AKAKA BILL

DENYING HAWAIIANS STATUS IS APARTHEID

Opponents of the Akaka bill have referred to the bill as a form of apartheid. That couldn't be further from the truth.

The only purpose of the Akaka bill is to give Native Hawaiians the same legal status as American Indians and Alaska natives. Right now, Hawaiians are the only indigenous people in the U.S. who do not have this status and the protection that comes with it.

To deny Hawaiians this status is to discriminate against them. That would be apartheid.

Susan Baylosis | Honolulu

LIQUOR PANEL

WEATHERWAX SHOULD WORK FOR HIS SALARY

It is unfortunate that Wallace Weatherwax failed to read the writing on the wall and let his name (as well as names of other hard-working employees of the Liquor Commission) be dragged through the mud.

However, the buck stops with the head of any agency/company/department. Some people say, why doesn't the police chief resign due to the arrest of some of his officers in the past year? Well, eight of 11 liquor inspectors were convicted of crimes. Chief Correa has 2,056 officers, and if 1,600 of them were convicted, I suspect he would resign.

Bottom line: The taxpayers are paying Mr. Weatherwax close to $22,000 over the next three months, and he should be happy to work for it. In fact, someone tell the mayor I would be happy to clean toilets for the next three months for that kind of money.

Bryan Mick | Kailua

FOUNDATION

SPIRIT OF AMERICA IS UNDOUBTEDLY CHRISTIAN

While there are attempts today to deny our Christian heritage (e.g., the R. Figel letter of July 8), the fact remains that the United States was founded as a Christian nation.

Every state constitution references God and his providence, the inaugural addresses of every president ask for God's guidance and blessing, the inscriptions on our national monuments in Washington, D.C., reference God repeatedly.

This did not happen by accident; it exists as a reflection of our foundation.

Our own Supreme Court conducted an exhaustive examination of America's founding documents for 10 years, concluding in its 1892 Trinity Decision that "These and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation."

Newsweek reached a similar conclusion in 1982 in its look at "How the Bible Made America." It noted that "Historians are discovering that the Bible, perhaps even more than the Constitution, is our founding document."

In his "Outlines of History," H.G. Wells, who was by no means a Christian, said of the Constitution of the United States that "Its spirit is indubitably Christian."

Revisionist thinking notwithstanding, our nation was indeed conceived and crafted to be one nation under God.

Frank Lutz | Honolulu

PROPERTY TAXES

LONGTIME HOMEOWNER SHOULD GET BREAK NOW

It was reported on July 27 that Mayor Hannemann wants to pursue a "fair and equitable" tax break for more residents. While the current skyrocketing "home values" are obviously a windfall for county tax coffers, longtime homeowners need a break now, not down the road sometime.

Since many are retired and do not intend to sell their homes, tax breaks should be given to those who have owned their homes five years or longer, with a graduated higher tax break for longer home-ownership. One who has recently purchased a home has already factored current property taxes into the cost of owning a home.

Bev Whitaker | Hawai'i Kai

BAD HISTORY

PRIVATIZATION WON'T SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS

Rep. Colleen Meyer, R-47th, is suggesting the taxpayer would be better off if more government work was done by private companies, and that we would save enough so more money could be used for other needs (Letters, July 21). Sounds great.

We have good examples where private companies were contracted to set up computerized systems for: making payments; linking police cars to a central data system; monitoring unsafe areas in Chinatown; automatic check-in on the bus; checking speed of autos on the highway, etc.

Private industry collected the money and left us with the bill and no product that was useful.

Government may be bureaucratic, but private industry is based on profit driven by greed and gluttony.

Another great suggestion by the politicians is to name parks and other city facilities after businesses, but I suggest that our politicians wear labels on their suit coats showing what money source owns them. Sort of like how race-car drivers cover their jackets with sponsor ads.

Edwin Corl | Honolulu

NO MORE TAXES

INSUFFICIENT FUNDING FOR RAIL SCARY INDEED

I am a bit concerned in July 12's editorial in which the mayor was quoted "that the tax money, plus whatever Washington throws into the pot, will be enough to start a system but not enough to finish it."

"Enough to start but not enough to finish" — a very alarming predicament indeed!

Let's assume that all the tax money plus Washington's "pot" are barely enough to build one-half or even three-fourths of the rail system. How will the unfinished portion be funded to complete the entire system?

Raise more taxes? God forbid.

John R. Billon | Honolulu

PROSECUTOR

KARL ROVE WON'T GET AWAY THIS TIME

The scandal over the outing of Valerie Plame has been a hand grenade rolling down the halls of the White House for the last two years.

Now, ever so slowly, the grenade is stopping outside of Karl Rove's door, and prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is slowly pulling the pin. Rove will not get away unscathed this time.

This is the scandal that could take down the Bush administration. Watch for White House press secretary Scott McClellan to go. And if Rove doesn't follow, Bush may go, too. The real crime here remains the sending of American men and women to Iraq on fictitious grounds.

Bambi Kokko | Wailuku, Maui

EXPENSES

COLLEGE EDUCATION CAN BE READILY AVAILABLE

The cost of college education has increased drastically in the last three decades. It makes obtaining a higher education so much more difficult for the high school graduates.

The University of Hawai'i can help by providing scholarships to at least 1,000 local students, judging from their academic achievement, leadership quality, humanitarian service and financial needs.

There are many ways parents can help their children to achieve college education. For example: