Editorials
Monday, March 30, 1998THE Senate has rejected a bid to reverse President Clinton's designation of Mexico as an effective partner in the war against drugs, but the 54-45 vote appears to be based more on prudence than an honest evaluation. Prodding Mexico to
do its part in drug warThe administration is required to recommend annually whether to certify Mexico and other countries as full partners in the drug war or find them liable for economic and diplomatic sanctions. In the case of Mexico, at least, a denial of certification could fail to produce the desired cooperation but instead result in serious damage to other aspects of U.S.-Mexican relations.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Paul Coverdell, R-Ga., sponsored the proposed denial of certification. Feinstein says she never expected to win the vote, but it was necessary to keep pressure on Mexican officials. Without the threat of decertification, Feinstein maintains, Mexico's efforts to combat drugs will not improve.
Feinstein cites State Department statistics showing that in 1996-97 heroin seizures in Mexico dropped 68 percent, methamphetamine seizures 77 percent and ephedrine -- used to make methamphetamine -- 91 percent. She charges that the drug cartels are stronger than ever and there are no arrests of cartel leaders, although "everybody knows who they are."
Some think Feinstein's tough stand on drugs will cost her Latino votes when she faces re-election in 2000. She replies that Latinos want to stem the flow of drugs as much as anyone else.
With a law on the books requiring annual recertification that foreign countries are cooperating in the war on drugs, it damages the credibility of the whole drug program when recertification is granted without justification. Feinstein deserves credit for trying to bring Congress to face reality.
RESULTS of the Star-Bulletin/NBC Hawaii News 8 poll on the state decision to spend $3.3 million to host the Miss Universe contest indicated that people didn't understand its purpose. The poll of registered voters showed 54 percent disapproved the expenditure. Opponents apparently considered it a waste of money. Miss Universe
The idea was not to give away taxpayers' money on a frivolous project when it could be better used on educational or social service programs. It was to invest in Hawaii's economy. The $3 million would make it possible to give Hawaii tourism a promotional boost worth many times more. And tourism is still the best hope to lift the economy out of stagnation.
The point isn't lost on Hawaii's Brook Lee, the current Miss Universe. She said she was shocked by the poll results. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to market Hawaii on a scale that has never been reached before, she said. It's a two-hour live telecast to 75 countries and up to 2.5 billion people.
Lee calls the contest "the World Cup of pageants" and points out that it is an honor for Hawaii to have been selected to host it. She has worked hard to bring the pageant here. She says she's "concerned that if people in Hawaii don't rally behind this cause that we're going to leave an impression out there that's not going to be good."
Brook Lee is correct. Three million dollars of state funds on the Miss Universe contest is money well spent.
THERE was a time when the Hawaii Film Studio had no tenants and critics were calling it a white elephant. Now both of its studios are being used and the producers of a television pilot program can't get in. Part of the "Fantasy Island" pilot will have to be filmed in Los Angeles, but the producer hopes to come back eventually. The program will be in location shooting on Oahu, Maui and Kauai for 10 days next month. Hawaii Film Studio
Producer Greg Prange says the Hawaii film community "was very cooperative with us, but with three pilots going on there's a little bit of a shortage."
Other projects being filmed in Hawaii are "Honolulu CRU" and "Wind on the Water" on the Big Island. "Honolulu CRU" and a Japanese company that is working on an animated feature film are using the Diamond Head studios.
The state decided to build the facility to encourage more filmmaking in the islands. It seems to be paying off.
JUST as tourism is important to Hawaii's economy, it plays an equally important role in Hawaii's neighbors in the Pacific. Last year, before the Asian economic crisis was fully felt, tourism in the Pacific islands experienced an increase of 7.5 percent, with more than 930,000 visitors. That number was surpassed in Hawaii several decades ago, but it is very important to the economies of those islands. Pacific island tourism
The Tourism Council of the South Pacific reported that traffic to the three main destinations rose by 5.85 percent to 360,000 visitors to Fiji; by 10 percent to 180,000 for Tahiti: and by 15 percent to 105,000 for New Caledonia. The main sources of tourists were Australia 190,000; New Zealand 140,000; United States, 114,000; Japan 100,000 and France 87,000.
The figures are for 12 countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Tourism in most of these countries is still in its early stages and holds promise of future growth, but that may be stalled by the economic problems in Asia. They can learn much from Hawaii's experiences, favorable and unfavorable.
Rupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor
