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Remove funding from contemptuous OHA

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is seeking to circumvent the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Rice vs. Cayetano case by asking the state Legislature to transmogrify OHA into a private entity.

The problem is OHA is still leeching off the Admissions Act Section 5(f) land trust revenues, which are limited to the betterment of the conditions of native Hawaiians as defined in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920.

Yet, for 20 years, OHA has failed to better the conditions of Hawaiians, who are still dying on the Hawaiian Homes waiting list. OHA has also failed to understand that it was created by the state.

Asking the Legislature to change OHA's name and attempting to disguise it as an independent sovereign entity will not change the fact that OHA was created by the state.

The Section 5(f) revenues should be taken away from OHA and used to better the conditions of native Hawaiians. The money should not be used by those who demonstrate utter contempt for the Supreme Court and the letter of the law.

Emmett E. Lee Loy
Attorney Wailuku, Maui

Certain areas merit nicer landscaping

Isn't it a shame government uses different benchmarks for East and West Oahu when it comes to the beautification of improved public roadways?

Case in point: When Kalanianiole Highway in East Honolulu was widened, someone obviously felt landscaping was a high priority. However, it seems the widening of Kamehameha Highway fronting Waikele and Waipio Gentry, and the newly built Mililani H-2 interchange, were improvements warranting no consideration to landscaping whatsoever.

Instead of a raised medial strip with beautiful greenery on Kamehameha, like on Kalanianaole, the state has painted wide yellow lines in the middle of the highway. As for the new Mililani interchange, the landscape includes greenery no higher than blades of grass.

Joseph Coconate

War on drugs isn't working

In Hawaii, the majority of people in prison are there for using, selling, buying or stealing to buy drugs. It is hard to imagine that our society would be worse off if all drug laws were abolished.

We came to our senses with alcohol. We allow people to slowly kill themselves with nicotine. But whoever heard of someone breaking into a house to steal a TV to get money to buy cigarettes?

If marijuana, heroin, ice and all the rest were legal and cheap, the only ones being hurt would be those who choose to hurt themselves. Then we can begin to face the more difficult issue of why so many of us are in so much pain, that any anesthetic will do.

Steve Katz
Kailua

Quotables "Corporate deceit and ground water contamination did not begin, nor does it end, in Hinckly, Calif." Erin Brockovich CONSUMER-RIGHTS CRUSADER AND SUBJECT OF A MOVIE STARRING JULIA ROBERTS Whose current work includes a lawsuit over allegations of tainted water in Central Oahu "I take a 6-foot ladder, stand right on top and I'm still not as tall as my plant." Reggie Kirkman HOBBYIST GARDENER FROM WAIANAE Proud of his 11-foot-tall collard green, deemed to be the world's biggest by the Guinness Book of World Records

Occasional rock slides are no big deal

So the state has decided to protect us from the "dangerous" road around Waimea Bay. After how many years -- 10, 20, 50?

Rocks fell there all the time yet we still used Kamehameha Highway. We should be able to drive on it at our own risk, until the state is ready to execute its plan.

Richard Parnell
Sunset Beach

Innovative ways to deal with blocked highway

Top 10 ways to deal with the North Shore road closure:

10. Do nothing.

9. Ask the Hawaii Legislature to take action (equivalent to No. 10).

8. Build H-4 freeway to bypass the road closure.

7. Conduct a lottery to guess the next major rock fall; the state's portion goes to clean it up and repair the road.

6. Since Kauai has its Fern Grotto for weddings, let Oahu have its Rock Fall Court for divorces. Survivor takes all.

5. Bring in the California Highway Department's Malibu Division to get the job done.

4. Detonate the unstable rock formation with the tons of confiscated fireworks.

3. Invite the Makua Valley artillery units in for target practice.

2. Let the Navy and Marines stage an amphibious landing with the unstable rock face as the designated target.

1. Permit the "Baywatch" film crew to blow up the rocks, as David Hasselhof drives along Kamehameha Highway in the season's final episode.

Richard Criley

Road is good for cars but what about nature?

Has anyone considered how building a temporary road at Waimea Bay is inflicting environmental damage to the sand dunes, the vegetation and the wildlife, regardless of how small they are?

Andre Nurman

HB1237 would curtail aerial fireworks

Aerial fireworks are already illegal in the islands, yet people witness hundreds of them whizzing past their houses and even their loved ones on New Year's Eve. So how can we better prevent people from obtaining these aerials?

HB 1237 is a bill that would allow the counties to regulate fireworks. With this delegated responsibility, the state would then have an easier time preventing aerials from being circulated throughout the community.

Since aerials are very dangerous, this bill must pass. Then we'd experience a more fun and safe New Year's Eve.

Kyle Sasaoka
Kailua

Cayetano should rethink golf course plans

Before the governor spends over a million dollars removing the Ala Wai Golf Course and replacing it with one on Sand Island, the public should know how profitable the Ala Wai is. Furthermore, what is the upkeep cost of a municipal course at Sand Island? Has a survey been taken of present Ala Wai players to see how many would play at Sand Island?

I'd wager not many! Why do politicians always want to spend tax money on unnecessary moves like this, when our public schools are hurting so?

Bob Heidrich
Aiea

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