Lingle sticker attracts handshakes and smiles
Last month my wife, who has never been active in politics or local government affairs, volunteered to help out at Linda Lingle headquarters. I am very pleased with my wife's involvement with the "Lingle for Governor" campaign.Being an active Realtor in a very depressed real estate market, the best thing I could offer was to paste a "Lingle for Governor" bumper sticker on my leather brief case. Would you believe that, with this Lingle banner on my brief case, many people now smile at me and shake my hand? This may even lead to a sale! Forward with Linda Lingle!
Robert M. Lowe
Candidate is politicizing need for Kapolei schools
I am distressed that Kapolei middle and high schools have become a political issue. Our communities (Makakilo, Kapolei and Honokai Hale/Nanakai Gardens) have been working hard to get these schools built so our children will no longer have 10-12 mile bus rides to and from school.This whole issue regarding the school construction contracts not being put out to bid, and the accusation that Governor Cayetano awarded them unfairly to his good friend, is ridiculous.
Everything was done in an entirely legal manner through legislation approved by six legislative committees, and passed unanimously by the entire Legislature. There was nothing secret about any of this.
If Republican candidate Linda Lingle can get our schools built cheaper and faster, let her come forward and say so, and also identify the company that can do it. Otherwise, she should stop using our schools and our children as a political hammer to win an election.
Jane A. Ross
Kapolei
UH-Manoa needs the money, not new West Oahu campus
Due to deep budget cuts by the Cayetano administration, the University of Hawaii is in severe crisis. Vacancies go unfilled, programs and courses are disbanded, and classrooms and laboratories are either closed or sorely lacking in basic supplies due to these funding cuts.The entire academic infrastructure on which the university is built has been reduced to mediocrity while faculty and students leave in droves. How then is it possible for the Cayetano administration to be in "final negotiations" for a new West Oahu campus?
Funding for this campus would be better spent on making UH a world-class research institute rather than a last-ditch effort by the administration to buy West Oahu votes.
Heidi Marciel
(Via the Internet)
Income tax cut means more spendable income
Three cheers for Governor Cayetano for giving people one of the nation's biggest personal income tax cuts. While vocal critics try to minimize the significance of Hawaii's $759 million income tax cut, it turns out to be big, big, big.People should appreciate just how much Governor Cayetano has done to put us back on the road to economic recovery.
Gilbert C. Doles
Political blood-lust and deceit
This case isn't about sex, but integrity of president
The vast majority of people seem willing to forgive President Clinton's transgressions. They are missing the point.This isn't really about a man cheating on his wife, which is, while disgusting, a private matter. This is about the integrity of the leader of the free world.
This situation begs the question, what else is he lying to us about. Can we believe him when he says we will prevent Iraq from having weapons of mass destruction? Can world leaders believe him? I don't believe he can be trusted.
He blames Ken Starr for his troubles and for costing the taxpayers millions of dollars, but the blame is clearly on the president. If he had not been dishonest or misleading in his testimony there would be no investigation. If he had simply told the truth or taken the Fifth there would be no investigation. If he had not lied to us all in January, no one would care about this at all.
Scott Cole
(Via the Internet)
Bill Clinton should resign for disgracing presidency
To forgive may be divine, but only if there is true repentance and sincere attempts at reparations. Otherwise, it simply leads to worse behavior.We cannot forgive Bill Clinton. His speech was very defiant. He is not even sorry for doing what he did. Nor is he sorry for lying about it.
Even more, he is not one bit sorry that his attack-dog supporters continue to criticize those who have been telling the truth about him all along.
Sure, there may have been some pain in his expression. But that is only regret at being caught.
Clinton has left more than an unsightly stain on a dress. He has left an even uglier stain and stench on the American presidency. Wouldn't an honorable man resign?
Leighton Loo
Mililani
Isn't president supposed to be a good role model?
We want our professional athletes to be role models in their public lives for our children. Yet regarding our chief executive officer, we compartmentalize his character flaws by rationalizing that we shouldn't be concerned about his public life if he does his job.Since our nation was founded on righteousness, in God we trust, isn't the Starr investigation more about preserving the integrity of the Constitution than about a man's presidency?
Russell Stephen Pang
Starr's relentless pursuit has harmed country
This matter could have ended at Ken Starr's office, and should have. But Starr's unlimited budget, an army of blood-thirsty lawyers, and his desire to get the president on something, even if he had to employ Cultural Revolutionary tactics, with Republican congressmen cheering him on, kept the relentless chase going.Even the dumbest among us could see no redeeming value at the end of the tunnel. It was a lose-lose-lose proposition from the outset, for everybody concerned -- except media vultures and for Ken Starr and his gang.
Since the Republican majority in Congress is apparently willing, if not eager, to support Starr's continuing witch hunt, I propose that the independent counsel's office be institutionalized. Its charter could be to conduct in-depth examinations of all newly elected senators and representatives (under oath, of course) to determine their sexual conduct for acceptability. Maybe with the knowledge that the winners would have to pass the final morality test, many would be discouraged from entering the race in the first place.
We'll have to accept the fact that many of the most capable people will never choose public service, facing such screening, but a good argument can be made that, with the media out of control, and with a Congress specializing in investigating each another, we already have mediocrity in charge.
Gene M. Leupp
(Via the Internet)
Some key interpretations of political rhetoric
Clinton says: I'm sorry, but this investigation has gone on far too long.
Interpretation: It's Starr's fault, not mine.Cayetano says: I'm not doing well with the haole vote, so I plan to concentrate on ethnic groups.
Interpretation: Haoles are prejudiced against us so we must stick together.Pechauer says: You can't trust anyone whose name begins with C.
Interpretation: It makes as much sense as the above.John Pechauer
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