Final thoughts on
battle for governor

Only Caucasians seem upset about election

The post election headline of your Nov. 4 issue read: "Ben...barely." Surprisingly, in a state that accounts for a diverse population, only Caucasians have been critical of Cayetano being re-elected as governor, as reflected in your letters-to-the-editor page.

Only Frank Fasi had the audacity to say, after the first printout came, that "the people of Hawaii had the good sense to know that Hawaii was not for sale to mainland people." Perhaps it's fair to assume that other ethnic groups are satisfied with and do not contradict the result of the election.

I particularly disagree with Kerry A. Krenzke's Nov. 6 letter, which accuses Cayetano of being Machiavellian in victory. Cayetano is too polished and dignified a gentleman to resort to such tactics.

Benjamin B. Velarde
Kaneohe

Hawaii would benefit from Lingle's service

The people of Hawaii need Linda Lingle in public service. Through her courage, independence and remarkable leadership skills, she overcame many obstacles and won the hearts of thousands.

This is an accomplishment attained through her positive attitude and, more importantly, through her display of unmatched dignity.

Many good things about Lingle have already been conveyed. She made a profound impact on people of diverse backgrounds. Indeed, we have found a leader and role model, especially for Hawaii's children and young adults.

Natsue Fujioka

Private-sector employees know facts of working life

"There will be changes, but not if they affect workers." Just what does Governor Cayetano think businesses do? We employ tens of thousands of workers of the highest caliber and when they perform consistently to expectation, they earn much more than their paychecks. When they don't, they can expect to lose their jobs.

How many businesses respect and regard their work force in this manner? Just pick up the yellow pages, that's how many. See all of the self-sustaining workers who will now bear the outcome of this last election.

How silly to refer to your "wake-up call," governor. It's as much as admitting that you were asleep!

Maureen B. Ko

Lingle should write a book on Democrats

Linda Lingle lost the gubernatorial election because she did not have the kanaka maoli firmly on board. That group was confused and divided by the implications of the Bishop Estate controversy.

I am sure that the 5,000 votes that could have put Lingle over the top were Hawaiians who were so busy arguing with each other about their internal affairs, they forgot to remember their best interests.

If I were Lingle, I would write a book about the entire history of the suppression of the kanaka maoli by the Democratic Party machine. It would be informed, documented and decisive. It would name names and take this story, which all longtime island residents are aware of, to a national audience.

Altogether, the book would be exactly the kind of hard-hitting, real-world account that can become a national bestseller. Its proceeds could help Lingle maintain and build her own political machine over the next four years.

Mike Keolomakapu'u Pettingill
Waipahu

Where was Koki when Lingle was losing?

As we watched the returns on election night, we noticed that Linda Lingle didn't have her running mate, Stan Koki, next to her. Why not? The whole Lingle party was centered on Lingle -- not the ticket of Lingle/Koki. Auwe!

Suzette Canyon

Shame on Cayetano for deceiving voters

I voted for Cayetano and the marriage amendment, so I'm bummed. Throughout the campaign, Cayetano said he was against same-sex marriage. Then one day after the election, he says he wants a domestic partnership law.

Any idiot knows that this is just another name for homosexual marriage. As far as I'm concerned, Governor, you betrayed 70 percent of the people who voted against legalizing homosexual marriage. Shame on you.

Mary Polly

Cayetano and Clinton have a lot in common

What good news to learn from the governor and his budget director during the last weeks of the campaign that the state has a newly found budget surplus. How marvelous for all of the taxpayers, who I assume can now expect to see tax refunds in their immediate future.

However, if the surplus turns out to be shibai, as I expect it will, please print a full-page ad. It should show a picture of the governor on one side, stating that we have a budget surplus, opposite the now infamous picture of the president of the United States wagging his finger at the American people and stating that he did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.

We all know the latter to be false. In due time, we will learn the truth of the former.

Robert M. Chapman

More years of status quo means Hawaii will suffer

The voters have spoken. Four more years of Cayetano. God help Hawaii.

Joe Sullivan

It's time to move on now that incumbent won

I have lived in Hawaii for seven years. It's a beautiful place, but I am sad to say that I plan to leave (along with many others). After the devastating outcome of the governor's race, I cannot endure four more years under the Cayetano administration.

To the people who voted to remain with the status quo, what were you thinking? You know the economy is horrible, you know that we needed change, and you had the opportunity to do just that.

However, you squandered it by buying into all of that pro-union and Democratic misinformation and propaganda.

If Cayetano and his supporters want to further drive Hawaii into the ground to support their short-sighted aims, they're not taking me with them!

Sean P. Porter

Home seems further away than ever

Congratulations to Governor Cayetano. He ran an admirable race as did Linda Lingle. However, I am very disappointed in the outcome.

I am a local boy working in Redmond, Wash., who just wed and bought a house up here. Our future did have us moving back home to raise our own family among friends and our extended families.

However, by voting for the status quo, I feel that a move back home has just been pushed out by another 10 years.

Ty Watanabe
Redmond, Wash.
(Via the Internet)

The next election is just around the corner

I can almost hear the anguished lament of those who did not win on election day. But sometimes forgotten in the despair of loss is the greatness that is America: The next election is only two years away. There will always be second chance to spread the message and bring about change.

It should be remembered that the big change in Hawaii in 1954 didn't happen overnight. There were decades of frustration under plantation owners and big business before anything significant happened in the election process.

Please understand that the next campaign began on Nov. 4. Stay on message. And remain involved in your community.

Leighton Loo
Mililani

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UH football team needs to have its curse lifted

Something must be said about UH Rainbow football. We all agree that this year has been one of the worst seasons in UH history. With being winless, one might wonder if the team has bad luck or some sort of evil curse that must be lifted.

