PROUD HERITAGE

HAWAIIANS MUST UNITE TO CHOOSE RIGHT VEHICLE

I try not to voice my opinions on Hawaiian rights matters as I feel it's a Native Hawaiian right and as a non-Hawaiian I have no say.

Your letters of June 11 from Dennis Triglia and Dovie Borges force me to respond. A local vote should be the vehicle of choice. The native Hawaiian groups, need to come together as one and decide which vehicle they use.

Stop the rhetoric, dissension, divisiveness. Unite with one voice instead of many. Much is owed to the Hawaiian people. Come together and reclaim the proud heritage that is yours. It's up to you all now.

WIE STATEMENT

GOLFER NEEDS GUIDANCE TO AVOID SELF-SABOTAGE

Following Michelle Wie's first professional news conference in October of last year, I wrote a letter commenting that the conference appeared to lack total integrity. Criticism of me from readers of this page lasted nearly nine weeks.

I wrote that letter not as a detractor, but as a supporter of Michelle Wie. I sensed that she may be starting down a path that could lead to self-sabotage.

One week after that letter was printed, Michelle was disqualified in her first professional tournament. On Sunday, following her disappointing final holes at the McDonald's LPGA Championship, she stated in a TV interview: "I played my B game and still finished tied for fifth place."

That statement could possibly be offensive to many of her colleagues. We as observers can only hope that Michelle's family, friends and advisors will help her to make the necessary adjustments to prevent her from destroying the enormous good will she currently enjoys.

KANNO CASE

ETHICS PANEL MUST ENFORCE CODE QUICKLY

I agree that the Ethics Commission made the correct decision to dismiss the ethics charge against Mr. Kanno, saving tax payers dollars and resources.

But using the excuse that Mr. Kanno is not seeking re-election for office and that the Legislature won't be in session till January 2007 to address the issue as factors in their decisionmaking, doesn't exonerate Mr. Kanno of his actions.

All of this could have been avoided if Mr. Kanno had an ethical and moral backbone and had ponied up to the fact that what he did was wrong.

The Ethics Commission needs to revisit and make necessary changes to the state ethics code so that future violations will be dealt with in a timely matter and violators punished to the fullest extent of the law.

STATE IS RESPONSIBLE

JUST COLLECT THE TAX FOR NEEDED RAIL SYSTEM

With the state set to keep 10 percent of the new excise tax increase, officials would have more than enough to cover their additional collection costs.

The governor is desperate to keep the collection of this new tax away from the state government (and herself) and is even willing to ignore the law that clearly makes the state responsible.

It never made sense to set up separate (and duplicative process) within the city. It would have cost the taxpayers much more and take money away from where it's needed — a real transit solution for Honolulu.

Governor, it's time to put your personal politics aside and obey the law — just collect the tax. No one will hold you responsible for the tax increase, but we may have to hold you responsible for fumbling away our much-needed rail system.

Stop the stalling and "shibai," as there are already those that are starting to sing the old song: "Don't Blame Me, I Voted For Bu Laia!"

COMMON SENSE

WANTED: REALITY CHECK ON PARADE PERMIT ISSUE

All nine members of the Honolulu City Council voted June 7 in favor of Waikiki Parade Bill 84 on second reading. It's now so important that all of us tired of being stuck in traffic, late to work, or late getting home, get behind and support this bill.

There is still a long uphill battle to go before a mechanism is put in place that will finally bring some sort of structure to how parade permits are issued and declined by our city.

Evidently the ACLU believes that some parades fall under the First Amendment category and therefore should never be restricted. It will be interesting to see if the city once more caves into legal pressure from the ACLU. I hope a solution is found that respects Hawai'i's cultural traditions and past, but uses some common sense.

Regarding First Amendment issues, someone standing on a street corner pronouncing their views is substantially different from taking control of a street, blocking traffic and interfering with the rights of others. That is the sort of "expression" that must be regulated to protect the rights of the rest of us.

DISHONOR

WATADA LOST CREDIBILITY BY BREAKING HIS WORD

I just read John Witeck's letter and have to totally disagree. And I'm sure I'm not alone.

Mr. Witeck says Lt. Watada should be saluted and honored. For what? Disobeying a direct order to carry out his sworn duty?

