PROBATION

SWIFT PUNISHMENT FOR VIOLATORS IS BEST COURSE

It is good news to know that this program practices swift and certain punishment for those who violate their probation. This seven-month-old program has shown significant declines in ex-offenders missing appointments with their probation officers and far fewer positive drug tests.

I strongly support measures such as drug court, restorative justice and other rehabilitation programs, but this new approach — which sends violating probationers to a "probation modification" hearing that same afternoon — is a welcome addition to our system and sends the message that we are serious about drug use.

Cesare Beccaria (1738-1794), the author of "On Crimes and Punishment," was the founding father of our current criminal justice system. He believed that the most effective deterrent of crime was practicing swiftness of punishment. Beccaria said that when two different ideas are connected, then their association is strengthened. When offenders associate crime with punishment, they are less likely to re-offend, knowing that punishment will follow their crime.

In today's world, our criminal justice method is notorious for slowly processing offenders through the system and letting some of them slip through the cracks. This new program is a move in the right direction. It provides for swift and certain consequences following wrong behavior, an idea upon which our criminal justice system was founded.

Rep. Barbara Marumoto | R-17th (Kahala, Wai'alae Iki)

OUTRAGEOUS

HOW DO UH COACHES RATE HIGH SALARIES?

The athletics at UH are really minor league even though the university is in the NCAA Division I. I cannot understand why the coaches rate such high salaries when the attendance and revenue at the games do not even come close to paying their salaries. Coach June Jones at over a million a year with gratuities. Now athletic director Herman Frazier and basketball coach Riley Wallace getting an increase to $250,000 a year is not reality.

I pay taxes in Hawai'i and I certainly do not appreciate my tax money going to these coaches. Evidently, a lot of other Hawai'i residents feel the same based on the attendance at the games. I do not think the football team has reached over 40,000 attendance in any of its games. Now coach Jones will host USC and lose by another lopsided score.

Let's spend more money in the classrooms, which is the purpose of a university. Hawai'i would be better off without any sports if it has to pay such outrageous salaries to the administrators.

William H. Wilson | Kailua

TAXPAYER MONEY

MEDIA NEED TO GET US ANGRY AT FIRE STARTERS

Every year there is a spate of fires in the Nanakuli-Wai'anae area. Some are accidental, and some are malicious and intentional. Smokers who flip their cigarettes out the car window can also be blamed. The media do a good job giving updates, interviews and general coverage to these fires.

However, I think the media are missing a most important part of the coverage: the part where manpower and equipment are involved. The media should make a bigger issue about the cost of fighting these fires.

Breaking down the total manpower, manhours, equipment and fuel used would make a bigger impact in reporting the news. The military, firefighters and equipment involved in putting out these fires all cost money. A reporter should be able to put this together and come up with figures to let the taxpaying public know how much money is being spent in putting out these fires.

The cost figures will upset a lot of taxpayers and maybe get them to start doing something to stop the burning. The publicity generated with these figures will further spur those who are maliciously starting these fires to think twice about where the money is coming from. When they realize the money is coming from their pockets, it might make them aware and also assist in preventing more fires in the future. We need to educate these persons, and the media are in the forefront to do this.

Thomas Uyehara | Waikiki

DOMINATION

FACT: U.S. HAS USED ATOMIC WEAPONS

Pervez Hoodbhoy's hope (Focus, July 17) that the U.S. show willingness to reduce its nuclear arsenal lest "fanatics" continue to try to arm themselves with such weapons that risk our total annihilation is commendable but begs the real issue: These "fanatics," as well as every nation that does not want to be a puppet of the U.S., know that only the U.S. has used such weapons in the past and considered using them in Vietnam.

Even when explaining U.S. policy toward Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell insisted that such weapons were "not off the table." And the world knows that the only reason the U.S. has not bombed North Korea to smithereens is that it may have one nuclear missile that could reach Los Angeles in retaliation.

Small nations have no other deterrent against U.S. domination.

John Gerassi | UH guest professor; Queens, N.Y.

SUSTAINABILITY

BREWBAKER'S VIEWS ARE NOW QUESTIONABLE

Let me first praise Paul Brewbaker, the longtime Bank of Hawai'i economist and state Commission on Revenues honcho, for his honesty (Letters, July 16). Throwing off the blanket of political correctness allows us to see Brewbaker's true attitude toward those who dedicate their lives to protecting Hawai'i's environment and quality of life ("see CAVE people: Citizens Against Virtually Everything").

I strongly support Mr. Brewbaker's free-speech right, including his right to spout the alternately illiberal and ultraliberal rhetoric of talk-radio and The Economist magazine, but I wonder to what extent his anti-sustainability views may color his ability to satisfactorily carry out service to the state. Shame that, since I had hitherto found Brewbaker one of the less vulgar practitioners of the fundamentalist "dismal science" of economics.

Finally, if Brewbaker and others are serious about reducing runaway housing costs and slowing outflow of Hawai'i's working class, he should encourage Alan Greenspan and his own bank's managers to immediately increase interest rates to levels that will stop further speculation and inflation. The sooner the housing bubble bursts, the sooner we can all say "lucky we live Hawai'i."

Richard Weigel | Director, Hawai'i Sustainable Lifestyle Network

SOLUTIONS

WE DON'T NEED RAIL TRANSIT, JUST ALOHA

Ten ways to avoid rail transit:

10. Stop shipping in cars, sell ones we have.

9. Drive with aloha.

8. Limit cell phone talking. Why? "No say thank you" and driver doesn't look when changing lanes.

7. Stop trying to see if you know the person in every car that passes you.

6. Reprogram the Tripler off-ramp traffic light; traffic comes out to the freeway.

5. Add one more lane to the Kina'u exit.

4. And while you're at it, eliminate that right turn onto Ward during morning hours.

3. Relocate the airport merge onto H-1 at Middle Street (das da killa).

2. Let the Vineyard exit and the Likelike on-ramp switch places. Let's exit onto Vineyard first, then let the people from Likelike merge onto H-1.

1. And the No. 1 way to avoid a rail transit package is: City bus drivers, stop taking the Likelike cutoff, then trying to strongarm back on to H-1.

We don't need rail transit; all we need to do to make life better on H-1 town-bound is just drive with some aloha. If not, then no complain.

Lene Amosa | Honolulu

VIETNAM WAR

GEN. WESTMORELAND CALLED ON LOCAL BOY

The news of the passing of Gen. William Westmoreland brought back memories of meeting him in Vietnam.

I was a staff sergeant and the 81 mortar section leader with Co. E 1/502d 101st Abn Division. We were on a fire support base called New Hau Duc that was northwest of Tam Ky. We were in a free-fire zone and were making contact with North Vietnam Army forces almost daily.

In early June 1969, I was in my fire direction control bunker and got called out. I did not have my shirt on and came face to face with a four-star general. My battalion commander, Lt. Col. Deming, introduced Gen. Westmoreland. In combat areas, we rarely salute officers and I did not render a salute to Gen. Westmoreland.

He asked if I was from Hawai'i and I responded, "Yes, sir." He then continued that he heard of the many great things my 81 section had done and asked that I continue the good work. I responded, "Yes, sir." He added that Hawai'i soldiers always did an outstanding job and that I continue the tradition. I responded, "Yes, sir." He then punched me in my gut, smiled, scanned my section and left with his entourage.

Jimmy Kuroiwa Jr. | Honolulu