Maybe it's time, if it's not too late, to bring in the "witch doctors" to get rid of the "evil kahuna" that this team or school has on its back. Then we can play some good football.

Allen K. "Glassman" Nakano
Waipahu

Schools chief shouldn't promise to raise SATs

The new superintendent of schools should not be evaluated on the basis of SAT test results. Why not? Because the Stanford Achievement Test is not so much an achievement test as it is an IQ test.

That explains why we have hired about a dozen superintendents on their promise to raise SAT scores, and then had to fire all of them because they were unable to do so. That explains why the tens of millions of dollars spent on programs that were supposed to increase SAT scores all failed.

The BOE reminds me of the Energizer Bunny. It just keeps on keeping on. Nothing alters its course. Its policies have resulted in the loss of millions of taxpayers' dollars, and a massive waste of time and effort, yet there is no indication that this nonsense is going to end anytime soon.

Tom Hansen
Lahaina, Maui

Simple ways to turn the economy around

Now that the election is over, our newly elected/re-elected leaders must get the state out of its economic doldrums. Here are some suggestions:

Lobby for large groups and associations to hold conventions here to maximize the use of the Hawaii Convention Center.

Increase tourist attractions similar to the Polynesian Cultural Center and Hanauma Bay. Capitalize and take advantage of our beautiful beaches and good weather. Lobby for national and international sporting events to be held here.

Propose maximum use of available lands for profitable agricultural products in place of now defunct sugar lands. Give consideration to the type of businesses which can employ displaced agricultural workers. The state should subsidize such business ventures during the early stages with low land rentals or capital. Give preference to those ventures that would produce products now being imported.

Build facilities that would make Hawaii a paradise for senior citizens.

The focus should be on creating employment, since lack of jobs is the main culprit of our economic stagnation.

Toshio Chinen
Pearl City

Burglar's sentence was not too harsh

Keoni Murray reportedly burglarized over 20 homes on Oahu. Not only did Murray steal property from these homes, he took memories, irreplaceable treasures and invaded the last place where a person can feel safe from the outside world.

Murray's supporters refer to his actions as nonviolent crimes, hoping to downplay the damage to the victims. But the loss of property is not the only result of these burglaries. Many of the victims continue to live in fear that someone may enter their homes again. They may add bars to their windows, put locks on their doors, and install home alarms. Some may move to a new home, but none will ever lose the feeling of being violated.

As for Murray's 20-year term being too severe, it has been reported that he was responsible for between 20 and 200 burglaries. Each of these convictions can carry a 10-year possible sentence, so it would seem that 20 years is fair.

Michael Correa
Kailua
(Via the Internet)

HMSA ramroded through the changes it wanted

There were many doctors at the recent HMSA membership meeting, but none could stop the "out-of-order" disease from affecting the heart and soul of HMSA.

This mutual benefit society disenfranchised its members and insulated power within its board of directors via a series of power-grabbing amendments to its constitution and bylaws. Over the objections of many concerned physicians and members, HMSA chose to bulldoze these amendments by what was a rather obvious use of its employees as human shields.

The HMSA operation may have been a "success," but more than a few member rights died.

Harris Okuda
Wahiawa

Big-business mentality has permeated HMSA

Perhaps the 600,000 members of HMSA plans would like to know why the leadership of the Hawaii Medical Association and the Health Coalition attempted to postpone the voting and shed more light on the recent measures proposed by the current HMSA board of directors.

These physicians were concerned about the lack of adequate notice to HMSA members about the meeting and changes to be made to the bylaws. They were concerned that the original HMSA partnership created in the 1940s by physicians and administrators has given way to a big-business mentality. For example, physicians are now being paid at the lowest possible level and have received notice from HMSA for another 4.5 percent pay cut for surgical procedures. Local hospitals have received notices from HMSA that future reimbursement for care will be decreased.

All the while, the surplus income that is derived by HMSA premium payments is accumulating in the millions for "investment" purposes. Members are kept happy by being informed that there won't be any premium increases for the next period.

A few physicians, like myself, were concerned enough about the proposed changes to cancel our office hours to attend the HMSA meeting to voice our concerns. Unfortunately, our voices were drowned out by those who had been recruited to attend the meeting.

Malcolm R. Ing, M.D.

Roosevelt High vets deserve recognition

Many men and women from Hawaii fought in World War II. They were in every service in every area of the war, and a large number of them were either wounded or died. They earned many medals. They were Hawaiian, Chinese, haole and every race and mixture under the sun.

One group of people who gave their lives has never had public recognition. These are the 38 classmates of Roosevelt High, whose names are on a plaque at the main entrance to the school.

I ask my fellow Americans to honor each and every one of them during this Veteran's Day week: Clyde Adams, William A. Anderson Jr., William C. Bartels, Richard F. Bickerton, Vincent Brady, Douglas S. Brier, Sidney Bush, Clarence C. Campbell, James Doyle, Ralph B. Ensminger, Stanley Franklin, Bruce Furmidge, Charles S. Frey, Ernest K. Guard, Robert Hayashi, Edward M. Henley, Henry S. Houghton, Albert S. Howard, Clifford Howard, Harvey T. Jensen, Weldmer R. Kramer, William S. Marks, Jack McCombs Jr., George Ozawa, David Redmon, Evan Redmon, Robert B. Smith, Philip F. Smithline, Allen Tilford, George Tivy, Edward F. Touhy, Wilbur R. Watkins, Park Watson, William D. Wilson and William E. Williams.

Don McDiarmid Jr.
Kailua

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