RAIL OUTDATED

TELECOMMUNICATIONS WILL BRING WORK HOME

The City Council's decision to raise a transit tax is shortsighted, ill-advised and misses the point entirely.

Government, never known for innovation, wants to solve a mid-20th-century problem with an outmoded physical transportation system already as obsolete as Aloha Stadium. By attempting to reroute commuters from cars to trains, it is trying to solve the wrong problem 20 years too late. It is a waste of money, human resources and time.

Technology has made it possible to bring work to the worker rather than forcing people to commute to centralized workplaces. By investing in a telecommunications infrastructure that can be upgraded daily, we could address many more transit issues than trains can.

This archaic project will come to be known as Mufi's Folly long before the first train leaves Kapolei station. All aboard! Whoo-woo!

GIFT OF LIFE

CORD BLOOD STEM CELLS COULD BE THE ANSWER

In response to the Aug. 12 letter "Stem cells: Pregnant women can give life a second time," the Hawai'i Cord Blood Bank thanks Michelle Lee Bradley for her support of our program.

A newborn's umbilical cord contains the same blood-forming stem cells found in adult bone marrow. Cord blood stem cells can be used in place of bone marrow for patients who need a bone marrow transplant but don't have a matching donor. After a baby is safely delivered, the leftover blood in the umbilical cord can be collected, processed and stored. Doctors and nurses do the collection voluntarily, so there is no cost to the family to make this life-saving donation.

The Hawai'i Cord Blood Bank works in collaboration with the Puget Sound Blood Center and the Blood Bank of Hawai'i and provides collection services at Kapi'olani, Queen's, Kaiser and Tripler. Hawai'i's diverse minority and mixed-race population is a truly unique resource, and as a public bank, life-saving units are made available to searching patients worldwide. In the past year, seven patients have been given a second chance at life thanks to HCBB donor families.

On the day your baby is born, you can give the gift of life a second time. For more information, please call 983-BANK (2265) or visit our Web site at www.hcbb.org.

Hawai'i Cord Blood Bank

CAMPAIGN

LAWSUITS ARE ABOUT TAKING HAWAIIAN LAND

In response to Dave Shapiro's Aug. 10 column: It's about the land, stupid! All of these lawsuits have one goal in mind: to wrest control of the lands that remain to Native Hawaiians from their rightful owners.

This campaign is carefully orchestrated and well-funded. Anyone who thinks that lawyers Eric Grant and John Goemans are working pro bono is too naive.

Grant's sanctimonious rhetoric about "fighting race prejudice" and his attempts to wrap himself in the mantle of Martin Luther King Jr. are downright stomach-churning.

ADMISSIONS

KAMEHAMEHA SHOULD FOCUS ON THE INDIGENT

In John Doe v. Kamehameha Schools, the KS legal defense dream team failed to raise the most important argument before the 9th Circuit that resulted in a nightmare decision. KS did not argue that Native Hawaiians are members of a domestic dependent community, like the Pueblos, that has been treated by Congress pursuant to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920.

It would have been difficult for Kamehameha attorneys to make this argument, however, because the school services a mere fraction of the Native Hawaiian population. The truth is, KS serves the elite few who can prove they are fully assimilated, acculturated, educated and sophisticated by scoring well on the Kamehameha standardized admission test.

In her will, Pauahi stated her desire to treat orphaned and indigent children who are of "full or part aboriginal blood." If Kamehameha adhered to Pauahi's will and truly sought the financially disadvantaged or indigent and orphaned children, it would be stacked to the ceiling with bona fide Native Hawaiian students.

Instead of an academic "who is the smartest among the assimilated students with a trace of Hawaiian blood" test, Kamehameha should replace that biased test with a strictly financial need test. There are many Native Hawaiians throughout the state of Hawai'i who are homeless. KS can start to change its ways by reaching these truly needy Native Hawaiian families.

STADIUM BAN

'THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT ANYWAY' IS A FARCE

The main argument against prohibiting alcohol at Aloha Stadium seems to be "they're going to do it anyway." Well, that's a great way to look at things.

In fact, let's just apply it to the other problems we have here in Hawai'i.

First, let's get rid of the pesky speed limits. After all, people are going to speed anyway. Second, let's just legalize crystal meth or "ice." Because people are going to do it anyway. Third, let's make it legal to physically and sexually abuse children. Why not? People are going to do it anyway. And finally, let's get rid of the legal age to drink, buy cigarettes and purchase a handgun while we're at it. After all, kids are going to drink and smoke and people are going to carry illegal weapons anyway, so why bother actually doing something about it?

Why? Safety! Think about it!

TRAPPED

PROPERTY TAX RELIEF MUST INCLUDE ALL OF US

I tried to encourage the city to make changes to the property tax law by contacting Mayor Hannemann and all of the council members. The new law that was passed by the council on Aug. 10 does not benefit most of the homeowners.

The new property tax law should benefit all homeowners and should be implemented sooner.

Most people have no intention of selling their home, so any increase in home property value assessments does not provide them with any benefit.

Unlike other kinds of taxes, such as income and general excise taxes, having to pay more property taxes does not include any resources and choices for people. Income tax is based on the amount that is earned, and money is available to pay the tax. Sales or general excise taxes may limit our purchases, but we can choose what to purchase. Property values in Hawai'i will probably continue to rise and not go down.

The city should work for the benefit of the people and not operate like a business with the goal of making more money. The city should not be like the Hawai'i gasoline companies that have been raising the prices of gasoline whenever the prices of crude oil rises but never reduce the price when the crude oil prices go down. Having too much revenue may also result in unnecessary spending.

Is it time to hold a Boston Tea Party on our island?

NEGATIVE EFFECT

YOU CAN'T KEEP NEWS ABOUT PROSTITUTES QUIET

State tourism liaison Marsha Weinert's remarks about wanting to withhold information on the downtown Honolulu transgender prostitutes ("Girls' risks glamorizing sex industry, officials say," Aug. 14) because of the negative effect it might have on tourism are indeed laughable. The documentary set to air on TV on Aug. 27 " ... will put all kinds of ideas in people's minds," as well it should.

Her confidence that it probably won't hurt Hawai'i's reputation as a "safe city" makes me wonder if Ms. Weinert might not benefit from a subscription to The Advertiser. Because the local headlines I've been reading daily for over 25 years invariably include the latest robbery, homicide, rape, beating and burglary — several of which involve our tourists, who also share a ridiculously high rate of rental car break-ins.

Even if this kind of information is withheld, can you imagine the shock and surprise when Grandpa and Uncle Fred are solicited by one of these working girls downtown or on Kuhio Avenue? Shouldn't tourists be warned to lock their cars, secure their belongings, explore in safe company, and be aware that crime is as much a part of this "paradise" as in any other big city?