Akaka bill nothing but a scam on Hawaiians

I am saddened and disappointed by the phony parade of politicians, historians and lawyers, followed by our colonized Hawaiians, all tooting their "American values" in support of the Akaka bill and the determination that this is a window of opportunity for Native Hawaiians to achieve self-determination and self-governance.

There are many people in the general public who do not have the slightest clue of the scandal behind this scheme. But the truth behind the Akaka bill is that it is simply a cover-up and confirmation of the flimsy and heinous intent to undermine the Native Hawaiians in their quest for self-determination that began in the early 1970s.

Creating the state agency Office of Hawaiian Affairs in 1978 was the Trojan donkey of carrying out this vile scheme. But after more than 25 years, along comes Rice v. Cayetano, and the scam is out of the bag. Thus the scramble by our longtime politicians and colonized Hawaiians to get out of their self-created kaumaha.

For the last 25 years, Ka Lahui Hawai'i, a Native Hawaiian initiative, has been talking the talk and walking the walk only to be chastised, ignored and denied. We are the only indigenous people in all of the 50 states of America to be treated this way.

Letter writers erred about 9/11, Vietnam

Although the writer of a previous letter to the editor was correct in that multibillionaire George Soros didn't buy the election, the writer failed to mention that other multibillionaires did buy the election. The majority of those are in the oil and energy business.

Other recent letters to the editor also had errors.

One letter stated that "Fahrenheit 9/11" is nothing but lies.

In the film, President Bush is shown just sitting reading "My Pet Goat" for several minutes after being told of the second hit on the World Trade Center towers. Taliban members from Afghanistan are shown touring Washington, D.C., at the invitation of the Bush White House even though the Taliban was harboring Osama bin Laden.

The film also showed some of the 9/11 investigation's public hearings. Noteworthy is Condi Rice's testimony trying to cover up the Bush administration's incompetence before 9/11, claiming they had no knowledge of terrorist threats to attack on American soil. Also noteworthy in the film is Richard Clark's testimony that he tried to discuss terrorism with Bush on several occasions and was denied.

Another recent letter claimed that John Kerry's testimony to the Senate hearing about atrocities committed in the Vietnam War by some U.S. soldiers was untruthful. Kerry read testimony from other Vietnam veterans about killing civilians, etc. Has the writer of the letter never heard of My Lai? Does he think My Lai was an isolated incident?

Americans need to wake up to what the Bush administration is doing: demonstrating incompetence prior to 9/11, stonewalling of 9/11 investigations, lying about and attacking Iraq, and sending 1,200 soldiers to their deaths because of the lies.

Landowner 'windfall' forgets key details

Ralph Mitchell writes an interesting letter in the Sunday Advertiser ("Landowners would get windfall in Bill 53"). His presentation starts from the premise that this land is inherited and not earned. No mention that some parent or grandparent scrimped and saved to buy this property for the sake of their heirs.

No mention that escalating land taxes for these small properties forced small landowners and heirs to pool their properties for condominium construction, as a long-term investment for their heirs.

No mention that during the typical 55-year leases, condo owners successively bought and sold these units for handsome profits without sharing these profits with landowners.

No mention that each successive owner bought his condo with the full realization that each buyer was bound by the terms of the original lease.

No mention that the impending demise of Chapter 38, i.e., Bill 53, would interrupt the plans of these present lessees to condemn land that is not theirs, and continue this profit cycle.

Some things are worth mentioning.

McCully Bridge area filled with trash, rats

The Ala Wai Canal at the McCully Bridge now appears to be a dump site, as are other areas of the canal. It is heavily strewn with trash, shopping carts and tree limbs.

This has been the case for more than a week. The area is also overrun with rats, presenting a health hazard.

If this problem falls under the jurisdiction of the mayor's office, consider this as notification of the problem.

Joe Moore should halt feud with Jones

Joe Moore's feud with coach June Jones, always brought up in his newscasts, compromises his professionalism.

For example, he opened the Nov. 12 10 p.m. news with a jab at the UH football team, before his report on the deaths in Fallujah. I question his priorities and objectivity. It's as if he personally does not hold high the soldiers' sacrifices, the day after Veterans' Day.

