JUNE JONES

IMPROVE FACILITIES AT SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES FIRST

Good for June Jones and Colt Brennan to point out the sorry state of facilities at UH. At least Colt Brennan has a larger grasp of the poor condition of UH facilities. It is not just the sports facilities. And it is not just UH. It is all of the community colleges, all of the public schools and public libraries. All public educational facilities are run-down.

Sure, it would be nice for the football team to have soap in their showers and a nicer weight room.

But doesn't it make sense that the UH football coach be paid less than the governor and the money saved be spent on improving school and library facilities?

JUNE JONES SHOULD BE THANKED, NOT CRITICIZED

Shame on Lee Cataluna, such a selfish column ("June, what happened to 'ohana?" Jan. 8).

June Jones should be commended and thanked for the l0 years of his life he gave to this state. What a great ride.

If she should convict anyone, it should be Herman Frazier and the state system for letting the facilities get to these conditions.

Heaven forbid they improve the sports facility before our run-down high schools. You can't blame anyone for leaving for greener pastures when you look at how expensive it is to live in Hawai'i.

Mahalo nui loa, June.

MORE ACCOUNTABILITY DEMANDED FOR UH

Auwe. The Honolulu Advertiser was way too quick to accept University of Hawai'i President David McClain's apology in the June Jones debacle.

The public should have a little more information. For instance, there were approximately 14 staff meetings held from the time that UH won its first game until its last regular season game. Did President McClain even inquire about the status on the June Jones renegotiations?

After UH beat Boise State, did President McClain ever say to himself, "Maybe I should ask June and Herman to lunch so we can cinch up this deal before June thinks he's worth over a million bucks a year?" Did any of these people ever stop to think, "June Jones sure makes me look good."

When SMU came calling and asked for permission to speak to Coach Jones, did anyone remember their history lesson about the people of Troy and that wooden horse? No one ran up the flag, blew the bugle or shot a flare into the air. Just business as usual on the beautiful Manoa campus, fluffy clouds, blue sky and rainbows.

President McClain and Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw deserve the same treatment they bestowed on Herman Frazier: banishment from the kingdom.

Has everyone forgotten our experience with Evan Dobelle? Who's manning the ship, and where is it headed to?

Wake up, people, we are being taken for a ride, but the navigators have no charts and are asleep at the helm.

Good help is hard to find, at any price.

GOODMAN COLUMN

LIFE INCLUDES LOVING THE YET-TO-BE-BORN

In her Jan. 5 column, Ellen Goodman worries about what teenage girls may absorb after watching the few movies with a positive outlook on life that she mentioned.

Don't worry, Ms. Goodman; unfortunately, these movies will not do enough good.

Teen pregnancy rates have increased since 1991 because our culture is lacking in virtue, not because abortion rates have gone down.

Women who choose life are to be applauded by all, because choosing life is the right choice. When a criminal attacks a pregnant woman, injuring or killing both her and her unborn child, has he claimed one victim or two? Courts have consistently upheld fetal homicide laws because it is clear the killing of an unborn child is murder in the same degree as if committed against the mother.

There is nothing wrong with the hangover-like feeling Ms. Goodman had after watching the movies mentioned; it's called conscience, and it is there to keep checks and balances on your actions and beliefs.

It's true; the movies end in a not realistic, happy-ever-after tone. Life is not about living happily ever after; life's about living and loving to the best of our ability, especially loving those who are most vulnerable, like the yet-to-be born.

SUGAR BOWL

ONE WARRIOR FAMILY GIVES HAND TO ANOTHER

The loss at the Superdome the night before was bad enough. My wife, daughter, niece and I were headed to Houston by car, when we got a flat tire, in the middle of Louisiana swamp land. It was 40 degrees outside, all our luggage was packed in the trunk over the spare tire. The flat tire was on the highway side — huge trailers and cargo trucks were zipping by at 70 mph, just feet away. After unloading the luggage and starting to change the flat, a lot of luck and aloha arrived from a most unexpected source.

