violators and speeders? Get real.

I relocated here from Seattle, where the politicians tried getting away with this type of nonsense. The cameras lasted about four months, ended up being a complete waste of money and upset everyone in the process.

Not only are they a waste of money and time, but they also violate constitutional rights. If you were to go to court to fight the red-light ticket, ask yourself: How are you going to call a camera to the witness stand to be cross-examined? The answer is you can't, and in the U.S. Constitution, you have a right to call witnesses in your defense.

Jesus hated the sin, but loved the sinner

For Christians everywhere, the season of Lent is a time to pause and contemplate the passion and death of Jesus Christ, and his ultimate sacrifice to bestow on us eternal life. But when I read letters such as the one by Gary Kunishima (March 21), I am saddened that the name of Jesus is again misguidedly used to make a point, in this case to speak against same-sex unions and marriages.

I offer no opinion about this current issue, but I feel the need to speak out in support of Jesus.

Mr. Kunishima feels his words are validated by citing a biblical reference from the Old Testament, and he made a poor attempt to relate this to Jesus. I do not profess to be a biblical scholar, but from my recollections of this particular reference, the word "homosexuality" should also be substituted with "adultery," "bestiality" and "social injustice," because those were also the sins committed in Sodom and Gomorrah that resulted in their destruction, as footnoted in the New American Bible.

I have yet to see any outcry as great against these sins appearing in letters to the editor. And if God were to again destroy cities for social injustice and adultery in addition to homosexuality, the entire world would be razed in seconds.

But more disturbing is the fact that Jesus is again presented as judge and jury over all of us. In fact, again from my understanding of his short life, he never passed judgment over anyone. He lived a life preaching unconditional love and fair treatment for everyone. He hated the sin, but loved the sinner.

He never judged Mary Magdalene when others tried to stone her for adultery; he never judged Judas, even though Jesus knew of his impending betrayal. And as he hung on the cross because of jealous and greedy temple leaders (not the Hebrew nation, mind you), he asked his father to "forgive them, for they know not what they do." He hated the sin, but loved the sinner.

Before anyone else feels the need to use Jesus' name to support his position in life, make sure you are first living his life: Hate the sin, but love the sinner.

Farms don't hold back rainwater

Suzanne Roig's article in the March 27 issue of The Honolulu Advertiser addresses plans to develop homes in the farmers' Kamilonui Valley.

Dirty rainwater pours through Kamilonui Valley toward the Hawai'i Kai Marina after a recent storm. Beverly A. Liddle • Hawaii Kai Marina Community Association

In this article, Councilman Charles Djou is quoted as saying "those farms provide a natural watershed from the heavy rains, so they don't run off into the marina. If you put homes there, where will the water go?"

During heavy rains, tons of water run from the mountainous area through the farmlands, entering the Hawai'i Kai Marina like a river at the Kamilonui spillway. This turns the marina waters dirty brown for days, contradicting Councilman Djou's opinion that the farms provide a natural watershed, preventing rainwater from entering the marina.

This spillway has always been a concern as a major contributor to all the silt and debris entering the marina, the sole cause for periodic dredging at a cost of millions of dollars to the members. A well-maintained marina is a must in order to stay navigable and render its vital public service as a flood-control basin for all surrounding areas.

Mr. Djou's concern where rainwater will go, when homes will replace the farmlands, is addressed by the city. Stringent rules that apply to developers require proper routing of rainwater and the construction of a "catch basin" to help prevent dirt and debris from entering the marina. Developments that resulted in marked improvement of marina water runoff are: the large catch basin at the Kawaihae Street retirement homes, and the runoff system and catch basin at Lalea on Hawai'i Kai Drive.