Letters to the Editor
MENTAL HEALTH
LOWER STANDARDS OF CARE WEREN'T SOUGHT
The director of Kahi Mohala Behavioral Health uses my commentary ("Consent decree aims too high," March 29) as a convenient foil for expressing his opinion ("Mentally ill deserve good care," June 6), but at least he could have restated my views correctly.
Never did I say that Hawai'i should be held to lower standards of care than other parts of our nation.
My point was that, under consent decrees, the remedies end up being the best that advocates and their lawyers and consultants can come up with, far exceeding the circumstances leading up to the lawsuit in the first place.
As an advocate and provider of services for the mentally ill, Mark Mitchell's opinion is understandable that "the state should not see a consent decree as a threat but a rare opportunity to change both attitudes and services for those suffering mental illness."
But consent decrees also require services to be provided no matter the cost and other pressing needs of the state.
For those of us who were responsible for considering all the competing needs of the public, a consent decree is indeed a threat.
As Judge David Ezra threatened in the Felix Consent Decree, if the Legislature did not fully fund the programs, he would confiscate state properties and have them sold.
Lawrence MiikeDirector of health, 1994-1998, Kane'ohe
BEST OF THE BEST
AWARD PROGRAM NEEDS NEW AGENCY CATEGORIES
We wish to thank you for creating the new Honolulu Advertiser Best of the Best awards. What a wonderful way to spotlight local business! The honor of being noted as one of the best adoption agencies is terrific.
To the matter of the award categories, however, we wish to make a comment. Had we known that animal services were to be included in the category of adoption agencies, we would have respectfully declined the honor of nomination.
While animal advocacy is important, and the Hawaiian Humane Society does a wonderful job, we are displeased with your decision to place these categories together.
The needs of children and animals are not the same. A suitable and loving family for a child in no way resembles what would be appropriate for a pet. The responsibility involved in placing a child for adoption includes:
Please consider whether children waiting for a family to call their own should believe they are a little different than a stray dog.
We hope you will consider changing your Best of the Best categories next year in a way that honors children and animals separately.
Kristine Altwies NicholsonExecutive director and chief executive officer, Hawaii International Child
ENFORCEMENT
TRUCK RIDERS AT RISK
Drivers are now being fined for driving without a seatbelt. But it is still acceptable to allow people to ride in the open bed of a truck?
Jude WatermanHonolulu
WEST SIDE STORY
GIVE WAI'ANAE BREAK AND VIEW IT POSITIVELY
In response to new acquaintances: Please don't be so naive when you talk about Wai'anae. I've had people ask me if Wai'anae's on the North Shore.
It's understandable if people from another island or state ask that question, but for locals who have lived on this island for years, don't you think it's quite ignorant?
Wai'anae is located on the Leeward Coast, which is considered the west side of O'ahu.
In my opinion, it's one of the most beautiful areas on this island, with its majestic mountains facing the pristine blue ocean.
Unfortunately, we do have our share of crime, but it's not as bad as the media portray it.
Besides, crime is everywhere. If it was really terrible, I and thousands of others wouldn't be living here. I believe we have friendly and caring people, rather than apathetic ones.
Sure, it's a distance away from Honolulu, but it takes less than an hour to get there. Compare that to the Mainland where it takes two hours or more just to get to the next town.
Give Wai'anae a break and view it in a positive manner.
Ron MesionaWai'anae
IMMORAL WAR
WATADA STAND CALLS FOR DEBATE ON IRAQ
Those who vilify Lt. Ehren K. Watada for his stand against the war need to look beyond the issue of a single individual acting on his beliefs and principles.
Rather, Lt. Watada's stand should be looked upon as yet another lightning rod for critical discussion and debate: The ethics and legality of the Iraq war, as well as the integrity of George W. Bush and other world leaders who support any misguided and immoral war, must be examined.
Lt. Watada should be respected for his courage and forthright action.
We hope many will support efforts to ensure that he not be punished nor condemned by society for taking a stand that may ultimately help bring our troops home for good.
Warren S. Nishimoto and Michi Kodama-Nishimoto'Aiea
KAMA'AINA
BRAIN DRAIN REVERSAL FACES HUGE PROBLEMS
Fact 1: Hawai'i has the fourth highest cost of living in the nation.
Fact 2: Hawai'i has the second highest statewide median home prices in the nation.
Fact 3: Hawai'i utilities and infrastructure are currently lacking for new developments.
