Democrats oddly silent about their own funds

I certainly had my laugh for the year upon reading about mainland fund raising in Hawaii ("39 percent of Hawaii Democrats' funds come from mainland," Star-Bulletin, Oct. 8).

Hawaii Democrats are attacking the Republicans about Linda Lingle's fund raising, claiming that she has received more than a million dollars from mainland donors. The Democratic Party just happened to lump together Lingle's 1998 and current campaign to arrive at this amount.

The same article states that the Democrats have raised more mainland money -- 39 percent for their current campaign -- than the Republicans, yet they continue to criticize the amount of mainland money received by the Lingle campaign.

Andy Winer, director of the Hawaii Democrats' campaign, also declined to comment on the amount of mainland money raised by the Democrats. Is something wrong with Winer's statements about Lingle?

Virginia M. Templeman

It's hard to keep up with political moves

Let's see:

Jeremy is running for governor,

Mazie for mayor,

Mufi for mayor.

No, Jeremy for mayor,

Mazie for governor,

Mufi retired.

Ed for governor,

Patsy for Congress.

No. Patsy deceased.

Ed for Congress.

Where is Frank?

I'm running for cover.

John L. Werrill

Lingle, Hirono should focus on the positive

The theme of the gubernatorial race this year has been "a change in government." I think that the candidates, Democrat Mazie Hirono and Republican Linda Lingle need to change.

The commercials they have been running are only tearing each other down. Each states that the other has done nothing, when in fact both candidates have notable amounts of government experience.

I think they should focus on the positive aspects of the race, such as what they will do about restoring trust in government and addressing crime, to name just two. The negative aspect that their campaigns are implying is not necessary.

Rachael Duncan
9th grade (homeschool)

U.S. should focus on economy, not Mideast

President Bush is spending too much time talking about a war on Iraq and not enough on the economy. The United States will avoid terrorism attacks and an attack by Iraq simply by the United States vacating the Middle East and leaving Israel to its own defenses. The killing of Muslims/Palestines by Israelis has caused 1 billion Muslims to hate the Americans.

Enough of this nonsense. Get the economy going to help the common U.S. citizen.

Ben Ramelb

Can patriots still disagree in the U.S.?

Many who are waving the "patriotic" placard today are bullying the U.S. populace into curtailing their free speech, both at work and on the street. Americans are not required to agree with any viewpoint under any circumstance; enlightened persuasion is how this is supposed to work. Each of us should be heard and respected, even those with the most unusual opinions.

Should we all be polite to one another in such a discussion? Or should war heroes such as U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye be publicly ridiculed for disagreeing with Rush Limbaugh regarding the Bush administration's policies?

How does American patriotism differ from other countries'? Do Americans have anything to learn about patriotism from other societies? Is there a difference between jingoism and the more extreme U.S. definitions of patriotism?

Can one fully appreciate living in this great country but disagree with prevailing political views, without constantly being run through a gauntlet of derision and put-downs? Does Americanism now mean only certain conservative viewpoints are acceptable? I hope not.

When the U.S. considers going to war, all views of the citizenry should be encouraged to be part of the discussion before we make that incredible decision to force our policies and interests on others, to shed the blood of our own and our opponent's young people and to deplete and re-direct our treasury.

Phillip St. James

Declare war on U.S. oil consumption

Since 9/11 virtually nothing has changed to cure our nation of its dependence on imported oil. Conservation is not brought up in any of the patriotic speeches.

Sixty-five percent of all known oil reserves are in the Middle East. Forty percent of U.S. oil is consumed by SUVs, trucks and cars. It is a national disgrace that U.S. car manufacturers have not offered one gas-saving, hybrid electric/gas model during the past two years. Japan has had successful Toyota and Honda hybrids since car buyers learned these cars do not have to be plugged in.

Dirty coal and oil industries get billions in tax breaks. Automakers that develop alternate cars and consumers who buy them get peanuts. The president's energy policy finally offers a small tax break ($2,000) for consumers who buy hybrids and tax breaks for installing solar energy panels on homes. Why not offer a 50 percent tax break for hybrid cars and 100 percent for solar?

Recent news reported off-road diesel equipment pollutes more than all cars on the road today. This can be solved by converting all construction diesels to run on soybean oil. No sulfur, no acid rain -- and soybean oil can be purchased for $1 per gallon.

Tom Sebas

Everyone would win with extended leases

I am writing in regard to all the turmoil regarding the lease-to-fee conversion issue.

I do not care about buying the lease and converting to fee; I'd be happy to have lease extensions. This way, the landowners could keep collecting their lease money and no one would lose.

I and many others do object to being sold a condo or co-op as a second home and not being told the truth about leasehold.

How would you feel if you bought a condo, with plans to retire and live out your life there, then found out that your real-estate agent was never honest with you about leasehold, and that in a few years your home will be taken away from you? You must just walk away; you lose everything.

You can't sell it, so you lose all of your money; and now you have no home for your retirement, which was the dream you worked for all of your life.

We were told only that there would be a "fee negotiation" in a certain year, and the worse that could happen was that our lease rent would rise. Imagine the nightmare and the tears when we found out the truth. All of our dreams down the drain, not to mention all of our hard-earned money. Many of us will be making mortgage payments long after our homes are gone.

Let's fight for lease extensions. That way, everyone wins.

Joan Young
Part-time Hawaii resident
North York, Ontario
Canada

City shouldn't concern itself with roosters

Don't do it! For God's sake, don't do it! I'm referring to the article headlined "City panel OKs chicken restriction" (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 2).

For every person who objects to the sound of a rooster crowing in the morning, there are 10,000 who either love the sound or just don't care. Taking chickens out of our Hawaiian heritage is like taking away poi.

And if you do that, what's next? Doves, cardinals, mynahs? The sound of these other birds in my neighborhood far exceeds that of the chickens. Are we going to get rid of them, too?

Oh, we'll live right next to a freeway or highway with road noise that rivals a University of Hawaii football game for sheer noise level. We'll put up with thousands of jet aircraft landing and taking off right over our heads, but let's pick on the chickens.

We'll spend our money on electronic gadgetry such as "boom boxes" and even attach them directly to our ears to get the full effect of today's so-called music, but let's pick on the chickens.

There's a lot more I could write about, but I think you get my point. The City Council should concern itself with finding real answers to real problems. Come on, Council members. Help us create a better Hawaii, and leave the chickens alone.

John Stanchfield
Kaneohe

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