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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Sunday, June 19, 2005

Letters to the Editor

Deporting homeless to 'resort' a solution?

The folks who live in the Wai'anae shantytown are sure it is not cost-effective to disturb them; they are challenging us.

In Puerto Rico, the homeless own the public beaches. Others enjoy the forest along the banks of their Rio Grande river (the prison is located there, too) or at private beach resorts. I believe we are heading in that direction.

We need to realize that those who violate the laws we carefully craft to protect us from squatters are self-proclaimed patriots. They are determined to spoil our parade because we rained on theirs.

Deporting our homeless people to a "resort" might be the solution, but there is only so much to be gained by limiting individuals of limited means to preying on one another.

Dennis Egge
Salt Lake



Your vote does make tremendous difference

Mr. Art Todd is exactly right about Hawai'i voters ("The average voter is just fed up," June 15).

In working on campaigns and on voter registration, I have repeatedly encountered citizens who say "it doesn't make any difference who gets in." Somehow, we must change this mindset and get them to understand that their vote does make a tremendous difference.

I have been so frustrated observing people's unrealistic expectations of the governor when they have repeatedly failed to give her the legislative support she has to have. We have another chance to get it right in 2006. Re-elect Lingle and elect representatives and senators who will support her initiatives. And every vote does count!

Shirley Hasenyager
Kailua



Can Aiona now be a leader for all Hawai'i?

Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona's evangelism does not bother me, but using his title to promote his religious views is another matter. While he said he is sorry if some felt offended, he also said he is just "expressing my faith as a Christian" and he hopes people will see him, Hawai'i's lieutenant governor, as "an image of God."

As a private individual, he has a right to express his religious beliefs, but it is wrong for him to mix his personal agenda with his public office. It comes down to ethics. When Gov. Lingle was confronted with the problem of a private lobbying group operating in her office, she took appropriate action and removed it last year.

On the other hand, the lieutenant governor refuses to even admit an ethical problem exists. Fair-minded citizens like myself are wondering if he can be a leader for all Hawai'i.

Richard Fujimoto
Salt Lake



Congress must get on medical marijuana ball

Mahalo to Hawai'i's members of Congress Neil Abercrombie and Ed Case for voting "yes" on the bipartisan Hinchey-Rohrabacher medical marijuana amendment. Their votes show compassion for the 2,600 sick and dying patients in Hawai'i who rely on the medical benefits of marijuana to relieve pain and suffering, and understanding of the issues facing physicians in our state.

It's time for the rest in Congress to wake up to the fact that marijuana is good medicine, as the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged recently. The court said it's up to Congress to guarantee protection to seriously ill patients in medical marijuana programs. Time and again, polls show that huge majorities of Americans agree.

So while Hawai'i's medical marijuana program continues as it has for the past five years, it's Congress' turn to extend a hand to the sick and dying and allow patients and doctors access to a safe and effective medicine completely free from fear and intimidation.

Pamela Lichty
President, Drug Policy Forum of Hawai'i



There's a way you can help end hunger

On June 7, I participated in National Hunger Awareness Day in Washington, D.C., by lobbying for the Hunger Free Communities Act of 2005. For the last four years, hunger has been on the rise in the United States, and last year 11.2 percent of the households — many of them working families — could not afford the food they needed. Hawai'i is better than the national average at 9.9 percent.

The Hunger Free Communities Act of 2005 would support cooperative local efforts to ensure that poor families have enough to eat. It will do so by maintaining our nutrition programs, such as food stamps, at their current level and by providing grants to local feeding organizations such as the Hawaii Foodbank so they can distribute more food to meet emergency needs for people of all ages in our community.

In this land of such rich and abundant resources, it is truly a disgrace if even one person goes to bed hungry. It will take our collective political will — not just private charity — to end hunger in this country, but together we can make our communities hunger-free.

Please take time now to write or call Sens. Inouye and Akaka and Reps. Abercrombie and Case. Ask them to support and even co-sponsor the Hunger Free Communities Act of 2005.

David Barber
Pastor, Lutheran Church of Honolulu



Lingle should veto Legacy Lands Act

Lance Holter of the Sierra Club misleads the public when he tries to link passage of the Legacy Lands Act to an increase in 300 units of affordable housing. Any conveyance taxes from the Legacy Lands Act to the Rental Housing Trust Fund will have very little impact.

Since existing programs produce between 200 to 250 affordable units per year at a subsidy of about $130,000 per unit, adding $5 million to the Rental Housing Trust Fund will only help produce 38 net additional affordable homes.

I do not understand why the Sierra Club continues to have taxpayers carry the burden to acquire lands that are typically already protected through zoning and land-use designations, like the waste of taxpayer money on Waimea Falls Park.

I encourage the governor to veto this bill as it takes away funding from the Bureau of Conveyances and ultimately will increase the cost of all homes in Hawai'i.

Craig Y. Watase
Niu Valley



Hawai'i is leading the way in open-ocean aquaculture

On June 7, the Bush administration proposed a historic bill to Congress that would permit ocean leases for fish farming in federal marine waters. Hawai'i is a leader in aquaculture and ocean farming and was looked to as a model in drafting of this legislation.

As a founder of Cates International, which operates the first commercial open-ocean cage culture lease in the state and the nation, I was privileged to be invited by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to participate in festivities unveiling this initiative and offer my perspective to the administration, members of Congress and the public.

It is clear to me that passage of this bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Daniel Inouye, could mean significant research and development dollars for Hawai'i. We have ideal conditions to study new forms of ocean farming technology and many talented researchers and companies to do the work. We also have the opportunity to sustainably produce a great deal more quality seafood for local tables and for export, which will benefit our economy.

The rest of the country is now recognizing what Hawai'i realized long ago: It is time for the United States to be responsible for its own seafood production and stop relying on imports. Ancient Hawaiians recognized this need hundreds of years ago with the building of the first aquaculture: coastal fishponds to feed the people. They also knew that farming must be environmentally sustainable. We are working hard to apply these wise principles to open-ocean farming today.

As in ancient times, fish farming will be an important part of our culture and community. I am proud to say Hawai'i once again leads the way for the nation in this new industry that is not so new.

Randy Cates
Kailua