It's time to get Kanno and his like out of office

This is just another example of people in high places abusing power. Whether Sen. Brian Kanno did it as a favor for a constituent, the fact remains, he as a senator should have ethics as his top priority for the voters in his district.

That Kanno even got several of his colleagues to ask Norwegian Cruise Line's company policy on harassment smacks of strong-arm tactics. Does the Tom DeLay ethics charge come to mind? This is what's wrong with politicians — they lose focus.

If I remember correctly, Mr. Kanno, you had an incident in which you put down fast-food workers when you first came on the political scene, and you sent out an apology, which I found a little too late. The damage was done. It is time to let you go.

My only regret is that I'm no longer living in Makakilo. I would definitely go to my neighborhood board meetings and work to get you out.

As for Rep. Rida Cabanilla, in my district, don't think you're off the hook. You should have realized you had a responsibility to us, the people in your district. The fact that you chose to hire someone who resides in another district shows your priorities are not what they should be. If you chose to hire someone, I would have at least thought you would do a thorough background check and not go upon word of mouth.

Kind of makes me wonder, do you owe Kanno favors for helping you in some way? It is time to get questionable politicians like you out of office.

And, for the record, I am neither Democrat nor Republican; I am an American who votes responsibly. People in both parties need to realize it's time to get the party, and partisanship, out of politics.

Going solar should be a no-brainer here

Rising energy costs? Every building in Hawai'i that uses electricity should have solar panels on its roof. With all the sun and intense rays, this seems like a no-brainer to me.

Solar panels are non-polluting. Also, they are not a blight on the landscape like windmills, which, by the way, kill birds when they fly into the propeller blades.

I am very interested in why this is not being done. The logic escapes me.

Limiting population here is selfish answer

Melvin Partido's April 10 letter suggested that we limit Hawai'i's population growth. In all honesty, I've never heard of a more selfish suggestion.

Hawai'i is a beautiful place, and the world realizes it. With the diversification of our 'aina, from the beaches on the North Shore to the suburbs of Mililani Mauka to the booming city of Kaka'ako, Hawai'i offers a little bit of everything, which most find very appealing.

To say "let me be the last one on the island and shut the doors for everyone behind me" may be the easy way out, but it is unethical, communistic and self-centered. By urbanizing certain parts of the island such as Kaka'ako and creating a transit system such as a monorail, there is clearly enough room in Hawai'i for all who wish to call it home.

As one with a clear vision, I definitely do not like to place limits on anything I do in life.

People of O'ahu got a great mayor

The people of O'ahu elected the right man to do the job of mayor of Honolulu. Mufi Hannemann is a no-nonsense type of politician who meets the basic needs of the city.

In fact, he has made improvements to O'ahu in his short stint as mayor. There also seems to be more cohesion in the City Council since he was sworn in to his position.

Although I don't live on O'ahu, I expect better days ahead for Honolulu under Hannemann's direction. I just wish Mufi would run for mayor of Hawai'i County.

Extra license plates, phone books wasteful

I was forced to receive new license plates when I renewed my car registration recently. Doesn't it make sense that if your car still works, probably your 12-year-old license plates are OK, too?

The new license plates seem to be identical to the old in every way. What a waste of natural resources! Also, my registration fee was higher this year, probably to pay for it. I was told state law required the replacement. A friend with a newer car whose license plate started with the same letter also wondered what to do with his duplicate plates.

Why do we have two telephone books — Verizon and Paradise? Many of us do not have room for both in our limited living space. Why are trees dying for this duplication of effort? The extra books often end up in the trash or people's garages.

Can't these two companies collaborate and make one useful directory? With the paper that would be saved from having only one set of phone books, the type size should be increased to make it readable for the over-45 set, which is many of us. This year's phone directory is problematic because it's so heavy, combining the white and yellow pages. I've heard people say they continue to use last year's books. Meanwhile, the paper and trees have already been wasted.

Hawai'i's recycling program and our senators' pivotal vote to drill in the Arctic refuge have been covered by others. As an island state in 2005, it's time to consider our environment and use our natural resources wisely at every opportunity.

