Repay hurricane fund? What a laugh

I read with mirth your editorial "Borrow, don't raid, hurricane fund" (Star-Bulletin, April 1). The concept of the state borrowing funds from the Hurricane Relief Fund and then paying them back was a little to much to swallow. Then I saw state Sen. Sam Slom on an evening television news program making the following statement: "Who do they (Gov. Ben Cayetano Andy Anderson) think they are kidding -- certainly not the people of the state of Hawaii -- that the fund would be reimbursed?"

If that is the case, then the state legislators should look at the state retirement fund, which would be the best trough to go to as there is a lot more money available. Make the same promise to the state workers.

Robert A. Edwards

Lawmakers afraid to make tough decisions

Raiding the Hurricane Relief Fund amounts to an illegal tax on the people of Hawaii, and this is a shame. For it isn't the budget shortfall that is demonstrative of inept planning by the Hawaii state government. Rather, it is the lack of courage to make the hard decisions that would proactively make government more efficient.

The government of Hawaii should abide by a core value of "Be frugal, and guard the government's resources as if they were our own personal resources." In a business, if revenue is short, then management makes the hard decisions to cut as deeply as necessary. Take Nortel Networks, for example. Two years ago they employed more than 140,000 people; now they employ 41,000. The picture was clear and simple: "Cut expenses or die."

The fiscal problem in our state government isn't a revenue or source of funds problem; it is an expense problem. The single largest expenditure is on salaries, not assets. The legislature and governor are too lazy to study the problem, and too afraid to make hard decisions.

Ultimately, managing a budget requires sound business planning and decision making. It was Lee Iacocca who said, "In your field, either you lead, follow, or get out of the way." So if those in the executive or legislative branches of government can't or won't do their jobs and make hard decisions about cutting expenses, then my words to them are, "step aside and let people with the real skills lead."

People of Hawaii, aren't you tired of the perpetual squeeze that the state government puts on you? I sure am. We have two choices: do nothing and continue to pay more ... and more ... and more, or we can get together and truly try to vote out every incumbent in government.

It is ultimately up to the people to effect change, and by voting you are making the hard decisions.

Von Kenric Kaneshiro

Bush's Army appointee had Enron ties

Army Secretary Thomas White's appointment by President Bush raised serious questions because of the huge amounts of money contributed to the Bush campaign by Enron, where White was an executive.

Then it is disclosed in The New York Times that he kept in touch with his old buddies in the company (at least 44 phone calls to and numerous meetings with his Enron contacts in the months before the firm went bankrupt) and he knew when to sell his more than 200,000 shares of Enron stock for some $12 million -- just before they became worthless paper.

Now we hear that he abused his power and used an Army Gulfstream jet to fly to Colorado to sell a house for $6.6 million.

It all smells funny. And we wonder why many in the world thinks of the Unites States as a banana republic?

At the very minimum, Bush should ask for White's resignation. It would be a great place for the new president to start housecleaning.

Keith Haugen

Matsuura disrespects people he represents

In February, a poll of Hawaii's voters showed that 72 percent supported a terminally ill individual's right to request assistance from his or her doctor in hastening death. A Death with Dignity bill cleared the House by a 30-20 vote.

After publicly stating he would never even hear the bill, Sen. David Matsuura drew so much public fire that he tried to save face through introducing his own hastily prepared Death with Dignity bill, whose only similarity to the original was its title.

The senator assumed his bill would never have widespread support. However, his strategy backfired when proponents of the original bill overwhelmingly supported his bill, making it clear they would attempt to reinsert the original language after it had passed out of his committee.

So what was Matsuura to do? He only had two options: do the right thing by carrying out his sworn duty to uphold Hawaii's Constitutional "belief in a government of the people, by the people and for the people", or he could stick fast to his own personal beliefs and stop the bill dead in its tracks. He chose the latter.

What has happened here goes beyond the arrogance of a single senator and brings into question the leadership in the Senate itself. If I were in charge, I would have long ago dragged Matsuura out to the woodshed. "David," I would have said, "this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you. But you made a promise to the people and didn't keep it. Spare the rod and spoil the senator."

Will Matsuura be remembered as the person who single-handedly defeated the Death with Dignity bill? No. Hawaii eventually will have such a bill; it is only a matter of whether our state chooses to be a leader or a follower. If Matsuura is remembered at all, it will be as the person who pasted a fish symbol on his door to express his constitutional right to freedom of religion and choice, a right he openly supports -- unless of course your choice differs from his.

Roland L. Halpern
Social Justice Council
First Unitarian Church

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