The attraction to come home for a kama'aina is usually an emotional one. As a recent returning kama'aina myself, I know all about the emotional ties to Hawai'i. However, what does this decision really cost?
Although professional job opportunities have increased over the past 10 years, kama'aina who intend to move back to Hawai'i are faced with lower wages, a higher cost of living, ever rapidly increasing home prices and now, steadily climbing interest rates.
With new housing developments on the horizon and the lack of state support for renovating or expanding our current infrastructure, the attraction to Hawai'i becomes less appealing. It seems that such a life-changing decision shouldn't be made on emotion alone but rather with the inclusion of common sense.
John HiraiMililani
HONOR THE KING
AKAKA BILL DEMISE SIGNALS ADVANCEMENT FOR ISLE UNITY
Our unique Kamehameha holiday celebrates that King's greatest achievement — unity.
The 2000 Rice v. Cayetano decision told us we cannot have racial separatism in voting. But at that crucial moment our politicians failed us.
They scrambled to push the Akaka bill to create a race-based government to protect race-based programs and race-based voting.
The Senate has now refused to consider that outrageous proposal. Our politicians tarnished our reputation as the Aloha State and squandered their political capital.
Responding to the Senate vote our politicians now scramble desperately, as six years ago, to dream up some way to rescue race-based programs and enshrine separatist institutions.
Will we now be subjected to another six years of stupidity and evil? Could our politicians take this new opportunity to abandon their failed policies of the past and embrace unity?
News reports about Kamehameha Day quote Hawaiians seeking unity - but unity only under a banner of racial separatism. Let's hope those reports are wrong.
I call upon all Hawaiians regardless of blood to honor our king's greatest accomplishment of unity and to take inspiration from his courage as a warrior to achieve it.
I mua! 'A'ohe hope e ho'i mai ai.
Ken ConklinKane'ohe
KAKA'AKO MAKAI
BAN WOULD SAVE SHORELINE
There are far better alternatives to crowding the last remaining available Honolulu shoreline open space with "workforce housing" and redundant commercial retail complexes. What happened to the "Lei of Parks" from Diamond Head to Downtown? We must learn from the past to benefit the future.
On June 7, the HCDA took action that flies in the face of the will of the people. Without regard to public testimony in opposition, the HCDA quickly and unanimously voted to adopt a motion to recommend a governor's veto of HB 2555. The motion was constructed to paradoxically offset the two vital provisions in HB 2555 — that of prohibiting the sale of state public land in Kaka'ako and that of prohibiting residential development in Kaka'ako Makai.
The HCDA's motion was a four-part mixed bag of convolutions and acknowledgements:
1. The HCDA voted to "agree" to not sell any state land in Kaka'ako Makai because the HCDA noted "legislative and public opposition to the sale of state land in the makai area." However, this statement does not carry the protection of law and could be easily and arbitrarily changed by the autonomous HCDA.
2. It would follow that the HCDA would have the ability to acknowledge as well the overwhelming legislative and public opposition to this land being taken for private residential use.
But here the HCDA blatantly disregarded the will of the people and voted to recommend a governor's veto of HB 2555, claiming that the "prohibition of residential development in the makai area adversely and materially impacts the authority's ability to fulfill its mission and to achieve an important public good of developing affordable and workforce housing." This is a specious argument because the HCDA ignores the following:
The HCDA must begin to understand both present and future impacts to the general public's quality of life in greater Honolulu, and they must begin to recognize the uniqueness of Hawai'i's precious shoreline areas.
3. The HCDA voted to terminate the Request for Proposals (RFP) with its present guidelines for the A&B proposal. This is consistent with the current course of events, including the applicant's announcement that with the public's opposition and legislative action dimming the prospect of speculative sale of state land for private highrises, its residential and commercial development of these shoreline lands would be infeasible.
4. Also consistent with this course of events, the HCDA voted to direct its executive director to recommend an advisory committee to provide input for a new waterfront development plan. However, this would be only for a portion of Kaka'ako Makai that comprises the RFP area. Other portions remain subject to HCDA unilateral decisions, such as the public land adjacent to the Honolulu Harbor cargo area and the historic Kaka'ako sewage pump station.
Enacting House Bill 2555 will provide significant benefits for Honolulu as a whole. Kaka'ako Makai has the developable area and the strong public support to provide sustainable recreational amenities, cultural opportunities and educational experiences for residents and visitors of all ages.
We must also consider this to be a lasting legacy. Honolulu's present and future generations deserve no less.
Michelle S. MatsonHonolulu
