Move supporters out of harm's way

It's election year again and these men and women who are vying for votes are indirectly putting the voters in harm's way. I'm talking about their supporters out on the roads sign waving on their behalf.

Not all candidates are at fault doing this, but many have sign waving on the sides of highway off-ramps or on the side of the highway itself. Sure these people are supporting you, but it's an accident waiting to happen.

Cars coming off the freeway at speeds of at least 50 mph are slowing down to almost a complete stop so that they can either (1) read your sign/honk/shaka or (2) don't hit your supporter standing partially on the road. You are taking a chance of causing an accident between two innocent drivers or having one of your sign wavers injured unintentionally.

If you are really concerned about your community, do us a favor and get them off the road. Find a safe sidewalk in your area that accommodates the well-being of all your supporters. Bright clothes would help too.

Big operation requires a consensus builder

In the Sept. 6 article comparing the two candidates for city prosecutor, Ken Kobayashi does a great job in illustrating the different management styles of the two candidates. Peter Carlisle says that "Handling cases personally shows leadership by example," while Keith Kaneshiro portrays himself as a consensus builder and team leader.

Each style works well in different circumstances. Leadership by example works well with a limited number of employees, while a consensus builder and team leader is more suited to a sizable operation.

As stated in the article, the prosecutor handles a staff of 250 employees, including more than 100 deputy prosecutors. It is no wonder that the police chose to endorse Keith Kaneshiro. At this level, "leadership by example" causes leaders to lose touch with the rest of their operations and ultimately fail. As Alex Garcia, president of the O'ahu chapter of SHOPO, said in the article, "Police are frustrated by the prosecutor's office not accepting cases."

This is the direct result of inattention to details while "leading by example." No one can do everything by himself.

We need the proven team leadership of Keith Kaneshiro.

Stop the ear-splitting, intrusive advertising

As a UH football season ticket holder for most of the past 20 years, I am dismayed at the current state of affairs at Aloha Stadium. Currently the public address system is so loud in our section (LL) that I'm sure it is a health hazard.

Several times during the game people had to cover their ears to withstand the volume and most of what was broadcast was advertising.

The student athletes and musicians should be the center of the show.

Would someone with some sense please do something quickly before the stands are empty?

Flip-flops damage candidate's credibility

As a socially liberal but defense-minded Democrat, I am having a hard time getting a handle on John Kerry's positions. His vote in support of the Iraq war, but subsequent vote against its funding, was a bit confusing.

A few weeks ago he even stated that he "supported going into Iraq" and that he "would still vote for the war knowing what he knows today." Then he nuanced his position by saying that even though he supported the war, he would have conducted the Iraq war "totally differently" from how Bush is conducting it, which is a legitimate argument.

I appreciated Kerry's support of the war since I truly believe that an Iraq still under Saddam would have been very dangerous to the U.S. in the coming years as the war against Islamic jihadists and terrorists heats up.

Now, however, I am totally confused, since today Kerry, backed by a new set of advisers, launched a new campaign theme stating that "Bush's war in Iraq has diverted $200 billion from domestic needs."

The only way he could have "saved" the money is by not going into Iraq at all, thereby leaving Saddam in power, and contradicting all his recent positions.

'Biopharming' subject to rigorous tests, regulations

A recent ruling by Judge David Ezra requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to disclose the location of field test sites for plants enhanced through biotechnology to enable pharmaceutical protein production, that is, plant-made pharmaceuticals (PMPs). The judge explained that he made this ruling in the discovery phase of the case because it would facilitate a prompt resolution to the case itself.

The plaintiffs are claiming that PMPs are currently being grown in Hawai'i in open-air test sites in violation of applicable regulatory and impact assessment requirements.

Current government regulations require exhaustive testing prior to open-air field testing. It is only once a PMP has passed rigorous testing and evaluation that test plants are finally exposed to the field environment.

The government requires companies to obtain permits to undertake field trials and confinement measures are implemented to ensure that there is no commingling of PMPs with food or feed crops. These confinement procedures are based on scientific risk assessments and are modeled on hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) principles.

The permitting process for field-testing is not simply a rubber stamp process. Instead it requires careful scrutiny by various government agencies. PMPs are required to be regulated differently from biotech crops used to produce food and feed because it is recognized that PMPs contain a component that is not found in conventional crops.

Because there is a stringent regulatory system in place for PMPs, disclosure of test site locations has no role in protecting public health or the environment. To the contrary, releasing the location of the test sites could leave them vulnerable to vandalism.

History has shown us that individuals opposed to the technology have demonstrated a propensity to take negative action to convey their point of view. One example of this is the recent destruction of crops at both the Norvartis and University of Hawai'i research facilities on the island of Kaua'i in May 2000.

Hawai'i has shown itself to be progressive and a leader in many areas of society. We have a choice of continuing in that mode or becoming known as a place that fears innovation and technology advancement.

Some significant advances

An article in the Sept. 6 Advertiser outlines concerns over former University of Hawai'i President Evan Dobelle's hiring of a few individuals for specific short-term projects. These were people who were well known to him to have proven track records in their professional fields. One of the many assets that President Dobelle brought with him to the university was a lifetime of contacts with people who have demonstrated success in a wide range of fields.

The proof of the wisdom of his encouraging Research Corporation of the University of Hawai'i to hire people whose expertise in construction was well established, is the reality that the Medical School buildings in Kaka'ako have been planned and built on schedule, and on budget. It should be noted that RCUH, which is the body that negotiated all the Medical School contracts, is by law comprised of 10 people, half of whom are regents.

President Dobelle was briefed early in his administration on the various examples of delay and difficulty in construction projects at the university, that had wasted taxpayer money, and had resulted in buildings that caused long-term problems. As a result he established the Office of Facility Management to oversee and coordinate all future construction and maintenance.

For the Medical School project, $150 million was made available by the Legislature allowing UH to take a bond issue for the first time in its history. It will be paid for by a modest percentage of the Tobacco Settlement that was awarded to Hawai'i over the next 20 years. That vote in October 2001 was to encourage construction as a means to help the economy recover from the 9/11 blow to the tourist economy. The Medical School project broke ground just one year later, and the first phase is scheduled to open later this year. It has been highlighted in news reports as the linchpin to development of this important waterfront area.

Other individuals hired by President Dobelle have contributed in major ways. It is important to note that the University of Hawai'i is a 10-campus system with 80,000 students, 11,000 employees, and a budget that approaches $1 billion. It is the third-largest industry in Hawai'i. Decisions about asking individuals of proven success to perform specific tasks on a short-term basis should be seen in the size and complexity of the institution.

President Dobelle served for less than three years during a period of continued decline in state funding for the university. Most would not want to be judged on their record in such a short time, however President Dobelle has left a legacy of outstanding accomplishment. Highly inclusive strategic planning led to a total reorganization of the 10-campus system, the establishment of new programs, a significant increase in student population, well planned capital improvements, and the restructuring of the UH Foundation resulting in a 19 percent increase in annual giving, with $63 million raised.

These advances, among others, were the result of the efforts of a large number of individuals, a few here for a short time, but the vast majority long-term university employees, working together under President Dobelle's leadership.

President Dobelle and the Board of Regents undertook a process of mediation where all questions that had been raised were thoroughly reviewed. The result was a statement that having found no fault, expressed a desire to move forward in a positive way. I think the time has come to do that.