ARCTIC REFUGE

DOMESTIC PRODUCTION OF OIL CRITICAL TO U.S.

It was heartening to note that both Sens. Inouye and Akaka support oil exploration and extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Though a minuscule amount of people would ever visit the refuge and any environmental harm would be minimal, ANWR has become a poster child for environmental reactionaries nationwide.

Far too many people seem to prefer their oil coming from Middle East despots and Third World oligarchies to increasing domestic production.

Like the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand, we tie down our own petroleum industry while China and Mexico drill for oil off our own coastlines, leaving us with a oil-supply problem of mostly our own making.

NCL CASE

DEFENSE OF KANNO ETHICS IS MISPLACED

D. Shimizu misses the mark in the May 2 letter defending Sen. Brian Kanno. The writer argues that Kanno was only acting in his official legislative capacity and that he has been unfairly targeted by the State Ethics Commission.

But the truth is Kanno did abuse his power by trying to pressure Norwegian Cruise Lines into rehiring and paying off his friend. On top of that, Kanno authored legislation to intimidate NCL by suggesting that it start paying the hotel room tax.

The people of Hawai'i deserve better than this from our elected officials. It's not right that legislators think they can abuse their power and then get off without even a slap on the wrist.

Shimizu should appreciate that if Kanno is innocent, he will be vindicated. But if he is not, he should be held accountable for his actions.

GASOLINE

1970S PROVED THAT PRICE CONTROLS ARE BAD

Don Rochon and many others in our state ask what is so wrong with price controls when the intention is to help consumers against greedy corporations "overcharging" for their products. Mr. Rochon also seeks to remind us that it was not long ago (2005) how outrageous the price of gas was. With that, I'd like to remind him what happened during the 1970s when price controls on gas were last implemented: gas shortages.

Politicians in the likes of Ron Menor, with all their "wisdom" and ignorance of economics, made it impossible for these corporations to make a profit. Once that occurred, there was no incentive to produce more oil or do other related things like finding new drilling sites, etc.

Think about it: If the government mandated that you sell at a certain price and your expenses to produce the product cost more than the mandated price, would you continue your business? Probably not.

Right now, because of Hurricane Katrina, the lessons learned about price controls during the 1970s that I thought Hawai'i had to relearn have been delayed. However, if the gas cap were to continue and it begins to work against the oil producers, we could once again see long lines at gas stations, only to be turned away because the stations ran out.

RACIST

CARTOONS DEPICTING MEXICANS INSULTING

Where do you get off publishing the two Dick Adair cartoons with the caricature Mexican immigrants crawling through the border fence and dancing on a sombrero?

Mr. Adair's unflattering depiction of Mexicans reminds me of the racist way the Japanese were drawn in World War II cartoons with big buck teeth and oversized glasses.

Mr. Adair's cartoons don't add anything to the dialogue on illegal immigration. They just fan the flames for all those nativists who want to demonize a group of immigrants for seeking a better life for themselves.

Incidentally, for all of those easily insulted Americans, when an immigrant takes the time to learn your national anthem in his or any language, you should be honored. Half of the Americans out there don't even know the words to the Star-Spangled Banner.

NU'UANU

CITY IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT ROCKFALL HAZARD

In 1978, the city recognized that the drainage system in Nu'uanu was inadequate and promised to fix it. It never did.

In 2000, the city recognized the danger of rockfalls from steep mountainsides and resolved to address the issue. It never did.

In 2003, Dara Onishi was crushed in her sleep by a boulder that fell off that mountainside. In 2004, Mrs. Rose Hamakado barely escaped the same tragedy when a falling boulder missed her by only a foot. And what has our city government done about all this? Nothing.

In an effort to encourage the city Department of Planning of Permitting to act with greater care, Peter Young, director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, wrote, "We believe that with the awareness that we now have of those risks, we would be derelict in our responsibilities to the citizens of the state if we allow subdivisions and homes to be built next to known natural hazards without addressing those concerns."

City Council Resolution 37 and Bill 48, which called for stricter standards for development of hillside subdivisions, proposed by Councilman Rod Tam, were a good start. But the City Council killed them.

GOVERNOR

DEMOCRATS ABUSING THEIR POWER AGAIN

I commend the governor for vetoing House Bill 2454, "Relating to Filling Legislative Vacancies." This ridiculous abuse of power by the state's Democrats is but a string of bills designed to weaken the governor.

Democrats need to stop crying about their loss to Linda Lingle and start focusing on the people of Hawai'i and the issues confronting them daily.