Abercrombie's vote showed courage
I don't think it is right to attack Rep. Neil Abercrombie for voting to compensate property owners when the government takes their land to protect endangered species (
Editorial, Oct. 1). Compensation is the single most contentious issue in the recently passed Endangered Species bill. As the law stands now, you receive no payment if your property is designated a "critical habitat" for an endangered species, even though you effectively lose control over it. That's unfair and its just plain wrong.
The overwhelming majority of property owners are more than willing to do their share in protecting the environment. They just want fair compensation for their property, which in many cases represents a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice. Mahalo, Neil, for having the courage to do the right thing.
Michael McMurdo
Honolulu
Some try too hard to criticize Wie
I have watched
Michelle Wie since I videotaped her winning the Jennie Wilson tournament at age 11. I have watched her grow and perform at the Sony Open, on TV and read the many articles about her in the media. I find Michelle and her family extremely interesting and down to earth.
That is why it amazes and distresses me to hear so many people give opinions about her and her family completely opposite to what I consider the truth. That is the price of fame and fortune, driven by ignorance, and probably jealousy. For example, many writers and bloggers accuse her parents of abusing Michelle for their own financial gain. Now they accuse her agent, Ross Berlin, of "telling the truth" when he misspoke and said that her parents put "golf before education," even though Michelle has always emphasized that she intended to finish high school and college. Even Michelle's generosity in donating to Hurricane Katrina relief has been criticized.
I don't think anyone, including the Wies, foresaw that she would engender so much interest that all the tournaments, their sponsors, the LPGA, the media others would profit so much by her presence. Everyone except for the Wies themselves. This, I believe, was the inequity that made turning pro make so much sense.
I hope Michelle and her family can continue to ignore these comments. She is smart enough to know that there will always be people who criticize those who dare to be and do different.
Vernon Wong
Waipahu
Stadium authority puts profit over safety
The initial joke was that the Aloha Stadium Authority needed a "special task force" to study the issue of
alcohol consumption at stadium events -- specifically, University of Hawaii football games. If it wasn't clear to anyone that there was a problem with disorderly drunks at UH games, there's nothing a task force is going to discover to change that denial.
But for the task force to recommend banning alcohol from the parking lot only reeks of corrupt ignorance. The task force's recommendations allow for alcohol to be served inside the stadium, where the problems of disorderly drunks exist. At least they had the guts to admit that banning the sales of alcohol would mean a loss of huge revenues. And there's no doubt that the revenues from alcohol sales are huge, with the high price of alcoholic beverages sold inside the stadium as nothing short of gouging.
Essentially, the task force's recommendations put profit over the safety of the general public. The least UH football fans should do is boycott the alcohol vendors inside the stadium, or just don't go to the games at all.
Mel McKeague
Ewa Beac
h
Maybe teens too quick to cast off childhood
If this letter could speak, you would hear the sounds of Sesame Street blaring behind me. Sometimes I just like to sit back and enjoy a couple of children's shows.
That's what's wrong with kids today, the lack of respect for their roots. Suddenly PBS and cartoons aren't cool anymore, and rap and clothes and make-up and girlfriends and hanging out and blogs and AIM make up the better part of our lives. It starts early. We throw on our teenage addictions and somehow they leak to our younger counterparts, much too early for what can be considered healthy. More and more we lose ourselves to the propaganda of "cool" and lose our innocence along with it. Uprooted and sent to the timber yard for processing, that is the way of the oak and childhood these days.
Part of maturity is accepting the past. Part of growing up is learning how hard life is, and sticking with it means being able to remember that once you were a kid and once you loved cartoons and once you had time to sit down and watch Elmo learn to write. I saw a girl with a Gucci handbag, four-inch heels and glittery make-up yesterday on the bus. She wore an elementary school uniform, and I almost cried.
Daniel Ichiyama
Moanalua High School junior
Honolulu
New Orleans proves Democratic failings
The disaster in New Orleans has shed light on what Democrats promise vs. what they deliver. After 60 years of unimpeded control, Democrats had time to turn New Orleans into a sparkling liberal utopia with no crime, great public education and prosperity for everyone. In reality, they did the opposite.
After 60 years of Democratic control, New Orleans schools had an achievement index of 1, on a scale of 1-10. Poverty and welfare rates were among the highest in the nation, and future job growth was projected to be -1.94 percent before Hurricane Katrina. The national average is 10 percent. Crime rates were also among the worst in the nation. New Orleans' homicide rate is 10 times the national average. And corruption was as well known as the Cajun food.
After 60 years, Democrats have given New Orleans crime, poverty and corruption, and there is not a single Republican to blame. Let New Orleans be a lesson to us all about what Democrats promise vs. what they deliver.
Mich Windsor
Lahaina