Editorials
Friday, July 9, 1999Natatorium foes are
unreasonableFOR more than a decade, members of the Friends of the Natatorium have been pursuing full restoration of the historic but crumbling Waikiki edifice that is supposed to honor those who fought in World War I. Also supportive of this long-overdue renovation were Mayor Harris and some Honolulu City Council members.The issue: Despite Mayor Harris' decision to back down and not fully restore the Waikiki Natatorium, opponents remain unhappy and want absolutely no work done on the project.
Yesterday, after years of exhausting debate, court battles and public concern about the project's now $11.5 million cost, Harris threw in the towel. He said the administration would abandon plans to restore the Natatorium's salt-water pool and improve only the public rest-rooms and memorial facade. It was a major concession.
But there's no pleasing the Kaimana Beach Coalition, staunch opponent of the renovation. The group's attorney says his client will continue its lawsuit against the city before Circuit Judge Gail Nakatani, who is set to rule July 23 on a request for a work injunction. The coalition doesn't even want the rest-rooms fixed or any cosmetic improvements made to the archway.
This sentiment is all wet. While the entire Natatorium, including the pool, was worthy of full restoration, the mayor's decision was exceedingly generous. Most public opposition was to the reopening of the salt-water pool and possible concerns over water quality. By taking that out of the equation, this project is certainly more reasonable -- except, of course, to a few misinformed souls who believe restoration will hinder their use of Kaimana Beach.
The Natatorium is on local and U.S. Registers of Historic Places, and cannot be ruthlessly torn down. It will have to be refurbished one day and certainly deserves to be. But the longer that reality is delayed, the higher the pricetag. The Kaimana Beach Coalition should be ashamed by its obstinance.
Don’t shortchange
anti-smoking programPROCEEDS from the out-of-court settlement with the tobacco industry will be paid to the State of Hawaii for the next 25 years, but a trial in Florida is a reminder that individuals' lawsuits will remain valid throughout the country. The industry's denial that smoking causes illness and its refusal to assume blame assures continued litigation stemming from past harm. Young people still must be warned against of being drawn into the self-destructive habit.
A Florida jury found that cigarettes cause emphysema, lung cancer and other illnesses. The panel will decide next on the claim of $200 billion made in the nation's first class-action suit against the tobacco industry to go to trial. Nine plaintiffs filed the suit on behalf of as many as 500,000 Floridians suffering from tobacco-induced illnesses. They claimed that the industry deceived them about the dangers of smoking, advertised to children, hid research results and stopped further scientific research.
Other juries have reached similar conclusions recently in lawsuits brought by individuals. In February, a San Francisco jury ordered the industry to pay $51 million to a woman with inoperable lung cancer. The following month in Portland, Ore., a jury awarded $81 million to the family of a smoker who died of lung cancer. Judges reduced both awards and the verdicts are being appealed.
Meanwhile, Governor Cayetano signed into a law a bill aimed at distributing the $1.38 billion that the state will receive over the next 25 years according to the settlement between the tobacco industry and 46 states. Thanks in part to the efforts of former Attorney General Margery Bronster, who was present for the signing, Hawaii will receive an initial amount of $14.4 million and yearly payments between $38.6 million and $50.5 million thereafter.
The state attorneys general pledged in announcing the settlement last November that it created an opportunity to use the tobacco companies' money to reduce tobacco use. However, Hawaii's tobacco settlement will not be targeted solely at trying to reduce smoking. While the new law allocates 35 percent to health-related programs, including the children's health-insurance fund, and 25 percent specifically to a program aimed at curbing tobacco use, 40 percent will be deposited into a "rainy-day fund" that has nothing to do with tobacco and its dangers.
Tobacco use among teens nationwide is greater than it was five years ago, and states should be obligated to create programs that will reverse that trend.
Unfortunately, at least one-third of the states receiving funds from the settlement have chosen to spend less than 2 percent of the money on tobacco prevention efforts. Hawaii is among the states deciding to devote a significant amount to combating tobacco use.
Whether that will be enough is questionable. While individuals may continue to seek retribution in court against tobacco companies, the state should cut no corners in trying to prevent future generations from becoming addicted to nicotine. Monitoring of tobacco use among teens will determine if the amount allotted by Hawaii to discourage smoking is sufficient or will require supplements from the "rainy-day fund."
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
