ENDORSEMENTS

WE NEED CANDIDATES WITH FRESH FACES, IDEAS

I want to thank The Advertiser for publishing its choice of candidates for the primary election.

I clipped the list and will take it with me to the polls, where I will vote for the opponents of those chosen by The Advertiser.

The Advertiser, by recommending candidates such as Sen. Dan Akaka, state Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, Rep. Neil Abercrombie, City Copuncilman Rod Tam, etc., is saying Hawai'i should stay the course, be stuck in the rut, with politics as usual.

I want Hawai'i to have some fresh faces with new ideas. This is the only way Hawai'i can move forward rather than be stuck in the past.

ELECTION 2006

CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE TO LINGLE FOR GOVERNOR

After four years of Linda Lingle as governor, we have more homeless than ever, worse traffic, and schoolchildren still don't have enough textbooks.

She has gone on record supporting the development of 5,000 hotel rooms on the North Shore despite overwhelming opposition.

I urge the voters to consider an alternative who represents the people and not be swayed by an expensive slick campaign.

AILA WOULD SERVE STATE WELL AS NEXT GOVERNOR

After reading the front-page headline, "Lingle Sets Record for Raising Money," I find one more compelling reason to vote for William Aila as our next governor.

Comparing the amounts raised by Aila and Democratic rival Randall Iwase — $100,000 and under — with the $6.1 million for Linda Lingle, I am overwhelmed by the obscenely high levels and patently unfair distribution of campaign financial resources in Hawai'i and across the nation.

This picture gives new meaning to Aila's self-description as the working person's candidate. His is truly a grassroots campaign, based not only in the poor and lower-income population of his native Wai'anae Coast, but also spread throughout rural towns and urban neighborhoods on all islands. The millions in Lingle's coffers do not come from the earnings of ordinary people; they spring mostly from excess personal and corporate wealth, much of it from Mainland sources.

I have known William Aila — and his potential running mate, David Henkin — for many years. Both are familiar and respected faces in Capitol conference rooms and community meeting places; both have what it takes to serve at the highest levels of elective office in our state. Veteran harbormaster and Hawaiian activist Aila, along with environmental attorney and neighborhood leader Henkin, get my votes for governor and lieutenant governor.

SENATE RACE

AKAKA GOT TO D.C. WITH HARD WORK, RESPECT

I missed the debate when it was on television so I only knew what I read about it.

I just saw it replayed on C-SPAN and was surprised at how different it was from what I'd been led to believe. I expected to see Sen. Dan Akaka at his worst and Congressman Ed Case give a five-star performance. That was not the case.

I was thrilled to see that Senator Akaka was very much the same man he has always been — thoughtful, honest, courageous and determined to treat others with respect. He was no brilliant debater, but then he never has been. I was surprised, however, to see that neither was Case.

I call Senator Akaka courageous. He must have known walking in that this was a forum that supposedly played to the lawyer skills of Ed Case.

This helped me realize something that had never been quite as clear before — Senator Akaka didn't get where he is by artful eloquence or dazzling rhetoric. He didn't get there on style points. He must have had to get there the hard way — by hard work and the genuine respect of his community.

I also realize that I am not willing to give up on the hard worker in favor of the quick talker. I still want Hawai'i to be represented by Senator Akaka and others like him.

AKAKA IS OUT OF TOUCH WITH HAWAI'I'S YOUTH

I am tired of listening to Sen. Dan Akaka's attack ads venting about why Rep. Ed Case is a bad candidate rather than highlighting how he would use his next term in the U.S. Senate to secure our state's future.

Even worse, I have not seen Akaka in a single ad discuss what he would do for the youth of Hawai'i if re-elected. He is obviously out of touch with my generation and does not appear concerned with the people that will lead our state into the future.

As a college student, I am concerned that our state will fall victim to selfish short-term thinking by those just seeking to hold power.

Akaka has not articulated any long-term vision to support and secure the fiscal health of our state for decades to come. Only one candidate for U.S. Senate has articulated such forward thinking, and that candidate has my vote — Ed Case.

KAWANANAKOA BEST TRANSITION FOR HAWAI'I

Hawai'i Democrats who talk about the transition that must take place in Washington miss one key component. Republicans control the Senate, House and administraton. Hawai'i has only two votes in each chamber. How does sending four Democrats help Hawai'i? We continue to sit in the minority of every committee!

Television commercials run by both Democratic candidates for the Senate emphasize how inefficient each opponent is as a sitting member of Congress. Why must the voters decide who is the most efficient of the inefficients?

The best transition for Hawai'i is to place at least one young Republican in the delegation. There is no question that that person is Quentin Kawananakoa, a moderate Republican who can work for Hawai'i in the majority and will be respected by the minority. Just as he was in the state Legislature.

OIL COMPANIES

GAS PRICES SINK BELOW $3 BEFORE THE ELECTION

I just filled up my tank today and noticed that the price was under $3 per gallon.

I'm so glad we have an election coming up. I really appreciated the price break!

It was very clever of the oil companies to run up the price so quickly and sustain it at more than $3 for so long that $2.91 per gallon seemed like a bargain. You might say it is a win-win strategy: those Texans make record profits for months, lower the price just before election and I feel like I got myself a real deal!

FOOTBALL

FANS CAN BE UNFRIENDLY AT ALABAMA GAMES, TOO

I must respond to Edmund Chang's letter (Sept. 13) about the aloha spirit he experienced at the Alabama-Hawai'i game and the booing he hears from Hawai'i fans here.

Don't get down on Hawai'i fans for voicing their displeasure by booing. It could be a lot worse.

Have you ever seen an Alabama-Auburn game? How about Texas-Oklahoma or another bitter rivalry? You would be lucky to get out of there alive if you were wearing the wrong jersey.

Football is not a nice, friendlsport like volleyball. Go Bows!

REMEMBRANCE

KRAUSS' FINAL COLUMN WAS UPLIFTING, POSITIVE

In 1970, I and my husband and our oldest daughter went out to Fort Armstrong to greet the Apollo 13 astronauts and President Nixon.

While we were standing in the crowd, my husband had our daughter sitting on his shoulders when Bob Krauss came up to me and interviewed me.

I have read Bob Krauss' column since that day. His final column was very uplifting and positive. But the Lord had other plans for him. May God bless his family.