Letters to the Editor
Monday, May 27, 1996

Axing deputy directors is a political travesty

The City Council's move to abolish the jobs of deputy directors is apparently political and meant to embarrass the mayor. But it is the deputy directors themselves, who are all of Asian descent, who will suffer.

The flimsy reason for downsizing the executive office of the city and county is untenable because it has already been downsized. Furthermore, there is no averment regarding lack of funds.

The Fil-Am vets fought for freedom, but this freedom did not include the freedom to discriminate.

Any move in this direction will be met with force - including a discrimination suit, if necessary.
Ed Mina
President and Chairman
World War II Filipino-American Veterans,
Hawaii Chapter


City's budget looks better than first predicted

I would like to correct an error printed in the May 11 Star-Bulletin. It was incorrectly reported that Mayor Harris submitted a $1.8 billion operating budget to the City Council; when in fact, the mayor submitted a request of $1.026 billion for the operating budget for fiscal year 1997.

The operating budget proposes that 23 of the 26 agencies of the city "do more with less" which would result in saving taxpayers $24.2 million.

The article failed to mention the operating budget submitted by Mayor Harris was balanced and called for no increases in either real property tax rates or user fees.

In fact, the mayor's budget requested a 5 percent reduction in sewer fees and a 50 percent reduction of two other user fees - community gardens fees and recreational facilities attendant fees.

Subsequent to the mayor's submission of the operating budget, two important events occurred. First, the state Legislature reduced the city's contribution to the Employees Retirement System which resulted in $14.1 million in savings to the city next year.

Second, real property tax assessments were certified to be $0.8 million higher than initially estimated due to a lower number of appeals.

As you can see, the city is in a much better financial position than when the budget was submitted on March 1. More importantly, the additional financial resources now available to the city mean there is no need to curb public services or to layoff dedicated and hard-working employees. The productivity program that the city has been implementing is producing the dividends that will allow the city to operate within its means.

Malcolm J. Tom
Chief Budget Officer
City and County of Honolulu


Cullen's terminal illness needs further investigation

The release of Russell Cullen for his atrocious murder of Carolina Ching and the attempted murder of our brother, Robin Saya, is a mockery of justice. Our sympathy and regrets to the Ching family for this outrageous and lame decision.

Russell had this "six to 12 months to live" shibai terminal illiness prior to the 1993 shootings in Kukui Plaza's parking garage. Surely if counted right, Russell has outlived his doctor's and two attorneys' "death sentence" via their assessment and opinions.

We insist that there be two more physicians' verification, validation and confirmation for something of this importance in magnitude - his release.

Darlene Saya


Heco should be allowed to plug into Waialua

With all that has been said about the gloom and doom of the Waialua-Haleiwa community by the shutdown of Waialua Sugar, there is an alternative.

Keep parts of the sugar mill the way the Waipahu community did for historical preservation and allow Hawaiian Electric to build a much-needed new, high-tech electric power plant on the same site.

Give preference for training and employment to former sugar workers - during construction and after - when the plant goes into full operation.

Jerry Souza
Pearl City


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