With this issue the Star-Bulletin once again begins naming a monthly Golden Letter winner. The award is given to the letter writer who has best expressed his or her views in an informative, entertaining or persuasive manner.
Letter faults Inouye's fund-shuffling tactics
During the course of a long career as a union worker, Patrick J. Gallagher has met both of Hawaii's delegates to the U.S. Senate. He describes Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka as "wonderful" men. But he was disturbed when he learned that Inouye had arranged to donate $300,000 from his campaign funds to help Akaka, who is fighting off a challenge from Rep. Ed Case for the seat Akaka has held for 16 years.
Gallagher's Aug. 16 letter voicing his objection to the transfer of funds has won the Star-Bulletin's Golden Letter award for August. Gallagher wrote, "When we donate to a candidate, we donate to that candidate. We do not and should not then, by proxy or understanding or any other method, allow that candidate to 'sub-contract' or donate from the fund to other candidates.
"This practice promotes the notion that those of us who donate to Senator Inouye are in step with other candidates of his choice."
Gallagher, a former employee of the Local 5 hotel workers union, said he hasn't decided whom he will vote for in the Senate primary race but he will cast a ballot, and the last line of his letter urged readers to do the same: "Thank you, and don't forget to vote!"
Mary Poole, Star-Bulletin editorial page editor
Officials' intertia left motorists stranded
It's apparent that when there is a huge traffic jam on the freeway, no one at any level of government has the brain power or courage to help the common man get home (
"Stuck," Star-Bulletin, Sept. 6). You would think that the police would re-route traffic and unsnarl the jam, but that didn't happen.
Government officials will say they had to err on the side of caution (actually on the side of stupidity and inaction) and close the freeway, despite the real and desperate need for people to get to where they were going. Families were separated for up to nine hours after work and school. The next day, we saw people shrug their shoulders and shake their heads on the news.
Who wants to watch or listen to those powerless people? Not me. And don't say it doesn't happen all the time. It does, on that part of the freeway -- if not in that direction, then in the other.
George Gersaba
Honolulu
Confiscate vehicles that aren't insured
The Hawaii automobile no-fault insurance law is a sham. It is not enforced either by the state or the counties.
The law states that vehicles must carry at all times proof of financial responsibility and proof of no-fault coverage. At a minimum, financial responsibility insurance would cover injuries to others that exceed $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident. It also means that damage to property of others would be provided for up to $10,000. The medical no-fault coverage minimum is $10,000 per person. This coverage pays the first $10,000 for any injuries to passengers in the vehicle regardless of fault.
The enforcement practice now is to cite the driver and let him or her drive off with the illegal vehicle. We have all seen or felt the results of this practice: broken bodies and property with no hope of any recovery from the wrongful party.
It is a conservative estimate that 20 percent to 25 percent of the vehicles on our roads today are without insurance. It is time to start impounding these illegal vehicles.
J.A. Gomes
Honolulu
Akaka's opposition to Bush is important
Whatever the results of the recent televised debate, Dan Akaka is the better choice for the U.S. Senate. We need a strong opponent to the Bush administration's misguided policies. Ed Case has not shown himself to be as steadfast in opposing the Iraq war.
While I support Akaka, I am appalled at his colleague Senator Inouye's failure to support 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, the courageous Army officer who refused unlawful orders to deploy to Iraq. Inouye has not done enough to bring the wasteful slaughter in Iraq to an end.
John Witeck
Honolulu
Case shows more foresight than party
The Senate election is all about insiders vs. outsiders. Age vs. youth; haole vs. Hawaiian; embedded Democrat vs. independent moderate; status quo vs. change; public vs. private industries; union vs. non-union; timetable vs. no timetable for withdrawal from Iraq; for and against the Jones Act. I'm a Democrat, and until today I was an undecided voter.
Democrats blame Case for splitting the party, but his argument for transition has merit. My guess is the party powers agree, but Case was not their choice to replace Senator Akaka. After all, he does not vote the party line. Case knows this, of course, that's why he did what he did, which is commendable. His courage and foresight alone will garner my vote.
Unfortunately, I don't believe he will prevail because our state's voters still consist primarily of blue-collar union workers headed by powerful companies and public worker unions, or insiders. Here's hoping I'm wrong.
Ernesto Jose
Honolulu
Hawaii can't wait for Abercrombie
The Senate race is not just about 2006, it also is about the election of 2012. Should Dan Akaka still be in office in six years, it seems unlikely he will run again in 2012, when he will be 88. It appears the Democratic Party would support Rep. Neil Abercrombie to replace him. Abercrombie will be 74 in 2012 and will have no seniority at all in the Senate. Just how much seniority is Abercrombie likely to accrue for Hawaii for the remainder of his political life? If the Democratic Party hasn't thought this through, the voters should.
With his background as an educator, Akaka should be recommended for the current vacancy as a trustee to the Bishop Estate, where he would serve honorably and with dignity.
Anne Tam
Honolulu