Hawaiians should own Waimea Valley
The public is asked to not be deceived into doing the wrong thing by the public relations campaign about Waimea Valley. For the first time the public has the chance to support actual native Hawaiians directly instead of being gamed by those who exploit them by pretending to represent native interests.
This is no different from dozens of similar schemes to use tax dollars by flavoring projects with the appearance of indigenous concern.
Those pushing the state to buy it expect to get federal grants earned by going along with state government and by following lessons learned by observing the methods of the Bishop Estate trust and the state's Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
Getting federal assistance with which to appear to take care of what they are now calling the "host culture" has become a multi-million dollar business for Hawaii's legions of nonprofits while actual native Hawaiians are still living in tents alongside the road trying to figure out where their next dollar is coming from.
It's a no-brainer that there aren't any laws to stop actual native Hawaiian true bloods reconnecting with Waimea Valley by owning it. Let's show aloha directly for those who originated aloha instead of for those who only exploit it.
Frederich N. Trenchard
Haleiwa
It's time to get rid of the bottle bill cartel
During the past year my family has been a target of Hawaii's bottle bill. As the bottle bill rolled into play on Jan. 1, 2005, so did high-top 40-foot containers roll through your communities. Most of the politicians stopped acting and gave the floor to Sen. Daniel Akaka and Sen. James Jeffords (I-Vt.) for the go-ahead to promote a national bottle bill. The limbo state of curbside recycling became undoable with the Recycling Owners Cartel in full swing.
Your money paid at the time of purchase to cover a HI5 tax was the start of an $8 million-a-year profit for a few. Yet many people of the state waste time in long lines, rain and heat to retrieve our nickels back. All homeowners now with blue elephants in their driveways have little to do with retrieving their 5-cent deposit back. Let's get back on track, stop blaming the other guy, reduce the HI5 to 2 cents with no redemption at the counter and start using curbside recycling.
Kevin Maurer
Kailua
Laws don't restrain some in the GOP
This recently from conservative New York Times syndicated columnist David Brooks:
"...When conservatism was a movement of ideas, it attracted oddballs; now that it's a movement with power, it attracts sleazeballs..."
That's a pretty good assessment of the state of things in Washington, where without checks and balances, the R's have become the party of sleaze.
And for those local apologists who now, no doubt, will rush to defend our president and his party, I call your attention to one pertinent and compelling fact. Unlike the current occupant of the White House, no one died when Clinton lied.
J.M. Comcowich
Kailua
Cost of war is too high for military families
Last spring, I marched for peace in Fayetteville, N.C. My husband had been deployed to Iraq for five months. I lived with anxiety 24/7. CNN became my constant companion. My husband came home unharmed. For 2,100-plus families, their loved ones came home in caskets.
In Fayetteville, I met a young man from Vermont who opposed the war. Tragically, his brother died in Iraq.
Knowing his brother died for his comrades helped him make sense of this tragic loss.
The front-page story in the Nov. 26 Star-Bulletin ("The War in Iraq: Depth of mental injuries is uncertain") noted the severe emotional impact of the war. Many will return with psychological scars.
Americans are increasingly calling for an immediate withdrawal of our troops. Too many of our loved ones are coming home with severe physical and mental problems. Too many are not coming home at all. The cost of this war is far too high.
Monica Evans
Military Families Speak Out-Hawaii
Sex partners should be prepared for parenting
When the issue of abortion came up, my friends once asked me for my point of view. I didn't have one; the issue didn't affect me. Since then, the issue has become crystal clear to me and it's this: It takes a male and female to create a human being and nothing else. Regardless of your religious beliefs, to deny this human being its life is something the male and female should have thought about first. We have birth control pills readily available to anyone who wants them and condoms are just as easy if you have no self control! Face the consequences if you're so irresponsible. If the mother and father are minors, then parents should share the consequences with their children. Is anyone tired of children having children? With birth control pills as a prevention and abortion as the "after the fact" cure all, what does that say about human rights and our society today? We've given them the ability to burn the candle at both ends and we're still in a state of chaos!
Elaine Hoffman
Honolulu
Trash gives Hawaii a black eye
I have visited Hawaii many times and have seen the clean, beautiful paradise that Hawaii peddles to promote tourism trade. Now, as a resident of this wonderful state, I've gone off the beaten path and discovered trash! Beaches, bike paths and hiking trails that boast beautiful sunsets and views also boast piles of trash thoughtlessly dumped there by a lazy resident who couldn't take the time to properly dispose of it.
Trash mars the landscapes and streets, thrown there by Hawaii residents who claim to have so much pride in the islands.
Residents must take the first step and put trash where it properly belongs so that it can be taken care of. Every resident has the responsibility and the ability to clean up Hawaii. That island pride, which is brought out and waved like a banner, needs to be applied to everyday living. I'm tired of looking at the face of Hawaii and seeing only the black eye that is trash.
Colleen Bista
Pearl City