Irradiation plant could cause major problems
Mayor Stephen Yamashiro and the Big Island will finally get their irradiation facility built -- or will they? I'm disappointed to learn that the mayor may have allegedly violated campaign spending rules by giving money to the pro-irradiation campaign just prior to the general election. But I guess that's politics!I know the entire state is suffering economically. However the risks posed by the facility far outweigh its potential economic benefits. An accident at the plant could create an environmental disaster or, heaven forbid, kill someone. You cannot put a dollar amount on human life.
I don't have any answers. I only hope that the elected officials and people of Hawaii County can negotiate viable alternatives. If not, God bless the Big Island.
Randal Macadangdang
Waipahu
(Via the Internet)
Natatorium would be a serious health threat
Why do we need a swimming pool at Waikiki Beach? The upkeep is going to cost the city lots of money. I went swimming at the Natatorium more than 60 years ago and every single time I got sick.I got an infection after I scratched myself on the rusty rungs. My parents said, "Do not go to the Natatorium cesspool or you will not go swimming anymore!"
I hate to think of what kind of germs are in the water there.
The best thing that can happen to the Natatorium is to pump the water out into the open ocean, far from shore. Tear down the bleachers and use them to fill in the hole. Top it off with good dirt, and plant monkeypod and coconut trees.
Build new restrooms and a large parking lot. Keep the archway honoring our World War I veterans and add to it memorials for those who fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Then the city will have a beautiful memorial park for our veterans. It will be a serene, restful place for our families to come and honor Hawaii's veterans.
John H. Smith
(Via the Internet)
Malaekahana is starting to resemble garbage dump
I have been enjoying the beach at Malaekahana for over 20 years and have noticed an increasing amount of debris obviously dumped at sea. This past weekend, one of our guests found a needle and there were several medical vials filled with a yellowish substance.Previously, we reported this medical waste to the Health Department. This negligent practice is unacceptable.
It was, however, a breath of fresh air to see the students from Kahuku out on a recent Saturday cleaning the beach.
Margaret Murchie
(Via the Internet)
Premium gasoline isn't so wonderful for cars
In his Dec. 5 letter, Barnaby Robinson would have you believe that using a grade of gasoline above that recommended by the auto manufacturer confers a benefit. Total shibai.Any money spent on an octane rating, in excess of that which inhibits knocking, goes up literally in smoke. Take that from an engineer, not "many mechanics."
It's no wonder that fuel vendors think that they can continue to gouge us for approximately 50 cents per gallon more than consumers on the mainland.
John Coleman
(Via the Internet)
Cayetano is hypocrite about rights for gays
Governor Cayetano's speech the day after the elections on the topic of domestic partnership benefits reminds me why we must keep civil rights issues with the Hawai Supreme Court.Cayetano said that he was troubled by the lack of tolerance shown in the vote to amend the Constitution to exclude the civil rights of marriage from tax-paying lesbian and gays.
How hypocritical! Wasn't Cayetano the one who said that he was in favor of "traditional marriage?" He gave the people of Hawaii the right to be intolerant and, now that he is elected, he wants to try and do the right thing.
Why didn't he stand up for what was right before the election, when it could have made a difference in the results? Because Cayetano wanted to get re-elected.
Supreme Court justices do not have to worry about being re-elected, so they are free to do the right thing. The power should stay with the court, not with politicians.
Harold Klein
(Via the Internet)
Gabbard doesn't deserve insults being thrown at him
I've known Mike Gabbard for several years now, and the hateful rhetoric that has been directed toward him from the so-called compassionate, accepting, broad-minded people -- gay and straight alike --is revolting.Those who claim to be open minded and tolerant of other people's beliefs are, in reality, only so to those who think like them. Anyone else is a horrible monster likened to Adolph Hitler and other such despicable human offal.
Our country and state have come to represent everything that's wrong in this world. To attack Gabbard or anyone else for standing up and saying, "Enough!," to the acceptance of deviance and perversion is just plain wrong.
Those of us who know Mike Gabbard have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for this man, who has stood fast and not flinched in the face of such vitriolic hatred. Would anyone else have done the same?
Patrick Mathews
(Via the Internet)
Gabbard believes in selective tolerance
Mike Gabbard's views are extreme, but sensible: Tolerate gays, but don't tolerate their having legitimate relationships. Respect the rights guaranteed to all by the Constitution, but only if they're like me. Convert every homosexual possible, because we need more votes.Hans Anderson
(Via the Internet)
Are parents so oblivious to their kids' activities?
Everyone says today's kids are bad. Well, I don't blame the kids, I blame the parents.My son's bike was stolen the weekend of Nov. 22. Some child brought that bike home. Where were the parents? Did they ask their child where he or she got it? Were they so uninvolved in their child's life that they didn't even noticed the bike?
Parents, open your eyes. If we are to have a better society, parents must teach children right from wrong. Stop making excuses and become involved in your child's life. Then I won't have to explain to my 9-year-old son when he asks, "Why didn't the kid's parents say something about the bike he or she brought home?"
Debi Bennett
(Via the Internet)
Exemplary young people are plentiful in islands
"Lucky we live Hawaii" has a real meaning for us. As we were on our way home from a concert recently, we had a tire blow-out on H-1. We managed to exit at the Manoa off-ramp.As we reached University Avenue, two young men in a VW van stopped to give us aid. In the dark, they could not see how to use our jack without scratching the side of our car, so their young lady friend loaned us her cell phone to call AAA. They refused any money for their efforts.
While we waited, at least a dozen cars, mostly driven by young people, stopped to see if they could help. Two young men in a truck set out flares to protect us from cars coming down the ramp. One young man on a bicycle asked if he could go call for help. People walking by offered cell phones.
There's so much negative news about young people today that it is great to see that aloha spirit is still strong in Hawaii.
Prudy and Bob Potter
(Via the Internet)
Communication is still important to governor
Richard Borreca's Dec. 2 column, "Cayetano's trouble getting the message across," laments a problem many elected officials find to be one of their greatest challenges: communicating with constituents through the media.It's a constant challenge to keep the public informed of numerous day-to-day and long-term government operations.
After the capitol renovation, and faced with a $250-million shortfall in 1994, the governor did shut down the "system of state information centers" that Borreca says was expensive and "critics called a patronage-filled waste of money."
But the Governor's Office has taken advantage of new tools to communicate with the public directly, including a governor's home page at http://gov.state.hi.us and an e-mail address: gov@gov.state.hi.us.
There is always room for improvement in getting our message out. We will continue to look for innovative ways of doing more with less.
Kathleen Racuya-Markrich
Press Secretary
Office of the Governor
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