BEACHBOYS

WAIKIKI VENDORS LACK CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS

Only time will tell if the Rutledge family can be trusted to operate their new Waikiki beachboy stand without breaking any laws again ("Rutledges, city defend beach contract," Sept. 29). One has to wonder why they would pay the city $35,000 a month to rent surfboards for as little as $10 dollars an hour. I guess the Rutledge family has a unique moneymaking angle that most of us aren't aware of.

To be fair, at least the Rutledge-owned Star-Beachboys stand is operating legally with city approval. Most "Waikiki beachboys" I see have no business license, no training and can't provide receipts. It's amazing to think that Waikiki Beach, the crown jewel of Hawai'i's tourism industry, is being run by vendors with no customer service skills, training or professional standards. Some of these operators rent taped-up surfboards from shopping carts for rates that vary from customer to customer by young men who are often rude.

It's time for local tourism officials to clean up Waikiki Beach, and I'm not just talking about the many cigarette butts in the sand.

MICHELLE WIE

FLEXIBLE PRIORITIES VITAL TO HER SUCCESS

Regarding Iolani school student Gerilyn Manago's Oct. 6 letter referring to Michelle Wie as a quitter for not following her dreams by turning pro before completing school is an interesting observation coming from a fellow student. Gerilyn mentions how Michelle's ambition was to graduate from Punahou, attend Stanford and then turn pro, emulating her idol, Tiger Woods.

Well, Tiger Woods left Stanford before graduating to become a pro golfer. Does that also qualify him as a quitter? Life in the real world is full of challenges and dreams, and priorities must be flexible if you are to become successful in life.

For her age, Michelle is a golf phenom, possessing the skills, size, desires, personality and intelligence to succeed in the professional golf world today. Girls of her talent and potential come around once every hundred years. Gerilyn should try pretending she is Michelle Wie and sit down with her parents tonight and ask them about their thoughts on her turning pro at her present age. She may be very surprised with their answer.

CRIMINALS

WHY NOT INVITE THEM TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

To all of those people who oppose incarceration and who want to take the "warm and fuzzy" approach to rehabilitating these criminals, I ask you this: Do you want them living in your neighborhood? Would you feel this way if you knew there was a halfway or furlough house next door to you? Would you feel safe and secure knowing that ex-cons were walking around your neighborhood?

Of course not! Opponents to the correctional system always take the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) approach to the programs they suggest.

NORTHWESTERN ISLANDS

PROTECTING WATERS IS A GIFT FOR HAWAIIANS

I want to thank Gov. Linda Lingle for her visionary decision to close state waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to commercial activities while protecting Native Hawaiian access.

This 1,200-mile-long uninhabited, spectacular archipelago of islands, atolls and reefs is globally significant for its unique fish and wildlife populations and dozens of religious and cultural sites.

The governor understands that the best use of the region is for education, research and cultural and religious practices.

If the federal government follows suit and buys out the nine remaining boats of the dwindling bottomfish fishery, the federal/state waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands will represent the largest marine reserve on the planet.

Thank you to both Lingle and Department of Land and Natural Resources Chairman Peter Young for this gift to future generations of Hawaiians.

IT'S VS. ITS

IT IS WHEN IT IS

I read the wonderful letter from Tamaki Ueno, a seventh-grader at Niu Valley Middle School ("One grammatical error changes whole meaning," Sept. 21).

It reminded me of a letter to the editor from a professor at Yale. It was brief ... and I think I remember it:

"When is it its? When it's not it is. When is it it's? When it is ... it is."

REP. HARBIN

MAYBE A PETITION CAN PUSH FOR HER REMOVAL

I voted for Linda Lingle in the last governor's race and as a direct result of her recent appointment of Rep. Bev Harbin, she has lost my vote and many of my friends in the next election.

The governor says she selected Harbin "because of her extensive small-business background." If this is true, how could they not know that Harbin's business was a failure and she owes back taxes? It seems that they were only looking at things to justify appointing a Republican disguised as a Democrat.

Harbin says she has her "integrity, beliefs and passion." If so, she should apologize to all the residents of District 28 and resign from office. I personally do not want anyone with such a background to represent me and those who pay their taxes. Maybe it is time to start a petition to get rid of her.

SUPREME COURT

NOMINATION A WASTE OF THE PEOPLE'S TIME

Shouldn't we be appointing "judges" to the Supreme Court? Since when does a background made up mostly of concealing the past crimes of a president qualify someone for anything more than a post as a "bad patriot?"

The nomination of Harriet Miers is a shameless stretch of thin qualifications and a waste of time of Congress and the American people. If Reagan were a "Teflon president," Bush is a "Spandex president" — stretching our budget, our patience and the truth, and always in bad taste.