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Friday, July 17, 1998

Wedding chapel isn't wise use of estate

The zoning for the Bayer Estate should not be changed to use it as a wedding chapel. It should remain strictly residential. If weddings are to be held, then the Calvary Church could be utilized.

The owners of the property are trying to capitalize on the beautiful neighborhood. I have surfed in that neighborhood for many years and would hate to see it change for the worse.

Mike Batten
(Via the Internet)

Alcohol hurts society more than illegal drugs

Nothing gets attention better than loaded words in headlines: rape, murder, incest, drugs, etc., which is why most newspapers employ them generously. Sometimes the content of the article elaborates on the titillating lure. Frequently, however, readers finds themselves baited.

A classic example is your June 29 front-page story, "Drugs played a heavy role in Hawaii's murder cases." On further reading of the report, it turns out that alcohol is the real culprit, associated with 30.9 percent of offenders, while "other drugs" account for only 6.9 percent.

What puzzles me is why your headline starts with the word "drugs" rather than "alcohol"? Is it because drugs has a zingy ring to it? Or could it be that the copy editor correctly includes alcohol as a drug?

I am disturbed that your newspaper continues to take every opportunity to sensationalize and demonize illegal drugs, instead of educating people about them, while running paid advertisements for the most toxic and harmful drug of all -- alcohol.

Donald M. Topping
President
Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii
(Via the Internet)

Marijuana poses least danger of all abused substances

Thank you for your excellent June 29 front-page article, "Drugs played a heavy role in Hawaii's murder cases." I hope all of your readers went on to page A-6 to find out that alcohol was the most important of these drugs. Thus your headline should have actually been, "Alcohol and other drugs played a heavy role in most crimes of violence."

According to Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlisle, the most dangerous drug in Honolulu has been, is now and will always be alcohol. In second place is crystal methamphetamine or ice. On the other hand, the least dangerous substance is marijuana. This medicinal herb is often associated with peaceful behavior, but is now worth more than gold and thus prone to cause arguments and fighting over money.

When will our drug laws stop being a trade war and reflect their true relationship to violence?

Wally Bachman
(Via the Internet)

Convention center is beautiful -- and empty

I drove by the Hawaii Convention Center the other day. Guess what? The escalators inside the imposing glass walls were still. The chains blocking the driveway were fulfilling their intended purpose. The center's giant sculpture watched as traffic flowed all around, with only an occasional passer-by peering in to see an empty building.

I'm no rocket scientist, but if this building is to live up to all its promise and hype, shouldn't people be using it? At least the rusting Aloha Stadium and the joke of a softball stadium, despite their obvious imperfections, are being used.

Has anyone thought about what this state would be like if our politicians had even a semblance of competence? We can only hope.

Mark Middleton
Kapolei
(Via the Internet)

ERTF members should openly support Lingle

Some months ago, Governor Cayetano assembled people to help him solve the state's serious economic problems. This group, the Governor's Economic Revitalization Task Force came up with plans and programs it believed would help.

Many members were community leaders who made their commitment weeks before Maui Mayor Linda Lingle announced her plans to seek the governor's post. Anyway, people on this task force honored their commitment to the governor and declined -- then and now -- to actively support Lingle. It's a sad case of misjudgment.

Now that the Legislature has adjourned, and its members and the governor have failed miserably to solve the state's economic problems, is it not time for members of the task force to support Lingle, openly and financially?

After all, their commitment to the governor ended with the adjournment of the legislative session. The lesson they should have learned is that they cannot change the system. They can only tinker with it and that is not enough.

James M. Greenwell
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Lingle should admit she broke ethics rules

I was shocked to read the response that the Linda Lingle campaign gave when it was caught breaking the ethics rules: "It was a clerical error." Give me a break. I would have had more respect for them had they taken the matter more seriously.

Ethics violations go to the heart of a candidate and his or her character, and should never be cast off as no big deal.

Trying to switch attention away from Lingle's ethics violations by throwing the UH softball stadium problems into the mix was very childish. Bait-and-switch tactics are not becoming.

Jack Manegdeg

Use of fireworks has grown out of control

Fun at the expense of others -- a theme of the '90s -- is evident here.

This was the loudest Fourth of July ever. Each year the noise from fireworks gets worse. Where will it end? Does anyone care? Which of our "leaders" has the guts to say that the risk of personal injury and property damage is greater than we are any longer willing to assume?

I expect that by New Year's Eve 1999, the use of fireworks will be further out of control. My fear is that in each successive year, the use of these "toys" will continue to encroach on my right to spend a quiet holiday evening.

Beverly Van Horne
Kailua
(Via the Internet)

Curiosity about freeway's highly touted zipper lane

I applaud the Department of Transportation's commitment to alleviating traffic congestion for Oahu motorists. The zipper lane will, if implemented correctly, give valuable time back to those caught in the horrendous rush-hour traffic.

I do have a few observations/questions, however, before it opens in August:

1. The zipper will reward those people traveling with three or more passengers. While I agree that high-occupancy vehicles reduce the volume of cars on the highways, there are many self-employed people who need to use their cars on a daily/hourly basis. In their case, it would be impossible to have other passengers in their cars on their commutes.

2. When the zipper opens, will the other carpool lane (two or more passengers) no longer exist?

3. What is the rush to close the zipper at 8 a.m.? Why not have the lane open for HOVs from 5-8 a.m, and then open it up for all drivers from 8-10 a.m.? At least the HOVs would benefit for a few hours, and the general populace would benefit, too.

4. Finally, what arrangements have been made should there be an accident or stalled vehicle in the zipper lane?

Kauanoe Eldredge
Waipahu
(Via the Internet)

Capitol punishment would negate need for prison

Regarding the governor now wanting to build another Kulani prison on the Big Island: I'm sure a few people (maybe more) would really be upset by this suggestion, but here goes: If we brought back the death sentence for convicted murderers, we wouldn't need a new prison facility at all.

B.K. Hill

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