Aiona's promotion of parade, picnic unwise

As part of his pledge to "take Hawai'i for Jesus," Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona is promoting tomorrow's Kids' Day Parade and Family Day Picnic. I think that's foolish and dangerous for him to do so. You'd think the lawsuit over discrimination when the city and county co-sponsored the event a couple of years ago, and what it cost the city, would serve as a warning to an elected official about getting too involved in promoting one religion over all others.

I would also think (and hope) that being so exclusionary would hurt any advancement in his political career. Hawai'i has a lot of religious people who are either not Christian (Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, etc.) or don't subscribe to that exclusionary form of Christianity. Or simply don't believe in God at all.

And then there's the whole thing about misnaming the event. It's not about families or kids. It's about straight evangelical Christian families.

The trouble a couple of years ago came when PFLAG-O'ahu and a couple of other groups were denied participation in the parade. PFLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) is a nationwide organization that supports families in dealing with finding out that they have a gay or lesbian loved one. Apparently family support is not a Christian value that the Christian Coalition, which sponsors the event, cares for. Perhaps, if it could be honest about its intentions, it could call it the Family Day Evangelical Revival Meeting & Picnic.

Route saves kids from long walk down ridge

I take issue with the June 18 letter by Marc Rubenstein on Line 21 empty buses.

The 21 line runs only four times a day, Monday through Friday (once in the morning and three times in the afternoon), unlike most bus lines. It brings people from Wai'alae Nui and Wai'alae Iki ridges to Kahala Mall, where they can transfer to other busier bus lines.

The bus is also not always empty. I have seen the morning bus filled with students headed for Kalani High School. I imagine that it's a long walk to school if they miss that bus.

Unlicensed B&Bs are illegal — period

Mr. Kerry Gellert's June 21 letter, "License B&Bs, don't crack down," is revolting. He is "offended" by the term "illegal"; he prefers to be called "unlicensed."

He argues that his B&B rental operation is legal in the sense that he pays taxes. This is akin to a restaurateur or storeowner who insists liquor vending without a liquor license is perfectly legal. By Gellert's reasoning, the storeowner pays taxes and hence is not in violation of the law. The simple fact remains that unless you have a permit, your operation is indeed "illegal."

Vacation rentals and B&Bs have exploded with the real estate boom. Meanwhile, local government has turned a blind eye to this festering plague. Its ineptitude in enforcing the most basic zoning violation is clearly evidenced in these illegal rental operations.

Gellert further contends that these are "not going to just go away." Perhaps he's right if legislators continue to neglect this issue. Do they need a reminder as to why the city stopped issuing permits for B&Bs and vacation rentals in 1989? It is unfair to the masses who choose to live and raise families in a "quiet" residential neighborhood. It is time for legislators and city officials to enforce zoning laws.

Burning the flag isn't worth an amendment

I'm trying to remember the last time someone burned an American flag. I read two daily newspapers and a national news magazine and follow the news on radio and television. OK, mostly NPR and PBS, but still.

I can't remember the last time this horrible threat to the very fabric of our nation occurred. I'm sure I must have been offended at the time. Old Glory is one of the symbols of ideas I cherish about living together as a people, a symbol of an incredibly beautiful land insufficiently loved, a wonderfully diverse people drawn from every land and all walks of life.

Indeed, I love it! And have spent time imprisoned for defending it. But I never mistook the flag for what it stands for, any more than I would mistake the street map for the beautiful city of Honolulu.

Though I can't remember the exact event, I'm sure that flag burner set that flag afire in protest against public policies or government behavior that the flag burner believed did not live up to the ideals the flag symbolized.

In effect, the protester was saying, "You are besmirching this flag, so it needs to be burnt." Remember, the old flag etiquette I was raised on said that if the flag is dirtied — nay, even touches the ground — it should be burned.

The House of Representatives has passed a constitutional amendment bill outlawing flag-burning. If the Senate passes it and two-thirds of the states ratify it, it becomes the law of the land. If so, in the name of all that flag symbolizes for me, I will be the next flag burner!

Legacy Lands Act doesn't address investment flaws

Last week, regrettably, Gov. Linda Lingle signed House Bill 1308 — "Relating to Land Conservation," aka the Legacy Lands Act, aka the conveyance tax increase.

