Posted on: Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Letters to the Editor

Kerry's North Korea views flat-out wrong

I must disagree with the Oct. 3 editorial assessment of John Kerry being right on North Korea. He could not have been more wrong when he spoke of bilateral talks and U.S. nuclear disarmament.

No nation in Asia wants North Korea to become a nuclear power. Bilateral talks are just the demands of Kim Jong Il. Why would we want to undercut the current six-party talks with unilateral action?

The last time this was tried, we ended up giving them nuclear reactors, and look how well that worked out.

Kerry's stated solution to nuclear proliferation is a halt to our own weapon testing, such as the bunker busters that would be used against a rogue nuclear weapons program.

This was the same attitude Kerry held when he pushed for a nuclear freeze during the height of the Cold War. Laying down our arms doesn't lead to peace with other nations. It leads to us not having arms.

Kerry articulated himself well at the debate when he wasn't armchair-quarterbacking the president, but he was just wrong on the issues.

Bilateral talks won't solve the problem

I can hardly wait for the next Advertiser editorial on U.S. negotiations to end North Korea's nuclear weapons programs. Hopefully in that piece you will be able to explain why restarting bilateral U.S.-North Korea talks will yield more than the same failed approach tried by the Clinton administration.

Under the cover of the "agreed framework," North Korea allowed monitoring of its plutonium while it began a separate, covert uranium enrichment program. So if you think that just forcing North Korea to build somewhat less effective nukes (with enriched uranium) is a desirable outcome, then U.S.-North Korea bilateral talks are the way to go (sarcasm intended).

You, and Sen. Kerry, also say that the other parties to the six-way talks with North Korea want the United States to negotiate directly with the North, so we should comply. I wonder why Japan, China and South Korea would want that? Could it be that they, China at least, want to "ungrasp the nettle" and let the United States make the necessary tough compromises, pay the very large price to buy the North Koreans out of their nuclear ambitions?

Your position and Sen. Kerry's, in this case, is beyond naive. President Bush is right. The only hope of success short of military action is to use the leverage on North Korea offered by the Chinese. Will the North be allowed to put the Chinese capitalist worker's paradise at risk by proliferating nukes? Definitely not, and that is our best leverage.

The minute we agree to bilateral talks with North Korea, that leverage will be gone.

Hawai'i Breastfeeding Challenge was worth it

On Saturday, my daughter Ke'ala'iliahi (19 months) and I participated in the Hawai'i Breastfeeding Challenge. Thanks to the organizers who made this event special, Frank DeLima, the doctors who entertained us, and the many volunteers who know how important it is to breastfeed our babies.

On Sunday, we attended the Zippy's Children & Youth Day, also at the state Capitol. Mahalo for a wonderful experience to the volunteers, legislators and sponsors. The people at the car-seat fitting area taught me that: the window protectors secured with suction cups could be a lethal weapon (instead you may want to purchase a vinyl shield that sticks to the window); the newer- model cars and car seats have tethers without using the seatbelts; and if there are items in the car that can fly around during an accident such as a flashlight, etc., put them in the trunk.

We were so tired from all the goings-on that we didn't get a chance to do the other tours such as the state Capitol, the Hawai'i Art Museum and 'Iolani Palace tours. Maybe next year.

'

Thanks, but no thanks, to Bainum for trolley

Thanks to the City Council for being fiscally prudent. While the Kaimuki Trolley was "nice to have," it was not a "need to have."

My business is on Wai'alae Avenue, and I have always doubted the ridership numbers. That trolley was almost always empty, even at peak travel times.

While I appreciate Duke Bainum giving Kaimuki businesses "special interest" treatment, I am sure there are more important uses for the $240,000 that it cost city taxpayers each year. Furthermore, it just seemed unfair for us in Kaimuki to get a trolley while other business neighborhoods are surely just as deserving of being a special interest.

So much for "honest change."

Great mayor backs a great candidate

The annals of the City and County of Honolulu will show that Frank Fasi was one of the greatest mayors we have had; a mayor respected for getting it done — and he did.

Now in this heated race for the mayorship, he has made his choice as to whom he believes is the most qualified to lead the city that he loves and built to be one of the best in the nation.

We, the supporters and friends of Frank Fasi, can rely on his choice. It took guts in his endorsement of Mufi Hannemann, and once again, he displayed his character of never running from a good fight.

We wish you well and, once again, thank you!

Fasi's endorsement hurts Bainum camp

It was interesting to watch Duke "Batman" Bainum and Gary "Robin" Okino's response to Mayor Fasi's endorsement of Mufi Hannemann. They employed their new term to describe anyone who endorses someone other than them: "traditional politics." (The old term was "special interests.")

