One-house legislature would give us fewer do-nothing pols
A good way for the state to save money would be to adopt a unicameral legislature and reduce its size at least by half.While the federal government and many states have seen the wisdom of cutting the size of government, Hawaii continues to be dominated by a bloated public workers union that robs citizens of good schools, playgrounds, parks, bikeways, libraries, the ability to protect the environment, etc.
Local politics has neither the wisdom of successful mainland examples such as Atlanta and Cleveland, where people of vision came together to improve the quality of life, nor the fire of Asian politics where the passion of its members frequently erupts into fighting during sessions.
No, Hawaii politics is more like a meeting of dull-witted zoo pigeons, who just walk around gobbling up everything that the federal government and taxpayers give them.
What the people of Hawaii get back is the same thing that pigeons leave wherever they gather.
Jennifer Tiare
Ewa Beach
Why must HVCB grovel for money year after year?
Every year, it's the same story. The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau people have to always ask for more money from the Legislature to market Hawaii. It almost seems like they are begging.I don't understand. If millions of dollars are generated from the hotel tax that is charged to hotel guests, why shouldn't the money go back to the visitor industry?
Everyone knows that Hawaii survives off tourism. Everyone is somehow affected by the people who visit our islands. If the visitor count dropped dramatically, a lot of people would be out of jobs.
If this is such a critical part of our economy, shouldn't we do our best to make sure our islands shine?
I support the Governor's Economic Revitalization Task Force. Its members are headed in the right direction with their recommendations regarding the visitor industry and how we should market Hawaii.
Since tourism is our economic foundation, we need to give it support to keep it strong.
Thelma T. Shimomura
Pearl City
Aloha spirit is dying and we are killing it
On Maui, a newspaper advertisement for the "Rusty Harpoon" reads, "Come, eat, drink and laugh at the tourists." Scout's honor!On Kauai, the murder trial of Monica and Mitchell Peralto, who killed Kimberly Cohen, produced four eyewitnesses who watched the defendants beat, bind, gag, tape a blanket over her head and torso, and dump her in the back seat of a car before driving away. Her body was found the next day.
While she was being beaten, one witness said, "Stay out of it, she deserved it." Another said, "I honestly didn't think they were going to kill her." Am I the only one who believes these three witnesses should be arrested as accessories?
Whether it's a case of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau cracking down on really disgusting treatment of tourists, or the judiciary giving these people a slap on the wrist, we can all say we are guilty of killing the aloha spirit.
So let's hear it again: Alooooha!
Elsie D. Hollingsworth
Pearl City
Monsignor was best friend of cancer research center
On Jan. 19, the University of Hawaii's Cancer Research Center lost a dear friend and advocate.For more than a decade, Monsignor Charles Kekumano actively supported the research efforts of the center, initially as an advisory board member and, most recently, as president of the board of the Friends of the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.
Retirement was not a state of mind or behavior that the monsignor, an energetic and giving individual, chose to practice. Fortunately, the cancer center was one of the organizations blessed by his interest and commitment.
Over the years, the monsignor served as an adviser to the director of the cancer center, as an ambassador to the community and as educator of the public about the importance of the cancer research conducted in Hawaii.
Because of his sincerity and conviction, Monsignor Kekumano was able to influence friends and colleagues to lend their support through volunteer service or financial contributions.
On behalf of the faculty and staff of the center, I would like to acknowledge the monsignor's generosity. We will sorely miss his extraordinary humanity, boundless optimism and infectious wit.
Dr. Brian F. Issell
Director
Cancer Research Center
of Hawaii
Marines learned about sea from the late Rell Sunn
I first arrived in Hawaii in 1987 as a young Marine at Kaneohe. During the initial checking process, one of the first things the Marines had me do was watch a video called "Ho 'ike i ke kai" (to understand the sea).It was narrated by an attractive, articulate water safety officer and professional surfer named Rell Sunn. In subsequent years, when individual Marine units conducted annual safety refresher training, we would view this video again.
Rell warned us that a large number of drowning victims in Hawaii were service members and visitors to the islands. She taught us about rip currents, dangerous shore breaks, the strength of the waves and sea creatures that sting and bite.
Over the years, I learned more about Rell Sunn, the queen of Makaha. I was impressed by her contributions to the community and inspired by her spirit during her fight against cancer.
Among her many great accomplishments, she was the spokesperson who, for many years, gently warned Kaneohe Marines that the "ocean is as dangerous as it is beautiful."
Brad Morriseau
Ewa Beach
Frightening ramifications of human cloning exist
Are you ready for this? An independent scientist plans to attempt human cloning. Can people imagine a carbon copy of themselves?For some, it would raise ethical questions. What if something goes wrong? What will happen if there is a mutation? We are trying to play God and, to some people, this might be troubling.
Someone I know pointed out something beneficial from cloning. Organ transplants would be easier if the organs were exact copies. However, this would also raise questions. Would it be ethical to make clones just to harvest organs?
Personally, I see no real value in human cloning.
Ryan Ohta
William Yap should have UH hall named after him
If Porteus Hall is renamed, I suggest the name of the founding father of the University: William Kwai-Fong Yap. According to an elucidating article in a recent issue of the UH alumni newsletter, "Kapili," Yap was the driving force and spokesman for Hawaii's parents pushing for a university.Local-born and widely traveled, he used his knowledge of the island's booming economy and the Territory's financial growth to create a plan that would convert the College of Agriculture and Engineering into a university. He met with Dr. Arthur Dean, president of the college, and W.R. Farrington, chairman of the board of regents, to present his proposal.
He gathered petition signatures from individuals and influential kamaaina families. The impressiveness of the signed petitions convinced the Legislature.
Doesn't Yap deserve to have a building named after him? Perhaps that would also add to racial balance and peace.
Loretta J. Wells
Hawaii needs fiscal relief that gaming could provide
Governor Cayetano says that a statewide lottery would not generate enough money to make it worthwhile. That may be true. What we need is a combination of gaming elements to make it feasible.Besides the lottery, we should consider state-regulated slot and video poker halls. A lot of successful Native American gaming entities allow only these types of games on their reservations. There should be no "hard-core" table-type, dice or card games. Shipboard casinos and horseracing are other areas we can consider.
It is time for our elected officials to step up and legalize "soft-core" gaming in Hawaii. We need the fiscal relief it will bring, now!
Steven T.K. Burke
Pearl City
Glenn's return to space brings back fond memories
As a retired U.S. Navy fighter pilot, I couldn't be happier that John Glenn - retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel, naval aviator and America's first astronaut to orbit the Earth - is returning to space.Why does Glenn, 76, want to be an astronaut again? Why did another former aviator, President Bush, 73, make a parachute jump last summer?
You don't ask why; you just do it because you can.
Thirty-six years ago, I was asked to brief the people of Hawaii on Glenn's orbits when I was space operations officer for the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm. "Savey" Sides. My job was to be the Navy's "expert" on all space operations anywhere in the world.
I remember when one of our helicopters, operating off of U.S. Navy ships, recovered the very first U.S. non-manned satellite after it orbited Earth. It was a "spy" satellite, of course, but it was still quite a thrill.
By the time of Glenn's flight, several years later, our recovery system was much more sophisticated. But none of us were ready for the fireball encompassing Glenn's Friendship 7 vehicle during its re-entry.
John Glenn, as do the majority of men and women in the military, did the job he was trained to do, and did it right.
Walt Decker
Commander
U.S. Navy (Retired)
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Bishop Estate Archive
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