This new law increases the cost of selling a home in Hawai'i and penalizes the seller if the buyer is an "investor." While the goal of this new law may seem well-meaning, the implementation of it has some serious issues that have not been addressed, specifically the surcharge for "investor" purchasers:

The bill says: "For the sale of a condominium or single family residence for which the purchaser is ineligible for a county homeowner's exemption on property tax:

"(A) Fifteen cents per $100 for properties with a value of less than $600,000;

"(B) Twenty-five cents per $100 for properties with a value of at least $600,000, but less than $1,000,000; and

"(C) Thirty-five cents per $100 for properties with a value of $1,000,000 or greater."

The issues that have not been addressed:

• Who shall determine the purchaser's eligibility? It can take over a year for the tax office to grant a homeowner's exemption.

• Will there be a "supplemental tax assessment" if the purchaser fails to qualify for the homeowner's exemption? If so, who will pay, buyer or seller?

• The home seller is paying the conveyance tax, yet the buyer's exemption status determines the amount of the tax. Will we have a two-tiered home-pricing structure and will "investors" be discriminated against?

• What are the legal ramifications of a purchaser making a false statement regarding his or her eligibility?

• Is there an opportunity for fraud? What prevents an investor purchaser from offering to make a statement that he or she qualifies for the exemption, saving the seller the surcharge, then asking for a kickback of all or part of the savings?

These are some administrative and legal issues that are unanswered in the language of the new law.

Kaho'olawe use misunderstood

I read with deep concern a letter to the editor from Garry Doone of Ohio, expressing his view that Kaho'olawe remains "uninhabited and unused." Mr. Doone went on to urge the establishment of gambling on Kaho'olawe, with proceeds being earmarked to pay for cleanup.

While concern for Kaho'olawe and its restoration is always appreciated, Mr. Doone, like many Hawai'i residents, is unaware of what is now taking place on the island and what legally constitutes acceptable and appropriate use of Kaho'olawe.

The Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission, a state agency, manages the island, the submerged lands and the surrounding waters, extending two miles from the shoreline. In April 2004, the Navy ended its 10-year cleanup of unexploded ordnance on Kaho'olawe. However, an estimated one-third of the island is yet to be cleared. It is not uncommon to find unexploded ordnance exposed by erosion, and there was no unexploded ordnance cleanup in the waters surrounding Kaho'olawe. Consequently, Kaho'olawe continues to be unsafe for public use, and access to the island is permitted only for cultural and environmental restoration purposes.

In May 2004, the KIRC adopted its five-year strategic plan to guide its planning and action priorities. High on the list is restoration of the island and its waters, along with increasing the culturally appropriate, safe use of the reserve toward the fulfillment of KIRC's vision for Kaho'olawe. KIRC has made significant progress in restoring the island and supporting ongoing cultural and educational activities on the island. These activities are carried out in accordance with state law.

Under law, the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve is restricted to the following specific uses: (1) preservation and practice of all rights customarily and traditionally exercised by Native Hawaiians for cultural, spiritual and subsistence purposes; (2) preservation and protection of the island's archaeological, historical and environmental resources; (3) rehabilitation, revegetation, habitat restoration and preservation; and (4) education. Commercial uses, which would include gambling, are strictly prohibited. The law also provides eventual transfer of the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve to the sovereign Native Hawaiian entity.

And far from being "uninhabited and unused," the island supports a continuous presence of KIRC staff, in addition to Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, environmental restoration volunteers, educators, scientists and students who visit the island for extended periods.

Unfortunately, access to the island is currently restricted to those who are invited or whose request to participate in approved activities has been granted. Except for trolling on two weekends a month in certain areas, access to the reserve's waters is also prohibited. Access to the island and the reserve waters must be strictly controlled for the foreseeable future because of the very real risk unexploded ordnance poses for unchaperoned visitors.

The staff and commissioners of KIRC appreciate the aloha of all who want to help in the restoration and rebirth of Kaho'olawe. Anyone wishing to learn more about the island and how they can participate should visit our Web site, kahoolawe.hawaii.gov, or contact the KIRC office on Maui at (808) 243-5020.