Editorials
Monday, November 2, 1998
THE Star-Bulletin's endorsements for the elections tomorrow appeared in this space over three days last week. Here is a summary: The Star-Bulletin’s
election endorsementsGovernor, Linda Lingle. First Congressional District, Gene Ward. Second Congressional District, Patsy Mink. U.S. Senate, Daniel Inouye.
Board of Education: Department 4, Francis McMillen. Department 6, Jacqueline L. Heupel. At large, John Michael Compton, Karen Knudsen and Alan Matsuda.
We also made endorsements on ballot questions, both for state constitutional and Honolulu City Charter amendments, as listed below. There is no endorsement on the first question, on the tax review commission, because the attorney general announced that it was improperly placed on the ballot and should be disregarded.
We offer these recommendations as our best judgments for your consideration. Whether you agree or disagree, please take the time to vote.
CAN it be that Waikiki sidewalks will finally be free of the plague of hand-bill distributors and solicitors promoting time-share programs? That at any rate is the hope behind the pledge by members of an association of time-share sales organizations to stop approaching pedestrians in Waikiki. Time-share solicitors
Strolling along Kalakaua Avenue in recent years has sometimes been more of an adventure than a relaxing experience. Pedestrians have had to fight off prostitutes and wend their way between tables piled high with "free speech" T-shirts. The time-share handbill people have been another nuisance.
Michael Kaplan, president of Consolidated Resorts Inc. and a spokesman for ARDA Hawaii, the Hawaii division of the American Resort Development Association, said the members, representing about 20 time-share sales businesses, agreed to operate only from official booths or licensed business premises. Kaplan noted that his company has rented booth locations only to have rival organizations solicit people right in front of them.
"I think it's been terrible," he said. "A tourist is waiting to cross the street at an intersection and gets accosted."
Kaplan said the association's members will stop all such solicitations. In a letter to Rick Egged, president of the Waikiki Improvement Association, he said, "ARDA has recognized the problems of the annoying and offensive flyer distributions, as well as the persons standing on the sidewalks hawking persons to attend sales presentations."
It's about time. The T-shirt vendors are gone, and it looks as though the time-share solicitors will follow. Now all we have to do is get rid of the prostitutes.
Published by Liberty Newspapers Limited PartnershipRupert 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
