SIMPLICITY

CONSUMER LIFESTYLE IS CAUSE OF OUR PROBLEMS

It seems every time the economy heads toward what experts call "recession" there emerges a new micro-economic movement for thrift over spendthrift practices, savings over personal extravagance; basically for simplicity instead of "affluenza."

Witness the spate of letters on this page imploring folks to shop at thrift stores, to refrain from using credit cards — to "not use money you have not earned," as though Gandhi's seven deadly sins were designed for our contemporary eyes.

So, as an advocate for long-sighted patterns of consumption, I should be pleased with this trend. Yet I sense something askew with the whole program.

It reminds me faintly of a decade ago (also a time of recession, with patterns of consumption being questioned), when one of your reporters contacted me to ascertain my perspective on the voluntary simplicity movement. After a long conversation about people's motives for downsizing their consumerism, I found my thoughts were part of an article devoted to what people were doing to "get through" the "economic downturn."

I can't help but feel that as soon as this economic period temporarily changes to another time of hyper-growth and affluence for those at the top of the pyramid, we will again be barraged by media hype for the most conspicuous consumption possible.

However, Western consumer lifestyles are today, as ever, the leading cause of global environmental destruction and climate change that threaten to decimate our civilization.

We should be grateful that this timely recession may awaken us from our lives as consumer zombies — a prospect I'm not betting any money on.

HALE NA'AU PONO

DOH HAS NO CLEAR TRANSITION PLAN IN PLACE

As a Wai'anae Coast resident and legislator, I must respond to The Advertiser's June 19 editorial, "State justified in canceling mental-health contracts."

I dispute your conclusion, but concur that "Caught in the middle are about 400 of Hale Na'au Pono's clients, who face potentially disruptive and wrenching changes as they switch to other providers."

Mental health consumers — not Hale Na'au Pono or the Department of Health — should be our main concern.

Media discussion has focused on contractual disputes between a private agency and a state department. The issue is not who is right or wrong. It is that consumers must receive the services they need, no matter who provides them.

Hale Na'au Pono has provided culturally sensitive, nationally recognized services for more than 20 years — something the health department has been unable to provide alone. My Wai'anae household's members — my sister as an educator, my mother as a nurse practitioner, and myself as a legal services attorney — have been more effective in helping many clients by collaborating with Hale Na'au Pono.

Your editorial rightly stresses the negative impact on consumers as the health department switches to other providers. Despite claims that it has staff and facilities to replace Hale Na'au Pono, the evidence is not there.

With no clear transition plan, the health department's small, new facility in Makaha, with skeleton staff and part-time hours, is no replacement for Hale Na'au Pono's full staff and adequate facilities.

The only sensible solution is to extend existing contracts until a viable alternative is found.

HAWAIIANS

AKAKA BILL COULD DILUTE OUR STATE'S ECONOMY

The Akaka bill is designed to create a separate government for Native Hawaiians with at least a trace of Hawaiian ancestry, regardless of place of birth or domicile. With an estimated 90 percent of Native Hawaiians having less than 10 percent native ancestry, the population of the new government would likely consist of people with very little native ancestry.

A primary justification for the Akaka bill as indicated is the Apology Resolution of 1993. This resolution claims that the United States played a significant role in instigating the 1893 overthrow of Queen Lili'uokalani. But such a conclusion is possible only on the basis of speculation as to possible intent on the part of Americans cited. Contrary to this, the comprehensive 1894 Morgan Report to Congress, which in effect negates the Blount Report ordered by President Cleveland, concludes that the overthrow was instigated entirely by subjects of the queen and not American representatives.

Unfortunately, no review for accuracy was conducted for the Apology Resolution, either in Hawai'i or by the U.S. government. Thus, such a document is of questionable basis for justifying further legislation, such as the Akaka bill.

The Akaka bill provides essentially no information as to how the proposed indigenous government would function or its probable impact on the state. Yet the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has spent $2 million lobbying for its passage and has hired prominent attorneys and a former U.S. senator for further lobbying.

Legislation to assist people of predominately Native Hawaiian ancestry is a worthy cause. But the ill-conceived and politically motivated Akaka bill, with its potential for dividing the population and diluting the state economy, is not the way to go.

CHINATOWN

ARBOR REMOVAL DID NOT SOLVE CRIMINAL PROBLEM

On May 22, several trellises on River Street near the Chinese Cultural Plaza were taken down to prevent gambling and drug dealing.

These arbors and trellises were built to provide shade for the restaurant customers and nearby residents who would like to relax by eating or playing a game of chess in the shade. It was not meant to provide cover for the criminals. To take them down is to take away these taxpayers' enjoyment.

Is removing the trellises a good solution to the problem? Hardly so.

I have walked through these areas many times, and I have seen the same people gambling or possibly dealing drugs on the other side of the river where there are big trees providing shade and stone benches to sit down and gamble. Why doesn't the city cut down these big trees and demolish the stone benches as well?

The problem of criminal activities was not solved, but got relocated to another area. The cause of the problem is not the trellises, but lies with the gamblers and the drug dealers, who should be effectively dealt with by the professionals, the Honolulu Police Department.

ENERGY

U.S. MUST DRILL FOR OIL AND KEEP IT AT HOME

A letter writer suggested recently that wind, geothermal and wave energy are the way to go, that drilling for oil will only "pollute the environment and exacerbate the effects of global warming." These may be true statements, even though global warming will continue regardless of our actions in the U.S. because of the actions of large industrialized and developing nations.

I do not believe that anyone supports the concept of continuing dependence on oil primarily.

However, cars don't run on wind, geothermal and wave energy now. We barely have hybrid cars now, and not many people can just drop off their old car, especially the SUV that no dealership can resell, in exchange for a new hybrid. Our cars require gas to run. People need gas to put into their cars to get to work. They need to work to purchase food, shelter and clothing. The economy, which is not good now, will not be driven if people fail to work, to produce. Airplanes need fuel. Manufacturing needs oil. Now.

So drill. Keep our oil at home. Let the oil companies make their money, they will anyway. It's called capitalism. If we don't drill now, for however much there is, in 10 years we will still have no alternative. And we will still have global warming.