Drugs aren't more deadly
than alcohol, tobacco

Thank you for two very interesting letters about drug policy in your Oct. 4 issue. Tracy Ryan added to your article about Judge Gray's recent appearance where he described the drug war as a failure. She advocated reform, including the legalization of marijuana.

Sandra Lacar's letter claimed that "500,000 people die needlessly from drugs, alcohol and tobacco." Unfortunately, the executive director of the Coalition For a Drug-Free Hawaii implies that drugs are more of a problem than alcohol or tobacco.

Actually, more than 400,000 Americans die each year from tobacco, over 100,000 literally drink themselves to death, and about 10,000 fall victim to illegal drugs (which are often adulterated or tainted). There is no record of any deaths from medical complications due to smoking marijuana.

The evidence supports Tracy's conclusion that our constitutional rights to private property are being violated by people who systematically distort the dangers of marijuana to continue their government subsidies.

The Rev. Dennis Shields
Captain Cook, Hawaii
(Via the Internet)

Only two big companies
will profit from tunnel

Your Oct. 10 editorial on Barbers Point Harbor again points out the inconsistences of spending $240 million to build a tunnel to replace the bridge to Sand Island.

Matson and Sealand are the only containerized shippers on Sand Island and would be the only beneficiaries of an additional exit through Kalihi channel.

While Barbers Point Harbor goes begging for improvements in infrastructure, U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie and state Director of Transportation Kazu Hayashida extol the necessity to improve the "efficiency" of Honolulu Harbor by building a quarter-of-a-billion-dollar tunnel under the ocean to Sand Island.

This would only improve the bottom line of Matson and Sealand and do nothing to relieve congestion in the harbor and competition among the containerized shippers in Hawaii.

Pam Smith
Ewa Beach

The Jones Act helps
protect jobs, economy

There has been much misleading information published recently concerning the Jones Act and its effect on Hawaii. The Jones Act is a vital law, which protects our economy as well as our national security.

First, the Jones Act protects jobs for Hawaii. Without it, foreign shipping corporations would quickly take over and displace our workers with lower-paid crews, who are forced to work and live in grossly inadequate conditions.

Second, and very importantly, the Jones Act helps to maintain what is left of the U.S. Merchant Marine. These assets are strategically important to the defense of our nation, providing the critical logistics link necessary for the forward deployment of our forces in case of military action.

The lies about the Jones Act blocking sources of great economic prosperity for Hawaii are much like the lies that General Motors published in support of NAFTA. GM told Americans what a great opportunity NAFTA would provide by opening markets for American products. Then with the way clear, GM and other corporations like them laid off tens of thousands of American workers and moved their plants to Mexico and other countries, where they could pay a fraction of American wages.

Senator Inouye and Congressman Abercrombie understand the truth about the Jones Act. They know it would be easier for them to give up defending the act, but they are also aware of the damage that would do to Hawaii and the nation. That's why they defend it.

Ken Armstrong
Kailua
(Via the Internet)

Hawaii doesn't need
another university

A recent letter called for a world-class university supported by the proceeds of the Bishop Estate. Perhaps thought should be given to what is called for in the princess' will.

Article Thirteen bequeaths the proceeds of most of her estate to support the Kamehameha Schools for Hawaiian children (all Hawaiian children, I might add, not just native Hawaiian children as is so often stated).

In that article, she says, "I desire my trustees to provide first and chiefly a good education in the common English branches, and also instruction in morals and in such useful knowledge as may tend to make good and industrious men and women; and I desire instruction in the higher branches to be subsidiary to the foregoing objects."

She later provides, "I also direct that my said trustees shall have the power to determine to what extent said school shall be industrial, mechanical, or agricultural."

Hawaii has both state and private colleges in abundance. There is no compelling need to develop a star competitor. If the thought is that it would be a star college exclusively for native Hawaiians, that would be a violation of the will.

Wouldn't it be better to develop a level of education, above that now provided for in the high schools, that would prepare children for the real world which will be awaiting them, otherwise untrained, after graduation?

This would be fulfilling her wish as specifically stated in her will. Computer programming, trade skills, nursing, police work are just a few areas that come to mind.

Douglas A. Russell
(Via the Internet)

It's time for trustees
to face the consequences

What a courageous person Margery Bronster is. She is profoundly holding her ground.

Superb is Governor Cayetano's opinion that the justices of the Supreme Court, who now select the estate trustees, should remove themselves from such an appeal. There's enough bureaucracy and hanky panky.

It's time to clean house, trustees. You've erred and made it your business to squander Princess Pauahi's riches (land). Now you will suffer the consequences.

Ruth Kahaawinui MacDonald
Pearl City

Who is McCorriston
representing anyway?

I am increasingly confused by Bishop Estate attorney McCorriston. Although probably a talented lawyer (undoubtedly reflected in his costs to the estate), he seems totally ineffective. I suspect this is more attributable to the hopelessness of the trustees' situation than his abilities.

His comment that the AG is after two trustee heads comes over as lame. If there have been no improprieties, they should have nothing to fear. What puzzles me is whom he actually represents: the estate, as he asserts, or the trustees?

Assuming the former, if McCorriston is privy to wrongdoings by individual trustees, but vigorously defends them rather than acting in the interest of the estate, would this constitute some type of breach on his part? If McCorriston is violating his legal obligations to the estate, I hope the AG's headcount goes up one.

Another puzzler: Why would any of the minutes from the board meetings be affected by attorney-client confidentiality? The trustees' private legal business has no place at these meetings.

William Blackwell
(Via the Internet)

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Bishop Estate Archive

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Bishop Estate Archive

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