DEMS TURNED INTO 'WHIMPERING PUPS'

I see in The Advertiser that three former Democratic governors of Hawai'i are pleading with voters to vote Democratic in the special House election. It is reported that they fear Charles Djou will march in lockstep with the national Republican Party in defeating what President Obama wants to do.

Do you think you could get them to comment on past actions of senior Democratic members of the U.S. House who forced several so-called Blue Dog Democratic freshmen members of Congress to support Obama's health care reform? Those same members initially said they were opposed for one reason or another.

Somehow, Pelosi and Co. turned them into whimpering pups and rammed the bill through even though numerous polls showed a majority of the voting public was opposed to the health care reform bill being considered.

SPECIAL ELECTION

THE BEST CANDIDATE IS DEL CASTILLO

I read a letter written by R.M. Taum-Deenik of Wai'anae stating that the best candidate will help the vulnerable.

I personally know the candidate who will immediately join in legislation that supports and defends the education, health and welfare of Hawai'i's children, elderly and disabled populations. Rafael Del Castillo is already involved with Angel Network in East Honolulu and has volunteered his time and resources to make certain that our most vulnerable citizens are cared for.

Please choose Del Castillo. It is my firm belief that this one candidate for Congress will make your vote truly count.

DJOU IS A MAN OF INTEGRITY, HONESTY

I feel it's necessary for someone to finally speak up for Charles Djou.

After all the negativity I, like so many other Democratic sullen voices, can finally rejoice that Hawai'i will have an honest public servant in Congress rather than a power-hungry Democrat.

I support Charles Djou for his honesty and integrity under so much pressure. Good luck, Charles, I know you'll be great.

GOVERNORS' PLEA SOUNDS DESPERATE

Neil Abercrombie should have never quit his position early and we wouldn't be in this mess of a very costly special election. The Democratic Party must be very desperate that it has three former governors asking the people of Hawai'i to vote for a Democrat. If the people listen, then the people deserve the consequences of that vote.

POW/MIA FLAG

NEW LAW HONORS THOSE WHO SERVED

It was discouraging that The Honolulu Advertiser failed to mention Armed Forces Day in your May 15 newspaper and flying the POW/MIA flag.

Armed Forces Day was the first day the POW/MIA flag was flown at the State Capitol under a new state law recognizing the flag and stating that it shall be flown at the Capitol and on the grounds of the headquarters of the state Department of Defense on the following days: Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day.

Many of us in Hawai'i have loved ones who risked or sacrificed their lives or their freedom in the past, as well those who place their lives in harm's way today.

The POW/MIA flag is a constant reminder of the thousands of those brave men and women missing and unaccounted for and those who were taken prisoner. You are not forgotten.

MILILANI GRADUATION

APPALLING BEHAVIOR MARRED CEREMONY

My family and I attended the graduation of my son Christopher from Mililani High School. We were appalled by the behavior of many others who also attended the ceremony.

They booed the governor when she arrived, hollered countless expletives, yelled and screamed at the top of their lungs — generally acting like a drunken mob. They brought shame to Mililani and to the students who were being honored.

Some decorum needs to be observed lest we just start throwing people to the lions like they did in ancient Rome.

LEAF BLOWERS

JOB LOSS MEANS MORE TIME TO RAKE

I would like to respond to Sen. Mike Gabbard, who recently defended his leaf-blower legislation by stating, "That incessant noise, you've been working all week long, on the weekend you want to sleep in and all of a sudden your neighbor's blasting one of these things" (Hawaii News Now, March 9).

Sen. Gabbard, in this economy there are many people who aren't "working all week long" because they don't have jobs, but I suppose since the children don't have school on furlough Fridays, the whole family can grab a rake. Maybe the soon-to-be-unemployed landscaping folks can pitch in, too.

ENFORCE REGULATIONS ON ALL EXCESS NOISE

It is understandable that these noisy machines are not appreciated by the general public. I also see the underlying health issues and the special-interest concerns.

As one neighborhood board member said, the landscape industry supports the regulation "because they say they're getting a black eye from the mom-and-pops that operate on the weekend that have no licenses."

Let us consider, though: In the least, these leaf blowers serve a use, helping to clean one's premises. We would hope that the users just don't blow off trash, debris, etc. onto somewhere else but into a neat pile, after which they collect up and dispose of it properly.

Instead of wasting time and energy limiting the use of these machines, why doesn't the state government limit the noise pollution created by vehicles? There are many cars, motorcycles and mopeds that emit louder noises than these leaf blowers and are not limited to what time they can be noisy.

If there is an ordinance that is in effect already, then I submit that HPD start enforcing these laws for the benefit of the majority of the population, not coddle the minority.

Let's be reasonable in what is to be limited and what not.