Did Bartels fulfill his job responsibilities?
In the current controversy over the Iolani Palace, no mention has been made in the media about two very important roles of museum personnel:
The curator, as I understand it, is responsible for the inventory of the collection and to keep the collection in order. Further, the curator must be published.
The collection at Iolani Palace is a fine one, but it has always bothered me that the symbols of Hawaiian royalty, the kahili, are conspicuously absent from the palace. Where are they? The most venerable symbol of our alii should be appropriately displayed there.
While the thrones are symbols of King Kalakaua, they are European in origin, not Hawaiian. I don't make light of the fact that the thrones must be preserved, but wonder if the current controversy is not so much over that issue, than whether former managing director Jim Bartels fulfilled the requirements of the positions he held.
Robin Williams Makapagal
Kaneohe
HSTA members, leaders at odds over endorsement
The Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) is on the horns of a dilemma. Following the Cayetano, Fasi and Lingle gubernatorial interviews, the HSTA sent out 8,000 ballots to its members. Of the 2,000 returned, 85 percent were for Lingle.Since this result was not what the union hierarchy wanted, they phoned 600 teachers who did not return their ballots, to ask what their votes would have been. Ninety- five percent said Lingle.
Now what? This is still not what the union bosses needed in order to give their endorsement to Cayetano, so they resorted to stalling until after the primary or to not endorse any candidate.
Endorsements from unions obviously do not always reflect the views of their members. But for the HSTA to arbitrarily disregard an almost unanimous opinion from their members goes against even common sense.
Pam Smith
Ewa Beach
Outdoor Circle should support freedom of speech
In striking down an ordinance that attempted to completely prohibit political yard signs, the U.S. Supreme Court said in 1994 that posting political signs is "a venerable means of communication that is both unique and important" and that is plays "an important part in political campaigns."So I say to the Outdoor Circle: Support free speech. Campaign signs are the most visible evidence of the revitalization of democracy in Hawaii, a revitalization that holds the promise of improving the quality of life for all Hawaii's citizens, including the members of the Outdoor Circle!
Elect legislators who care about this quality of life and the beautiful environment that we must all share.
Cindy Rasmussen
Judges must stop coddling criminals
Hello? Judge Michael Town granted early release to a man convicted of assault, kidnapping and several sexual assaults so he can take care of his 1-year-old daughter. What are these judges thinking when they release violent men in order for them to "care" for their kids?Being a single parent is tough; being a single parent caring for a toddler is even tougher. Throw in no parenting skills, and an obvious problem managing anger and stress, and it's a recipe for disaster.
We have to get away from the archaic thinking that the birth parent is best suited to care for a child. Children born into dysfunctional families with violent parents need to be placed with foster families until the birth parents are able to demonstrate they are capable of caring for them. In some cases, this may never happen.
We have got to come to our senses and start doing what is best for the children.
Helen Gibson Ahn
Tape-delay sports events don't cut it these days
For the true sports fan, there is nothing like watching sports live and in person. The next best thing is watching sports, live, on TV. In this day and age, tape-delay just doesn't provide the same feeling.What true fan would have wanted to experience Mark McGwire's 62nd home run four hours after the fact? Fortunately, one of the local networks that does broadcast live sports showed McGwire's game.
Showing live sports makes use of current technology. Showing tape-delayed sports turns a network into a VCR.
I hope that, someday, Monday Night Football and the NBA playoffs/finals will be shown live to the whole state. In the meantime, mahalo to KHON and KGMB for broadcasting live sports.
Scott Aikau
Estate aids thousands of college students
I was dismayed by Bill Erler's letter (Star-Bulletin, Sept. 5) condemning Bishop Estate. Erler criticizes the estate out of utter ignorance.Bishop Estate in fact does pay and has paid for years the tuition and books for thousands of students of Hawaiian ancestry at the University of Hawaii-Manoa and other institutions of higher learning around the globe.
I should know -- the estate has paid my tuition and books in full for three years, while the University of Hawaii has never contributed a dime.
Heidi Marciel
(Via the Internet)
People certainly have right to voice their protests
I must respond to economist Leroy Laney's mean-spirited comments about citizens who oppose certain economic ventures on the Big Island (Star-Bulletin, Sept. 3), as well as my disappointment in your newspaper for publishing them. Pros and cons of economic proposals should be debated in a professional manner. There is no place in Hawaii for bigotry.For the record, more than a handful of "hippies" and a pro bono attorney have opposed inappropriate economic development on the Big Island. Hundreds of people from all walks of life have opposed projects such as geothermal energy development in Puna, the Oji timber proposal in Hamakua and the proposed prison in Kau.
Opponents include affected community members, newcomers, locals, native Hawaiian practitioners, farmers, fishers, hunters, environmentalists, health professionals, scientists, government employees and elected officials.
In Laney's opinion, it's OK for corporate America to use the legal system to protect its interest. But when the public does the same, it's anti-economy.
Such name-calling and mischaracterizations of Big Island controversies contribute nothing to the critical issue at hand: diversifying and improving the state's economy in an environmentally and culturally sensitive manner.
Marjorie Ziegler
Kaaawa
Trash collectors rush to finish their work
I was standing in the yard on Labor Day, when the refuse truck screeched up; driver in a hurry. Unfortunately, he overshot our driveway and the mechanical arm wouldn't pick up the bin.The driver had three choices: back the truck up, get out and move the bin, or hit the accelerator.