Bush forgot about his Social Security vow

Rep. Galen Fox, in his critique of Patrick Stanley's letter on Social Security, points out that there is no lockbox and that we should credit President Bush for highlighting the problem. Maybe Rep. Fox does not remember that it was Mr. Bush who promised us a lockbox during the 2000 election campaign and then quickly forgot about it after taking office.

Now all future Social Security surpluses will go to finance the Bush tax cuts and pay for the Bush deficits. Fox should credit Bush for this, too.

Chamber of Commerce weak on worker's comp

In the March 14 Advertiser, Christine Camp Friedman of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawai'i and Harold Dias of the state AFL-CIO co-authored an op-ed that supposedly calls for collaboration, cooperation and compromise between businesses and labor unions on the issue of worker's compensation reform.

The piece concludes that "while the results of the many hours of hard work by the Chamber and the labor groups did not result in successful legislation this session, what we achieved was far more significant: We built a bridge, a path toward a common path of trust and mutual respect — a path that we believe will allow us to be more effective in our legislation efforts in the future, and move us toward constructive reform in the years to come."

A "path toward a common path"? That phrase reveals the truth; it correctly suggests that business and labor failed to make any progress on worker's comp. Labor unions run the Legislature, while businesses' pleas for mercy have little impact. The unions have their way when it comes to protecting Hawai'i's flawed worker's compensation system. It's an embarrassment for the Hawai'i Chamber of Commerce's Friedman to suggest otherwise.

Hawai'i's worker's comp premiums are the third highest in the United States. On average, Hawai'i's businesses pay $3.48 in worker's compensation for every $100 they pay in wages. Once a worker's compensation claim is filed, the insurer is forbidden from continuing to insure the company.

Given these problems, it comes as no surprise that a Pacific Business News survey found 73 percent of Hawai'i's businesses say that the biggest threat to their survival is the spiraling cost of worker's comp. Make no mistake — worker's comp reform is imperative to job creation in Hawai'i. Businesses suffering from the worker's comp laws find it harder to justify hiring new employees.

The AFL-CIO's position on this issue was predictable, but the Chamber's weak stand is a major disappointment. At the session's beginning, the Chamber promised to make worker's compensation reform its No. 1 priority. This organization, founded for the purpose of sticking up for business interests, has capitulated without dignity.

The businesses and workers of Hawai'i deserve better.

Poverty fought on many fronts

We want to thank The Advertiser for shedding light on the importance of flexibility in the use of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) federal funding to help Hawai'i's needy families and children break the cycle of poverty. Encouraged by the broad TANF purposes, the Lingle-Aiona administration decided to do what other states have done: attack poverty on multiple fronts.

In the past two years, the administration started more than $16 million in new and expanded social service programs for our needy families and children. For example, we expanded family strengthening and counseling services for at-risk families, including programs such as Neighborhood Places, Parents and Children Together, Legal Aid Society of Hawai'i and after-school youth activities for intermediate and high school students.

We are using $5.6 million for youth through the new UPLINK after-school program, with the Department of Education offering a variety of character-building healthy activities; through About FACE!, a partnership with the National Guard, providing job experience and life skills to disadvantaged youth; and through Hale Kipa's Youth Advocacy Program, mentoring troubled youth to divert them from incarceration or foster care.

More than $1.6 million is also being provided to youth service centers statewide to expand teen pregnancy prevention and family-strengthening programs in Kalihi, Makiki, Nu'uanu, 'Ewa Beach and Nanakuli on O'ahu, Waimea on Kaua'i, Hilo, Kea'au and Pahoa on the Big Island, and Wailuku on Maui.

Like other states, we also saw the need to fight problems in the home and increased TANF monies for abused and neglected children, from $3.2 million in 2002 to $9.79 million in 2004. These funds are helping to aggressively reform our child welfare services for better outcomes.

The administration also proposes to spend TANF reserve funds ($118 million unspent from previous years) on an extensive "Reward Work Initiative" to increase cash payments and bonuses to needy parents who are returning to work. Additional support for these struggling families is the administration's proposal to spend $20 million in TANF funds (from the current year's block grant) to help parents with quality preschool and childcare.

Poverty, as many experts will tell you, is a problem that requires a multipronged approach, such as the administration has initiated. That is why we are committed to finding new, effective ways to attack social problems such as drug abuse, violence and unemployment that trap children and families in poverty.