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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Monday, January 31, 2005

Letters to the Editor

Don't put the onus on Lingle's shoulders

David Shapiro's Jan. 12 column "It's time for Gov. Lingle to call in her chits" makes odd demands of our governor. Upset that some Republican U.S. senators currently oppose the Akaka bill, Mr. Shapiro commands the governor to lobby the Senate on the bill's behalf.

Gov. Lingle can do that if she wants, but it isn't rational for Shapiro to focus on a governor. As a governor, Lingle's main job is to take care of the Bush administration, which she had done. Since the Akaka bill is in the Senate, not the White House, the main job isn't the governor's.

The Hawai'i officials who have a real say in the Akaka bill's passage are our senators — Daniel Inouye and, of course, Daniel Akaka himself. Lobbying for the Akaka bill is their responsibility, not Gov. Lingle's. As a legislator myself, I can assure you our senators have the chits that can help in negotiations with their colleagues. They are insiders; the governor isn't.

If Mr. Shapiro so strongly wants the Akaka bill passed, he should bear down on our senators, not squawk at Lingle for something outside of her kuleana.

Rep. Colleen Meyer
R-47th (Ha'iku, Kahalu'u, La'ie)



Politicians shouldn't be allowed to quit

Your Jan. 17 editorial and the statement from House Majority Leader Marcus Oshiro in criticizing Gov. Lingle's process in replacing Democrat Sol Kaho'ohalahala of the 13th District was in poor taste.

The voters of the 13th District who voted for Kaho'ohalahala to represent their interests got shortchanged by this elected official, who chose a higher government position for higher pay and better benefits instead of fulfilling his obligations to his constituents.

Since the Democratic Party controls both the state Senate and House, it can prevent a repeat of such actions by an elected official by passing a law that would prevent a state legislator from quitting his or her elected position prior to the end of the term to accept or seek another state job that provides higher pay and benefits, including a position with any state-affiliated entity that receives more than 50 percent of its income from the taxpayers, such as the University of Hawai'i, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, etc.

History of our city and state governments reveals that certain elected officials lack ethics. Therefore, for the good of our society, having proper representation for the voters of certain districts, a law should be enacted to protect the interests of the public and not those of the elected politicians.

Wilbert W.W. Wong
Kane'ohe



Commission office relocation bad idea

While I understand Mayor Mufi Hannemann's desire to better use city space at Kapolei Hale, the possible relocation of the Neighborhood Commission Office there is a bad idea.

The neighborhood assistants must remain downtown. Board members and members of the public islandwide visit the office daily. Members check their mail, prepare testimony for the City Council, Legislature and government agencies, review their files, file their agenda, etc.

Many board members work downtown and will not be able to take time off to travel to Kapolei. The assistants liaise with state and city agencies on behalf of their respective boards. Legislators visit the office to drop off materials for board meetings. Sending the neighborhood assistants to Kapolei may well succeed in doing what former Mayor Jeremy Harris was unable to accomplish with the vision teams — kill the neighborhood board system.

The Neighborhood Commission Office is like a Satellite City Hall — dealing with the public face to face. It is not a clerical back-office organization. Its staff does not occupy much space. Surely there is space in city-owned property in the downtown area where the office can be located. If not, then space for the neighborhood assistants should be found in the area, with the back-office staff, which rarely interfaces with board members and the public, being sent to Kapolei.

Lynne Matusow
Chairwoman, Downtown Neighborhood Board



Legislature should pass drug proposal

The Aiona drug proposal has the missing ingredients to the legislation passed last term consisting mostly of drug treatment money. To even attempt to squash the scourge of addictions that permeates our island communities, a better approach is needed.

Until now, help was so unevenly balanced in the favor of treatment. I urge our legislators to pass this important package of proposals. At this time, Hawai'i needs serious legislation like this to get a rein on our islandwide epidemic. Anything less would be fruitless and destructive to our island communities.

Thank you, Lt. Gov. Aiona, for realizing and drafting solutions that will work when implemented together with treatment programs.

Sophie Mataafa
Lahaina, Maui



Alternative medicine comments disturbing

In KHET's recent show "Holistic Health for Hawai'i," two UH educators made some disturbing comments:

• Medical school dean Dr. Edwin Cadman said that many doctors resist alternative medicine "because they are ignorant. They are ignorant of how many patients are using this stuff. They're authoritative (he meant "authoritarian"). They don't want to lose control."

Last year, Dr. Cadman participated in LifeFest Maui, which presented several snake oil hucksters who have no credentials in any health-related fields as "the world's foremost health experts." He apparently believes that physicians should be guided by popularity polls, and that the best medicine is whatever the media and the quackery industry succeed in pushing to the top of the health-fraud dung heap.

• Professor Amy Brown criticized the medical community for proceeding "step by minuscule step" and ignoring anecdotal evidence that, she said, is "criminal." She implied that physicians should prescribe herbs based on folklore rather than waiting for scientific proof that they are safe and effective.

