DRUGS

TIME FOR COMMUNITY TO FIGHT THE ICE SCOURGE

With the blame game now going on in our community, I would like to offer the following analogy: A mother goes on errands in her car. She forgets to properly fasten her toddlers' seat belts. A drunken driver hits her and her children are killed in the accident. Is the drunken driver responsible? Or the mother for negligent care of her children? Maybe it is both.

Maybe we need to quit playing the blame game and do something to actually help to drive this scourge called "ice" out of our communities. We are all affected by it, like it or not, and we must come together as one to find better solutions.

I have worked with many ice-infested families and I have seen these families reach the light at the end of the tunnel.

Please share your 'ohana. I know we can do it.

TOUGHER DRUG LAWS ARE NEEDED IMMEDIATELY

How many more lives do we have to see become wasted due to drugs? Horrific displays of people under the influence of drugs are becoming far too commonplace across our state.

It's been long reported that 80 percent of crime is due to the illegal drug trade and use. Drug education has been the answer of our liberal lawmakers for the past 30 years, but it is not working. We need tougher laws and we need more prisons.

Drugs are costing our nation billions, and even more serious is the continued loss of generations of our children who experiment and later become drug addicts and criminals.

Let's implement a 10-year program where those who sell get locked away for life and those who use spend time in jail.

Our young children need mandatory drug education beginning in first grade until they graduate from high school. Let them see their fathers, brothers and other family members and neighbors locked away. Let them understand drugs are illegal and will not be tolerated in our society.

We must see drugs as they are — evil — and we must eliminate this evil.

JUSTICE

RECENT SLAYINGS PROVE DEATH PENALTY NEEDED

If Matthew Higa, Alapeti Siuanu Tunoa Jr. and Roy William Hartsock are found guilty for the alleged horrendous slaying crimes they are charged with, they should themselves be put to death by society.

History shows that under Hawai'i's limp judicial system, even if incarcerated for lengthy terms, these men will someday again walk the streets of Hawai'i or elsewhere. Only their deaths would be a guarantee against a repetition of their actions.

Our Legislature should finally have the guts to reinstate the death penalty. I won't hold my breath, however.

ELECTIONS

POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS SHOULD BE ISSUE DRIVEN

It was disheartening to see that activists of the Democratic Party in Hawai'i seem to be clinging to business as usual, but heartening to see that the party as a whole is ready to get back to believing in the freedom of the ballot. The activists' attempts to manipulate voters who want to exercise that freedom is reprehensible, especially in a state so dominated by their party.

Not only is a lawsuit a waste of time, money and effort, and strategically unpalatable, it flies in the face of the reconciliation platform of Hawai'i's gift to the national political scene, Barack Obama.

Were it not for crossover and independent voters, where would his race be? Haven't those activists heard the news that voters are sick and tired of paranoia and partisan politics interfering with the running of the country?

I am a registered Democrat, but always vote the candidate rather than the party in the general election.

I am only sorry that all candidates are not listed together on primary ballots so that I could vote the candidates in the primary as well. Party platforms should be strong enough to stand on their own.

Let's hear it for issue-driven political campaigns, such as our Democratic presidential candidates are pledging to run henceforth. Let all candidates face the voters instead of glaring and snarling at each other.

Next steps toward honorable government? Congressional term limits and publicly funded campaigns.

PUBLIC FUNDING PLAN SHOWS GOOD SENSE

The Big Island's County Council endorsement for 2010 elections reflects maturity and financial good sense.

The plan minimizes funding candidates without reasonable community support, and will foster greater interest in the political process. Maine and Arizona already have shown voter-funded elections to be beneficial.

Taxpayers have paid dearly when parochial interests have been major election funders: the savings-and-loan scandal; sub-prime mortgage scandal; Defense contract scandal of former Rep. Randy Cunningham; gambling influence scandal involving former Rep. Tom DeLay; contaminated food and toy imports; and unregulated food supplements from domestic companies.

Even ethical legislators increasingly spend time raising funds. It is better that taxpayers pay modestly up front for fair campaigns rather than pay many times more later for wasteful, fraudulent and expensive programs and policies.

STATE SENATE

GOP MINORITY NEEDS TO WORK TOGETHER BETTER

State Sen. Sam Slom said there "are irreconcilable differences" between him and state Sen. Fred Hemmings (Hawai'i section, Jan. 20).

I have been an active Republican in Hawai'i for 40 years, and I agree that there are definitely "differences" between the two senators. I have supported both, and have supported Sens. Gordon Trimble and Paul Whalen.

I am terribly disappointed in Sen. Slom's concerns about Hemmings' recruitment efforts, and especially about his communicating the party's message.

Sen. Hemmings consistently, and with tireless efforts, expresses and promotes the Republican Party's principles and philosophies.

I would be happy to have Sen. Slom tell me what he has done to recruit candidates and communicate the party's message recently. This is not the responsibility of the minority leader, but of every Republican legislator, party officer and party member in the state.

Gov. Linda Lingle and Sen. Hemmings do represent the party and do it well, and I sincerely wish our minority in the Senate would work together to do the job that needs to be done. All of our energies need to be spent going the same direction.

JUNE JONES

WE AREN'T AS OUTRAGED WHEN A TEACHER LEAVES

I'm not sure how I feel about June Jones leaving, but I wonder why we don't get as outraged and vocal when, say, a teacher leaves because of lack of support or sub-par facilities.

When was the last time the governor called to keep an educator from leaving?

FOOTBALL

UH SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF SUCCESS

I'd like to award an "A" to University of Hawai'i President David McClain and to Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw for their adept answering of questions at the press conference on Jan. 7 addressing the June Jones debacle.

They were clear, concise, well-rehearsed, and completely confident in their declarations to a somewhat bewildered and occasionally hostile media audience asking questions. They certainly both deserved an "A" in my speech class.

I now would like to give them an "F" in business, management and entrepreneurialship. Heaven knows, they brought this chaos upon themselves, and I don't care when each assumed his/her reins in Manoa.

The truth is UH has had a $100 million publicity engine in its football program, engineered by Jones — not only with the games on ESPN, but also with the athletes he has shoehorned into the NFL.

Every time the team or a player showed up on national TV, Hawai'i was mentioned. How many times do you think that struck home to potential students and perhaps international benefactors sitting in some snowbound place that would have never thought about the Aloha State in the first place?

The powers in Manoa — having missed the boat from the get-go — decided to act like true academics and say, "How do we deal with this? Circle the wagons and talk about the future."

Instead, they should have acted like entrepreneurs, riding the football program's success to its ultimate conclusion, benefiting both the university and the state.

Mr. McClain and Ms. Hinshaw, I award you your well-deserved "A" and "F" for jobs well done!

PUBLIC SAFETY

SEAT BELT CAMPAIGN A WASTE OF OUR MONEY

This "Click it or Ticket" campaign is one of the most outrageous wastes of money I have witnessed in my 30-plus years as a Hawai'i resident.

I understand the child seatbelt law — it is essential and important to protect our keiki when the decisions for their safety lie with us as parents.

However, it is not the business of the police or government to try to protect us, as adults, from ourselves. No one but the driver is endangered by not wearing a seat belt. It is not a public-safety risk and it should be up to an individual to make their own safety decision.

Don't our cops have better things to do with their valuable time? Are our streets and neighborhoods so safe that such a noticeable part of our police force can spend this much time making sure people "click it?" What's next, a law forcing people walking down the street to have their shoes tied?

Instead of applauding our mayor and police chief for having a high seat-belt usage rate, we should ask them to focus on more important issues — like the crystal meth epidemic in our Islands.