MISSILE TESTS

WHY DO WE CRITICIZE ACTIONS OF OTHERS?

How come it's not acceptable that other countries test missiles when this country fires test missiles all the time from Barking Sands and other places?

Perhaps it's because those other countries have unpredictable, war-mongering, stubborn leaders who do not consult the world community nor do they listen to desires of their own people. Unlike our president.

ALA MOANA

SECONDHAND SMOKE NOT THAT EASY TO AVOID

With a report (Advertiser, June 28) apparently providing conclusive evidence of the very real danger of secondhand smoke, Surgeon General Richard Carmona's best advice is, "Stay away from smokers."

How do nonsmokers actually achieve this in places like Aloha Stadium or Ala Moana Center's ground-floor area, which is notorious for its air and noise pollution?

Will the Legislature's secondhand smoke bill prove effective in such places ?

DISAPPOINTED

KAILUA'S JULY 4 PARADE MORE A POLITICAL RALLY

I have to say Tuesday's display on Kainalu was embarrassing. My wife and I brought our two kids, 4 and 9, to watch what we thought would be a parade. But what we were subjected to was a political rally. I cannot believe that the city would allow such a show. We were expecting floats decorated in the spirit of the holiday; instead we got politicians getting a free campaign ride, some even going around a second time. The crowd even booed.

I would not subject myself nor my kids to that parade again. What a pity. What happened to the authentic Fourth of July? What are we teaching our little ones?

HOMELESSNESS

GOVERNMENT, BUILDERS MUST STEP UP AND HELP

The escalating homeless crisis has been a subject of heated debate lately. Certainly, there are some bad people among the homeless, but the majority of them are law-abiding, hardworking citizens who deserve to be helped.

The government needs to build multiple low-rent high-rises for the thousands of poor people who can only afford to pay a few hundred dollars a month for rent. The problem is finding any compassionate builders or developers who are willing to take on this challenging project for a very small profit in order to benefit the poor and the homeless people in Hawai'i. They should charge rents that even the minimum-wage workers and retired senior citizens can afford.

Meanwhile, the government can double the capacity of the homeless shelters by installing bunk beds in these facilities. They can convert more unused buildings into homeless shelters and allow the homeless to camp out in undeveloped government lands while the low-rent high-rises are being built.

The time for making empty promises is over. Now is the time to take action to fulfill those promises.

'NEXT BROKEN TRUST'

COMMENT BY CASE TURNS OFF VOTERS

Ed Case, U.S. Senate candidate, took credit for helping to bring down the Bishop Estate during his speech at Small Business Hawai'i's Public Forum (July 5, 2006). He asked, rhetorically, "What's the next broken trust?" He earns a dunce's hat for that remark.

He turned off Hawaiian voters and those served and employed by Hawai'i's ali'i trusts. These and their "missions" include Queen Lili'uokalani (indigent orphans), King Lunalilo (elderly men), Queen Kapi'olani (women and children), Queen Emma (healthcare), and Princess Pauahi Bishop (Kamehameha Schools). Some of these are among Hawai'i's 20th wealthiest landowners: Kamehameha Schools (first), Queen's Health Systems (second), and the Queen Lili'uokalani Trust (sixth).

Is that off-the wall remark dumb or what?

WEST O'AHU

TIME TO STOP TALKING, TIME TO TAKE ACTION

What a shame that our Legislature continues to say no to UH-West O'ahu by not providing the needed funds. Guess it should not be a surprise that politicians say they support building UH-West O'ahu, but they do not vote to provide the funds.

There is no doubt we need to build UH-West O'ahu to meet the needs of the growing population in that area. It is also important to look at the additional benefit of reducing traffic going to town. UH-West O'ahu will provide jobs for West O'ahu residents along with providing top-notch education for students living in the area.

Spending $150 million to build phase I seems really cheap compared with the $3 billion-plus it will take for the mass-transit solution.

Just imagine that once UH-O'ahu is completely built, it will house a population of students and staff of close to 10,000. Wow, what a reduction in the number of people having to compute to town or Manoa.

Legislature, let's stop the talk and take the action to provide the money.

RAIL IS THE 'AGENDA' BEHIND DECISION

Your article on funding for a University of Hawai'i campus in West O'ahu should not come as a suprise to anyone. The reason UH-West O'ahu is left without funding is obvious. If you build a university on the west side, you've just solved the mythical gridlock problem on our morning commute, exposing the Legislature's "hidden agenda": to create the illusion of a need for a billion-dollar light-rail system.