If there is a crime here, it is that our medical school has, to a large extent, jumped on the lucrative alternative medicine bandwagon and forsaken the standards of science that have led to so much medical progress in the last 50 years and the standards of consumer protection that are essential to a civilized society. Many alternative practitioners regularly violate the state's anti-fraud laws by making deceptive and dangerous claims about their nostrums. This is literally criminal, but we don't hear any protests from the professors.

Kurt Butler
Kahului, Maui



Mahi a great leader, inspiration for band

Aaron Mahi should be kept on as the bandmaster of the Royal Hawaiian Band. I've worked with Mr. Mahi for over six years, as the coordinator of the Royal Guard and the commander of the guards.

We've participated in parades (Kamehameha Day, Aloha Week) and all royal functions at the Royal Mausoleum and 'Iolani Palace. We also went on a tour to Europe with the Royal Hawaiian Band. Mr. Mahi was a great leader and inspiration for the band.

The band members who complain about sitting in the sun and playing the same old songs should consider resigning and find something else to do or another band suitable to their liking.

My family and I attend the concerts at 'Iolani Palace and Kapi'olani Park. We find them very enjoyable and relaxing. We notice that a lot of tourists also enjoy the music.

Ronald Cozo
Waipahu



High school soccer should be televised

I think it is just wonderful how we in Hawai'i receive so much coverage on our local sports programs, whether college or prep. Unfortunately, there are always those who get left out.

I, for one, am a huge supporter of soccer. I have raised my kids on soccer due to the positive influence it can have on the health, social and motivating factors in a young person's life. From the very beginning stages of soccer, our keiki are taught good sportsmanship, hard work and commitment to the sport and how it relates to life itself.

We are very lucky to have various sporting events televised. I only wish the same could be said for soccer. Soccer today is one of the fastest-growing sports, especially here in Hawai'i where it can be played year-round.

I find it quite remarkable that even at the prep level, we televise football, basketball, softball, volleyball, etc., yet I cannot recall the last time I was able to view a high school soccer game. I am sure in years past, soccer has been very boring to a lot of people, but times are changing, and there are so many more people who understand the game and can appreciate it.

I am quite sure there are no plans in the works to televise any soccer games this year, but hopefully this letter will raise some much- needed attention to displaying our youth on the television soon.

Mary Peterson
Kapolei



Social Security is indeed in a crisis

Regarding the Jan. 23 editorial "There's no crisis at Social Security": I disagree with your conclusion of no crisis. You admit that Social Security, as presently configured, is unsustainable, and suggest that "tweaks" of raising the ceilings on taxable income and slightly increasing payroll taxes will allow us to "weather this crunch."

Social Security has no true reserves, just government IOUs in a "trust fund," which makes it a pay-as-you-go system.

In 1937, over 40 workers supported each beneficiary, and the tax rate was 2 percent (half employer, half employee) on the first $3,000 income ($38,400 inflation-adjusted to 2004). Now the tax is 12.4 percent on the first $87,900, with about three workers supporting each beneficiary. The worker/beneficiary ratio will continue to drop to 2/1. This implies needing a 50 percent tax increase to maintain solvency, more than a "tweak."

Reflecting on the AARP pillars of Social Security, pension and savings, continued earnings and health insurance: Growth in program entitlements have blurred the distinction between insurance and pension. Private investment accounts (which sound much like IRAs) might be a viable way to split off the pension side and return Social Security to insurance as originally intended.

Adequate time is needed for current workers to accumulate adequate pension funds. We have a crisis.

David Beers
'Ewa Beach



Street racing should get stiffest penalties

The Legislature should pass a stiffer penalty that would crack down on street racers.

Street racing is becoming a deadly game among youngsters, especially in the wee hours of the morning.

The tragic death of our neighbor's 25-year-old son on Jan. 2 was very alarming. He was on his way home on the H-1 near the Waimalu exit in Pearl City around 1:30 a.m. when he died at the hands of an irresponsible 18-year-old street racer.

Young people should drive responsibly. Driving is a privilege and not a game to be taken lightly.

A reckless driver behind the wheel of a car can inflict as much deadly force as a criminal pointing a loaded gun.

A month ago, a young racer was also killed violently at the same crash site. I am deeply concerned about this because my husband comes home from work at 2 a.m. and might be next if our state representatives will not do something about this. They should propose thousands of dollars in fines, license revocation forever, and felony charges with the maximum jail time allowed by law.

Hopefully, once this proposal becomes a law, it would scare the hell out of these street racers, and therefore would save their very own lives, too.

Maria Cecilia Maramba
Honolulu



Get more people upset by raising driving age

I suspect statistics will show that most driving accidents, in particular serious accidents, originate with drivers under the age of 25.

If Rep. Jerry Chang's bill can be amended, then let's raise the age for drivers from 16 to 21.

This would then generate enough voter exasperation and irritation at both ends of the age spectrum to boot out the legislators who voted in the law so we citizens can have another whack at electing some responsible people.

Such a law would also serve to get a third of the cars off the road, force parents to give closer attention to their children (who would have to chauffeur them around and could see where their kids are going), and just might make the roads safer for a whole different reason — less congestion and more parent supervision of kids with fewer kids in trouble with the law.

Yes, let's change the law.

Charles J. Leland
Honolulu