Lingle administration attacking ice correctly

I am thankful to our governor and her administration for taking the time to sort through the many hands that are being held out for ice-treatment monies.

For at least a decade before she took office, this epidemic had been frothing — without much direction or clarity. In the two years she has been governor, Linda Lingle has started a comprehensive move forward with all the elements involving the epidemic. Although some may be expecting a quick cure for this devastating problem, the sorting out of what works and what doesn't is crucial in getting the best help available to substance abusers and our communities.

If Rep. Scott Saiki (Letters, Oct. 22) wants to do something that will prevent more of our keiki and families succumbing to ice, I would suggest he introduce and encourage the passing of a bill that would allow wiretap evidence already obtained from federal investigations to be allowed in our state judicial system.

Our communities would then see relief from our neighborhood dealers (the ones in the revolving door of justice). Many have habitual-criminal records and have served little or no prison time. Our local law enforcement has pretty much been dealing with the same career criminals over and over again. The inability now to use wiretap evidence from federal investigations in our state courtrooms is part of the problem.

Voters aren't passive about kids' education

Your Nov. 4 editorial "Voter response to BOE election passive" is looking at Hawai'i voters through the wrong set of glasses. I would think that Hawai'i residents are anything but passive when it comes to educating their children.

My campaign, as well as those of the others who were elected, was based on the issues, not purely name recognition and media advertising.

For the record: I passionately support and endorse the funding of education to go directly to our schools under the control of each principal, as part of Act 51 passed by the 2004 Legislature. There is a lot of work to be done and a great need for all forms of community involvement, from the individual parent, to the appropriate forms of government, to our major business enterprises, including the Hawai'i Business Roundtable.

I sincerely hope, in the ensuing months, that the news pages of your newspaper — not just the editorial page — actively reflect the initiatives that emanate from the individual members of the Board of Education and the board as a whole.

Bin Laden cartoon offensive to military

Your shameful Veterans Day bin Laden cartoon is another offense to the men and women of our armed forces and the memory of Americans lost on 9/11. Even The Advertiser's front page withheld a simple mahalo to veterans past and present.

In eulogizing Yasser Arafat (page A11, timeline), The Advertiser failed to include the Achille Lauro hijacking of October 1985 and the killing of a disabled American, which the PLO and Arafat are accountable for. In it, the U.S. military took part in bringing the Achille Lauro terrorist to justice.

This veteran agrees with Scott Stone's letter ("Fallujah cartoon was disgusting, shameful," Nov. 11): The Advertiser is not capable of reporting unbiased facts.

The story behind Hannemann claim

Mayor-elect Mufi Hannemann's campaign advertised one of his accomplishments to include saving the jobs of more that 3,500 Hawaiian Airlines employees through a state loan guarantee. As a member of a Hawaiian Airlines employee group that spearheaded the program, I feel it necessary that the record be set straight.

In 1993, a group of Hawaiian employees lobbied the Legislature to approve a bill that provided a loan guarantee to both Aloha and Hawaiian Airlines. The bill was intended to help assure either carrier's survival in a crisis by naming the state as a co-signer on any loan the airlines might have obtained from a commercial lender. Although HB 173 unanimously passed with the help and support of the entire 1993 Legislature, it was never utilized and there was no bailout. Today, the Airline Stabilization Board does the same thing on the federal level.

The employees of Hawaiian Airlines will always be grateful for the work that many legislators put into crafting HB 173. We also thank then-Rep. Duke Bainum, who voted in favor of it, and Hannemann, the then-head of the Department of Business and Economic Development who helped promote the bill, for their support.

Harris has done wonders as mayor

As one who has lived and worked in and around Waikiki for 40 years, I'd like to thank Mayor Harris for the good work he's done in the city.

I don't remember any administration in the past that has actually improved Waikiki or taken the trouble to actually talk to and listen to the Average Joe.

Friends from Asia tell me they love the new Waikiki, and I agree with them. I know some businesses are inconvenienced by the Kuhio changes and I understand they likely have legitimate gripes.