Don't be fooled; had Fasi endorsed them, they would have sent out mass e-mails and proudly displayed it on their Web sites, just like every other time when they got a rare endorsement.

Despite their seemingly cavalier attitude toward Fasi, his endorsement caused our "caped crusaders" to break into a cold sweat. How do I know? Because they can do the math. Fasi's votes not only erase Bainum's 6,000-vote lead, they put him in the hole by 10,000. And any chance of Fasi's people going for Duke was erased when the other Honolulu paper wrote a blistering personal attack on Fasi.

Century Ride marred by trash in streets

From a participant's view, the recent Century Ride sponsored by the Hawai'i Bicycle League was a solid success. More than 3,000 riders enjoyed a perfect Hawai'i day in a very "green" way without gas. The organization and support by staff and the many friendly volunteers were excellent.

Unfortunately, the city and county doesn't get the same high marks. The shoulders of the roadways, especially on the Windward side, had the usual debris of glass and trash. These shoulders are supposed to be swept with some regularity, which the streets division has been lax in doing. I would have thought it would have stepped up its performance for this big event. More than 1,500 of the participants were Japanese tourists, and I would bet there were more than a few from the Mainland.

The Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau and the city and county should take note and put their best foot forward for these "clean" events. There are lots of tourist dollars at stake.

Indeed, drivers need to show more aloha

Hawai'i drivers seem to have no regard for pedestrians, as recently two people have been hit while crossing the street in crosswalks.

Drivers continually disregard the pedestrians' right of way, making turns while people are in a marked crosswalk, forcing the person to give way to the car.

The last time I looked, a person has the right-of-way in a crosswalk, and vehicles must yield. Yet these same people want other drivers to give them aloha while they cut in line at the last minute rather than wait in line to enter or exit the freeway.

I agree with Christina Kusaka's letter that the Aloha State has no aloha, but it is becoming a state of people who only care about themselves, as anyone who has tried walking around town will know — that even in a crosswalk you do not feel safe.

Oil-based economy proved to be mistake

B.W. Ho's letter yesterday asserts that ethanol added to gasoline is a bad idea, justified by politics alone. We face a future in which world oil prices will continue to rise as the world's oil is consumed.

Historians may well conclude that America's biggest mistake in the 20th century was to completely redesign our country around cheap oil without a thought or a plan for the post-oil America. It took over a hundred years to destroy our railroads, build the interstate highway system, sprawl our population and industry, and become completely dependent on cars and trucks. We also created an oil-dependent agricultural system, and oil-derived products including plastics, fabrics, fertilizers and uncountable other products we take for granted. We live and work in electricity-driven environments.

We should have been devoting massive resources to the post-oil economy long ago because we don't have a century to redesign our economy. We have, perhaps, a decade or two. Ethanol is one of the biofuels that we can implement now as a tiny and inadequate first step.

Brave National Guard warriors appreciated

I'd like to take this opportunity to praise and thank the brave warriors of the Hawai'i Army National Guard's 29th Brigade. Your service and valor along with that of our entire military is not overlooked by this American.

Much has been written about the war on terror and how it is separate from the war in Iraq. How ridiculous, as no one can deny its presence in Iraq today. Judging from attacks around the world, including in Russia, it's obvious that no country is safe from this new specter of evil.

My hope is that this war does not go the route of Vietnam, where we win every battle yet somehow get labeled "losers." So this American appreciates your efforts in promoting freedom around the world. This American understands that to be victorious, we must win both on the battlefield and in the hearts and minds of the citizens at home. This American understands that the many rights we enjoy are, rather, privileges that came at an enormous cost, and that the phrase "United we stand" is not just a slogan. And this American knows that we are judged more by what we do than by what we say.

Thank you for being the ultimate doers, and you and your families will continue to be at the forefront of our prayers. God bless you and bring you home safe and victorious.

Water must remain a sustainable resource

The Board of Water Supply is proud of the fact that we provide safe and dependable drinking water to O'ahu residents at reasonable cost.

As a municipal agency, we supply a necessary public service to the people of this island, while ensuring that our finite water resources are managed wisely and will meet the needs of consumers both now and in the future. Using water wisely and preventing waste are important parts of stewardship efforts, but only part of a larger effort to ensure a sustainable resource for O'ahu.

Our work in watershed protection, development of alternate water sources such as desalinated and recycled water, and various conservation programs are also part of our stewardship efforts on behalf of a sustainable water resource. While sometime in the future we may consider pricing as a conservation driver, for the present our emphasis is on educating and encouraging consumers to practice conservation on a voluntary, daily basis.

We have always chosen to maintain water rates at a level that meets BWS operational needs while, at the same time, making this vital resource available for everyone.