Ray Hisatake (redshirt UH offensive lineman) and his family were traveling home to San Francisco and spotted us on the side of the road, clad in our Warrior gear. They pulled off the highway and headed back toward us. They helped to change our flat tire, loaded our luggage back into the trunk and made sure we were safely on our way.

A great big mahalo to Ray and his family. You are wonderful people and helped to brighten up our long trip home. Go Warriors!

HAWAI'I'S ALOHA SPIRIT INVADED NEW ORLEANS

Perhaps nothing will ever compare with the excitement and anticipation leading up to this year's Sugar Bowl. Now, in the aftermath of UH's lopsided loss to Georgia in the game itself and the subsequent departure of June Jones, it would be easy to be disheartened.

Yet I believe that the people of Hawai'i were big winners as a result of the Sugar Bowl experience. As one of thousands of UH fans who made the trip and one of the few who also does business in New Orleans, I was told numerous times by the people of New Orleans (i.e., the waiters, taxi drivers, the businessmen, etc.) that the Hawai'i people were the nicest people to come to New Orleans in a long time.

Everyone knows that New Orleans has had its problems — Hurricane Katrina devastation, a history of crime and corruption, etc. It's a city that seems to be either partying or depressed (or partying because it's depressed).

What New Orleans really needs in order to survive and prosper and what it experienced is the spirit of the Hawai'i people, the spirit of aloha.

HAWAI'I CAN BE PROUD OF SUGAR BOWL FANS

Hawai'i can be proud of the many visitors to our city for the Sugar Bowl.

We have hosted many sporting events here and from what I've heard from those in the hospitality industry, the people from Hawai'i were some of the friendliest and well-mannered tourists they've ever seen here.

As a former Hawai'i resident, I offer the warmest mahalo and aloha to all who came and supported us here in New Orleans.

Like Hawai'i, we depend a great deal on tourism. Thanks to all who traveled the great distance to be here and help us in our post-Katrina rebuilding.

Sorry about the game score, but the Hawai'i residents who came here are winners all.

ELECTION FINANCING

GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO BE KEPT ON A TIGHT LEASH

"Why not let public finance elections," shouted a headline in the Jan. 6 Honolulu Advertiser Focus section.

The essay, by Kory Payne, who represents a special interest group, "Voter Owned Hawai'i," lamented the prevalence of special interest groups in political fundraising.

His solution? Put the largest, most powerful special interest group in a more overwhelming position. And what is that group? The government, of course.

Every career politician has a vested special interest in a larger, more intrusive, all-powerful government. To put them in a position so they can better assure their own re-election or the election of their friends is unconscionable.

We should be empowering private-sector individuals. They are the asset producers in our society. Government consumes those assets and needs to be kept on a tight leash. And that is one of the "special interests" of Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

SCHOOL FACILITIES

COACH, TEACHER BOTH DECIDED TO MOVE ON

I'm with you, coach. For years I complained about poor facilities while running a successful performing-arts program in the public schools.

You try doing a musical about slavery in a grade school cafeteria with no lights or microphones and on a stage that doubles as a school storage room.

And you're right, it's the little things that hurt the most. You had no soap and I had no dressing rooms. You endured used carpet and I had no carpet and no office to put it in.

When I tried to change things, those administrators were all over me like the Georgia defense. But both of us persevered and you went to the Sugar Bowl and I took a high school production of "Grease" to a drama competition in Japan.

In the end, you decided to go and I was told to go so "No Child Would be Left Behind." You got $2 million and I got a pension.

Now you'll have a new life in Texas, while I'm sticking it out in Hawai'i still teaching kids but now under the banner of Hawai'i Theatre instead of the Department of Education.

Anyway, I wanted to announce I'm available for the UH coaching job. I know I'll bring some dramatic flair to the sidelines. I promise a little more zip in the press conferences. And you can bet I'll take a hard look at the halftime shows.