I'm actually glad he didn't deploy. I bet his men are extremely disappointed in him. He no longer can effectively carry out his role in any kind of leadership position.

I think people have forgotten with the passing of time how shocking and brutal 9/11 really was. I will never forget the images of people jumping to their deaths rather than burn alive in the twin towers. Have we really forgotten these poor souls?

We are at war, plain and simple.You bleeding hearts out there need to wake up to reality. There is no honor in what Lt. Watada has done. He has dishonored all those who are currently serving and all those who have fallen.

He may get out of serving in Iraq but one thing is for sure. From this day forward his word carries no weight. A man not of his word is a man without honor. It's as simple as that.

REFERENDUM

VOTERS DESERVE A SAY IN AKAKA BILL'S FUTURE

So the Akaka Bill has failed; yet Sen. Akaka vows to fight on, hoping for eventual success when political conditions are more favorable.

This failure might prove to be a blessing, after all, because no one can say with confidence whether the people of Hawai'i support or oppose the creation of a Hawaiian government in our islands.

We've never been asked. I have lived in Hawai'i for 35 years. I was not born here; I chose to live here. I raised my family here. This is my home, and I would like to have the opportunity to have my say about its future.

Certainly, the supporters of the bill will gain additional strength should it be proven, that most or all ethnicities in Hawai'i, support the bill. Of course, the danger is that it might prove otherwise. Shouldn't we find out?

AGENDA FOR 'NET NEUTRALITY' ALLOWS GOVERNMENT CONTROL

Your recent editorial "Senate should act to keep Net neutral" does a huge disservice to your readers by oversimplifying and mischaracterizing an issue currently before the U.S. Senate.

The network neutrality debate is not about your Internet experience today, but your choices tomorrow. Internet giants like Google and Yahoo want robust fiber networks financed exclusively by higher consumer broadband bills (which one analyst estimates would climb to $80 a month).

The companies I represent favor keeping the Internet free from government micro-management, allowing its architects to build intelligent networks and pursue diverse business models that can defray costs by selling customized security, video and other services to those who want them. The result: better broadband networks and lower prices for consumers.

All sides favor consumers retaining control of their Internet experience: going where they want, when they want, using any device they want.

But the so-called "net neutrality" agenda goes much further; asking the government to substitute its judgment as to what's best for the consumer when it comes to pricing and service options, and prohibiting entrepreneurs from pursuing partnerships that could deliver flexibility and more affordable choices to the marketplace.

This agenda is far from neutral and hardly free. It deserves far closer scrutiny before 2006 goes down in history as the year the government regulated the Internet.

NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS: NATION'S NEWEST MONUMENT

HAWAI'I RESIDENTS HELPED WIN DESIGNATION

The new monument is a national treasure comparable to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. And there are two Hawai'i residents who deserve our thanks for helping to make it possible.

Bill Brown, the director of the Bishop Museum, was my special assistant at the Department of the Interior in 1999 when we first proposed the idea of a national monument for the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. He did the research and drew the boundaries for our initial proposal which has now become law.

And we should all be especially grateful to Gov. Lingle for her strong support of added protection for this wonderful ocean reserve.

THE REAL REASON BUSH APPROVED MONUMENT

Doth mine ears and eyes deceive me, or did President George Herbert Walker Bush sign an executive order setting aside an area northwest of Hawai'i — an area the size of Montana — as an ecological monument? Were pigs a part of the weather forecast today as well?

After the initial shock to my delicate political sensibilities subsided — and after a little investigation — the decision made sense. Simply put, an intrepid documentary filmmaker sent his film on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to the White House.

Imagine: George and Laura sitting in the White House home theater, oohing and aahing and gasping at the majesty of Mother Nature in this remote haven of oceanic beauty.

Moved by his compassionate conservatism, Bush calculated the cold hard cost to the fishing industry if he used the stroke of his pen to preserve this habitat. "Only eight? And someone else will pay?" the president said, stunned.

Pew Charitable Trusts has ensured that the eight fishing boats a year that have permits for the area will be appropriately compensated for their losses.

The apparent contradiction lies in the comparison between his environmental policies before today and, well, today. Bush's record on the environment, thus far in his administration, is clear: