CONCON

WOULD HELP TO GROW FUTURE LEADERS FOR ISLES

I support a Constitutional Convention and ask you to vote "yes."

The convention is the people's opportunity to steer Hawai'i's future and is a training ground for our future leaders.

The poorest turnout in our history in the primary election shows the lack of choice we have on our ballots.

My youngest sister serves in the Maine legislature as a publicly funded candidate. In her first term she was named in the top 15 new legislators in the nation.

We can produce future leaders of the highest standards if we are freed from the current system of vested interest and political cronyism. We trusted ourselves in the 1960s and in the 1970s, and we can trust ourselves now.

ALOHA STADIUM

NEW POLICY KEEPING HIGH SCHOOL FANS AWAY

In his recent letter to the editor, Mr. Scott Chan states that he and the Interscholastic League of Honolulu have been working hard to limit the operating costs of high school football games.

The major change is the closure of the satellite box offices in favor of opening the main box office.

It seems that the number of people currently used at the box office and the entrance gates are enough to staff the satellite box offices at Gates 5 and 8. Using the gates at the satellite box offices would be more convenient for us.

Currently, we must park our cars, make the long hike down to the main ticket office, buy our tickets, then make the long hike back up to Gates 1 or 2 to enter the south concourse.

Once there, we must take a long walk across either bridge from the concourse to the permitted seating areas on the mauka or makai stands. After the game we must reverse the procedure by walking from the sideline stands through the south end zone to the parking lot.

Perhaps Mr. Chan should be working with the ILH to get more fans to the game instead of limiting the costs of high school football games. This would neutralize expenses.

Closing the satellite box offices keeps fans away from the games, thereby raising the stadium's operating costs of high school football games.

REIMBURSEMENTS

HMSA DRIVING DOCTORS AWAY FROM HAWAI'I

I am one of the Big Island physicians run out of business by HMSA's repugnant business practices.

I am now strictly a consumer of healthcare services, and I am incensed by our rapidly dwindling access to physicians' services. Hawai'i's doctors are leaving in droves. And the reason is clear: A billion-dollar behemoth, HMSA, has a functional monopoly perpetuated through anticompetitive, anti-consumer business practices.

As a physician, when I terminated my participation agreement with HMSA in an attempt to sustain my practice, HMSA decimated the already insufficient reimbursement for my services.

HMSA then started sending the checks for my services to the patients rather than to me. A large number of those patients kept those checks, undoubtedly because they were sick, out of work, had hospital bills to pay, medicine to buy and families to feed. To compound the problem, despite having received very effective therapy, many of those patients then stopped coming to see me altogether because they could no longer look me in the eye.

HMSA's denial that its long history as a functional monopoly in Hawai'i has played a large role in the exodus of doctors from Hawai'i is disingenuous. HMSA says it has been (ineffectively) attempting physician recruitment for Hawai'i. Recruitment is nothing without retention. This is like trying to fill your bathtub with the drain open. It has not and will not work.

Since the Legislature mandated deduction from your paycheck for health insurance, it is up to us, the consumers, to force the Legislature to change the anticompetitive and insane practices at HMSA.

CHALLENGING TIME

BUSINESS COMMUNITY MUST WORK TOGETHER

I have not been this concerned since the early days of the Cold War when I practiced getting under my school desk for safety in the event of an atomic bomb attack.

Today, the threat we face is economic and just as uncertain. Regardless of what may or may not happen locally, we all appreciate our geographical isolation and our dependence on tourism, and the quickly evolving situation doesn't look good.

While my anxiety may not be completely warranted, we are focused on preparing our family and our family-owned communications technology business for what may develop.

Our economy is dependent on 60,000-plus small- and medium-size businesses. As one of those businesses depending on the viability of our business community, I appreciate the incredible challenges during these times. No one wants to see our businesses let employees go or cease operations.

We must look beyond government for solutions. We must be ready to come together in caring and innovative ways to support each other's viability. Our sales staff at ComTel and Makai Communications will be alert for any organization on the verge of going under that desperately needs our product or services, because business communication is vital for any organization's survival.

It is time for our community to work together with a determination that our local businesses will survive.

BUDGET DEFICIT

CONGRESS, PRESIDENT MUST HALT DEBT GROWTH

We need a courageous and candid president as well as members of Congress to tell the American people we no longer can ignore the ever-increasing national debt and budget deficit.

National leaders have been afraid to ask us to accept sacrifices to restore our economic health.

The present financial crisis is a reminder that America requires a much smaller national debt and a balanced budget.

The growth of the budget may have to be frozen. All departments and federal programs need to be examined. Those not needed should be abolished.

Funding for departments and programs should be reduced if necessary. Congress and the president should agree to no new programs or new taxes.