Professionals like Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather don't bring up vendettas in their newscasts.

Does Joe Moore want to be a newsbreaker or a newsmaker? He cannot be both on the newscasts. He's changing the objective news into a tabloid-style newscast. Joe should either stop it or resign.

Bring in Neuheisel to replace June Jones

First and foremost, June Jones brought back the excitement missing in Hawai'i football. Unfortunately, I think most of his WAC foes have adapted to the 99 percent passing that is emphasized in the run-and-shoot offense. The play calling is too predictable. And the defense couldn't stop Kahuku.

Timmy Chang has come a long way, but you know he won't tuck it in and get five yards here, 10 yards there.

Yes, it will cost money to buy out Jones' contract, but the board did it for Evan Dobelle.

There is a young college coach out there who would be the perfect fit: Rick Neuheisel. He is a former UCLA quarterback who first coached Colorado and then was forced to resign at Washington over an employee's wager. Jones did his best to kick-start the program, but to get it to the next level (Boise State ring a bell?), Neuheisel is a logical choice.

The price we're paying for Iraq isn't worth it

In his Nov. 13 letter, Tom Macdonald criticizes cartoonist Dick Adair's analogy of the current war in Iraq to Vietnam.

Time warp or not, war is war, and Vietnam didn't happen overnight, but escalated through four U.S. presidential administrations. This monster in Iraq is growing with no end in sight. According to military analysts, it will go on for five to 10 years.

If Bill Clinton or Al Gore had been in office, do you think the United States would have attacked Iraq? No way.

And yes, Saddam would still be in power, but contained and sanctioned.

The true culprit in 9/11 is Osama bin Laden, who runs free and produces videos admonishing America.

And I know of 1,100 families, including some in Kane'ohe, who would still have their sons and daughters home alive.

In her Nov. 12 letter on livestock production, Pamela Davis overlooks the bigger problem:

• People exude far more environmentally damaging wastes at far greater proportions.

• Livestock waste is more heavily regulated than domestic sewage.

• Sewage spills are 10 times as common as livestock spills.

• While manure is stored in lined lagoons to allow evaporation, sewage is further chemically treated and then released into the ocean, which kills fish.

• The sheer volume of greenhouse gas-emitting people here far outweighs that of all the livestock combined.

• Habitats are constrained for livestock, whereas people develop at will wherever they want.

E-voting a problem

The only way to detect tampering with electronic voting is to isolate each computer and then carefully inspect the vote-tallying software and hardware, just before the voting begins.

Otherwise the software engineer can install a self-modifying code that modifies the numbers and then writes over itself, completely erasing the evidence of tampering.

Aerial ads were defeated, but our vigilance persists

Everyone who values the scenic beauty of our Islands should celebrate the recent ruling from federal Judge David Ezra upholding Honolulu's ban on aerial advertising.

In his ruling, Judge Ezra said the ban "serves legitimate needs," including the "preservation of the natural beauty of Hawai'i's environment." The judge also said "the ban was designed to protect what is perhaps the state's most valuable and fragile economic asset: the natural beauty upon which Hawai'i's tourism economy relies."

Honolulu's aerial advertising ban came after decades of fighting by The Outdoor Circle, which has as a primary mission protecting Hawai'i's visual environment. In that role, we are the watchdog that sounds the alarm and rallies support to block the efforts of those who would rob visitors and residents of Hawai'i's unique beauty. We began fighting aerial advertising in 1947, and we remain at the forefront of the battle to this day.

But despite winning this battle, the war wages on. Even after its federal court defeat, the group that wants flying billboards in the skies over O'ahu has vowed to appeal. Therefore, The Outdoor Circle hopes this decision will inspire all of us to remain ever vigilant against those who believe the right to free speech includes intrusion and inappropriateness at the expense of everyone's right to enjoy an environment free from visual pollution.

For our part, the members of The Outdoor Circle will continue working to protect Hawai'i from visual blight — whether from power lines, billboards, aerial advertising or other sources. We invite all others who share our commitment to join us in fulfilling our promise to all Hawai'i visitors and residents alike: What you see is what we protect.