RESPECT

WE MUST BE WILLING TO ACCOMMODATE VISITORS

In response to Eric Po'ohina's letter of Dec. 8, I challenge him to define precisely how the "quality of life" in Kailua has deteriorated due to tourism.

It is this type of attitude that is counterproductive in a state where our No. 1 source of revenue is tourism. I do not advocate placing tourists before kama'aina. But we must be willing to accommodate them, for eliminating tourism is not an option.

Instead of ostracizing and humiliating tourists who are not familiar with the ways of our island, we should be welcoming and gracious. If we can succeed in gaining the respect of tourists, they in turn will respect our way of life and our 'aina.

NO HOTEL

TOURISTS ARE TAXING KAILUA INFRASTRUCTURE

Kailua doesn't need a low-rise hotel across from the park, and it doesn't need bed and breakfasts either, which C. Wiedeman suggests.

Many of us have noticed much more traffic, more people and more visitors by the busloads to our town and beach. It's a chore just to drive in town, and sometimes it's unsafe with the all the traffic.

Yes, Kailua Beach is very desirable, and we who live here would like to be able to enjoy it without the Waikiki crowd.

I understand why some people want to turn this quaint little town with the gorgeous beach into a tourist attraction. It's greed — that's right, the almighty dollar. These same people are not even thinking or maybe don't even care about the impact on the 'aina.

Speak up, people. If you don't, the quiet little town of Kailua will become a tourist attraction just like Waikiki, and believe me, it's not quiet. I just hope it's not too late.

PONY LEAGUE

BASEBALL FLAP SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED

This is about as dumb as it gets for us adults. The simple solution was just too easy: Make the father of the child with the hearing disability a PONY League coach.

Were all three of the existing coaches so egotistical that they refused to step aside? No youth league team of that age group is in need of three coaches anyway.

So instead of being handled by the team and leaving everyone else out of it, lawyers are now taking this issue to court. This isn't about discrimination because of the young man's condition; this is just plain stupid adults getting in the way of children having fun.

I was a baseball umpire for over 25 years and believe me, it is the adults that screw up young children trying to have fun.

MAINTENANCE

NEW FUNDS WILL HELP STATE'S NATIONAL PARKS

A congressional hearing in Honolulu last week examined the critical funding needs of Hawai'i's national parks. And it was encouraging that Reps. Ed Case and Neil Abercrombie both participated to lend their support to the parks.

The increasing costs of preservation, including waging war against invasive species, are exacerbated by a systemwide shortfall of $600 million annually and a backlog of maintenance projects that the Congressional Research Service estimates to range between $4.5 billion and $9.7 billion.

The bipartisan National Park Centennial Act aims to provide new funding for the maintenance and natural and cultural preservation needs of the parks in part from a voluntary check-off on our federal income tax returns. It would also guarantee that the federal government would make up the difference between what is received from taxpayers and what is needed to restore our parks.

Congress and the administration can help to secure the future of our national parks. America's national parks, including the crown jewels in the Hawaiian Islands, are the legacy we leave to our children and to future generations.

IRAQ WAR

PRESIDENT SHOULD LEARN FROM THE PAST

As the anniversary of that infamous day at Pearl Harbor passes, we are reminded again, for the 64th time, of the pain, sorrow and regret war brings.

The bombing of Pearl Harbor kicked off a brutal period in our history, just as Sept. 11 did. A total of 2,390 Americans lost their lives on Dec. 7, 1941. World War II concluded with our nuclear bombs falling upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki, resulting in regret on America's part, hatred on Japan's, disgust from the world and the death of over 200,000 innocent civilians.

It makes us think how the current war in Iraq will end. Let's just hope our president refers to a history book before he makes another decision. Believe it or not, we can learn from the past.

NAVY RESEARCH

UARC WOULD BE GOOD FOR HAWAI'I, UNIVERSITY

The University of Hawai'i not taking the opportunity to be a university-affiliated Navy research center is a mistake.

UH being designated as a UARC would be an honor and provide UH with the resources to expand its oceanographic research, astronomical research and applied engineering programs.

It's been more than 50 years since a university has been designated as a UARC. I doubt that anyone at the laboratories of Johns Hopkins University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Washington or University of Texas would consider what they do as taking dirty money.

As someone who has worked for the operational Navy for more than 20 years, I don't think the defense of our country is bad for the University of Hawai'i, bad for the community or bad for Hawai'i.