As he zoomed up and emptied the next bin, the driver saw me watching him. There was still time to back up and empty my bin. Instead, he gave me a look of, what, disgust? Disdain? And then he sped away to the cold brew and TV football waiting at the end of his route.
And why not? If I complained, would he still get his golden overtime for working on a holiday? You bet! Would he still get his next pay raise? Sure, it's not based on merit. If his supervisor tried to discipline him, would the union hire lawyers and put the city through months of hearings and appeals to protect him? Of course.
The lesson of this Labor Day is that we should elect leaders who will take on the union bosses and push for performance-based compensation to reward the achievers, and to send the selfish and uncaring to early retirement or other jobs. For too long, it's been the other way around.
Nathan Sult
(Via the Internet)
Beautiful building makes banking pleasant
Call me superficial, but one of the reasons I am proud to be a First Hawaiian Bank customer is what A.A. Smyser wrote about in his Sept. 8 column ("First Hawaiian Bank's attractive buildings").The sophisticated design, elegant interiors and tasteful artwork at the bank's Main Banking Center and its new Moiliili-University branch are hard to ignore and easy to appreciate.
Making deposits, meeting with my financial consultant or setting up new accounts are no longer drawn-out tasks; it is an opportunity to admire the thoughtful consideration put in to the building's design. FHB has demonstrated a commitment to its customers by the innovativeness employed in its archictecture.
I join Smyser in applauding FHB for providing a breath of fresh air to passersby and, especially to its customers.
Cliff H. Kai II
(Via the Internet)
New aquarium would draw more than tourists
Any proposal that provides multiple benefits to Hawaii's economy should be high on our agenda. A new world-class aquarium would provide an additional reason for tourists to come to Hawaii.In the short run, it will provide construction and architectural jobs. In the long run, it will also provide research facilities to further develop this state into fertile ground for marine research.
Sea Life Park and Waikiki Aquarium are small and undersized when compared to similar facilities worldwide. Since the economy is down, now is the time to do something to boost it. At the same time, we will improve Hawaii's attractiveness both in terms of tourism and research.
Alan Kwan
(Via the Internet)
President is a political, not moral leader
Bill Clinton's personal conduct is disappointing and hurtful to those involved, but it is not surprising. As one columnist wrote, we knew he had a zipper problem when we elected him. However, we chose him to be the political leader of the country, not the moral leader.Frankly, the presidency is simply that -- the position of political leadership in the nation. Our pretense that is it anything more than that is simply a misperception.
Because of the power of the office, we have believed that only individuals extraordinary in all ways can fill the position.
However, we might well be reminded that even the great men in history were simply ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances.
Peter Bianchi
Ken Starr should repay taxpayers for investigation
Whitewater, nada. Filegate, zip. Travelgate, zilch. So, after four years and $40 million, Republican Ken Starr -- to save face -- blows another $4.4 million. For what? To uncover what cheating husbands and wives have done from time immemorial -- lying like a dog to hide indiscretions.Starr, politics' new Larry Flynt, chose to place salacious sexual detail in the main body of his report, rather than in an appendix, where it could have been shielded from public view. This was an unnecessary but an apparently conscious act by him to inflame public opinion, justice be damned.
Clinton's behavior is sad, but efforts to politicize the impeachment process are reprehensible and a terrible embarrassment to all Republicans. Thank goodness for Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.
Rick Klemm
Kailua
Clinton presidency is threat to women's rights
Americans foolishly dally at the precipice of degeneracy when they allow their president to be above the law. Where are the hypocritical feminists crying sexual harassment? Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was almost lynched for unproven innuendoes in comparison to the kinky sex-capades in the "Oral" Office.The battle cry of true Americans, especially women, should be "Paula Jones and Kathleen Willey!" They were sexually harassed by "the King" and could find no one to believe them or help them.
When the American people and news media protect a lying, lawless sexual predator, no woman is safe anywhere in this country.
Betty Jean Anderson
Ewa
GOP is hypocritical about persecuting liars
I am appalled and outraged at the Republican Party. Using their attack dog named Starr, the Republicans are trying to tear America apart. They have stooped to the level of peeping Toms and voyeurs, and are now trying to remove our elected president because he has had stupid affairs and has lied about them. So what!In case the Republicans haven't noticed, the same people who have killed millions of Americans and who are right now addicting our children to tobacco have been lying to Congress and all of America for the last 30 years. Just before the Republicans peeked into the president's sex life, several tobacco CEOs stood before the nation and perjured themselves. Yet what have Republicans done about that? Nothing.
If the Republicans really hate to be lied to, why don't they take on the tobacco killers? Because they need to protect the tobacco lobby, which powers their financial engine. The Republicans are mad as hell at the president because he and other Democrats have done something to stop tobacco.
Linda Lingle, wake up. What is a nice person like you doing with the Republicans, anyway?
Kai Tonner
Chinese calendar forewarned president
The year of the Tiger is known to a be very exciting, yet tumultuous year. While comparing the misfortunes of President Clinton, does anyone remember that President Nixon's downfall culminated in the year of the Tiger?Does anyone wonder why the stock market has been such a roller coaster ride all year, or why Mark McGwire, the New York Yankees and baseball in general are having a terrific year?
We all tend to forget the prophecy at the beginning of the new year and marvel at it when we review what has happened now that we nearing the late stages of the year.
Of course we could have done without the tragedies, but at least we all have next year, the Year of the Rabbit, to look forward to when things should be calmer.
Bill Chee
Kaneohe
(Via the Internet)
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