Don't send troops away from home to undergo training
The recent court ruling requiring the Army to prepare a supplement to its environmental impact statements concerning the Stryker Brigade at Schofield Barracks has resulted in many statements in the media. I do not think it appropriate to try legal cases in the press, but I believe a description of the Army's status and intent is warranted.
In April 2005, 18 months ago, the Federal District Court in Honolulu issued a ruling finding the Army's environmental impact statements satisfactory. The group opposing the Stryker Brigade immediately filed an appeal with the 9th Circuit Court in San Francisco and requested the court issue an injunction stopping the Army's fielding, training and construction. The 9th Circuit Court did not grant the injunction. Based on the lower court ruling and lack of injunction, the Army proceeded with fielding, training and construction.
The 2/25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Schofield Barracks has been training hard for 12 months to attain combat readiness for a deployment into Iraq. Their training is on schedule to culminate in November 2007. The Army issued contracts for world-class training and support facilities for the Stryker Brigade and other Army forces in Hawaii. The construction projects include mitigation measures and resources to protect the environment.
The 9th Circuit Court's ruling for a supplemental environmental impact statement did not direct the Army to stop any Stryker Brigade fielding, training or construction actions. The opposing group will likely file again for an injunction to halt all Stryker-related activities.
The Army can produce a supplemental environmental impact statement answering the court's requirements and is already preparing to do so. Halting these soldiers' training and preparation for a combat deployment would be wrong.
Not providing full training for these soldiers before sending them into combat would be irresponsible and criminal. Separating them from their families for many months to train at an area outside Hawaii and then deploying them for a year in combat would be cruel. Halting the construction of world-class training facilities that will raise combat training standards for all Army soldiers in Hawaii, to include the Hawaii Army National Guard and Army Reserve, would be wasteful of taxpayer dollars and endanger many jobs.
The Army's new Stryker Brigade Combat Teams have proven to be highly effective in the global war on terror and provide our soldiers greatly improved combat capability and protection. We will continue our efforts to provide the very best equipment and training to our soldiers and sustain America's Army ready to confront any threat to our country.
We are a nation at war.
Lt. Gen. John M. Brown III
Commander, U.S. Army, Pacific
Iwase didn't whine about Lingle supporters
When the police and firefighters' unions and the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly endorsed the incumbent governor, her opponent Randy Iwase showed some class by not saying a word. He respected the decisions made by the leadership and membership of these three unions.
When the Hawaii State Teachers Association endorsed Iwase for governor, Linda Lingle's people cried that the endorsement is "not worth the paper it was printed on," (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 5).
This is a blatant disrespect of the HSTA leadership and its public school teachers. The Hawaii voters will look at the contrasting styles of the two candidates and decide who should be best to govern our state. I believe Iwase and running mate Malama Solomon will lead our state in the next four years for the interest of all the people in Hawaii Nei.
Robert Ebanez
Waianae
Lingle made right move asking for federal help
Once again gubernatorial candidate Randy Iwase and a few other Democratic cronies clearly stipulate the negative implications of Gov. Linda Lingle's efforts in trying to protect the state ("Iwase slams Lingle's disaster response,"
Star-Bulletin, Oct. 19).
Is there really no end to Iwase's flipping of situations and mincing of words?
Politics aside, what would Iwase's decision have been after consulting with Hawaii's Civil Defense director and the Federal Emergency Management Agency?
Remember FEMA'S recommendation, according to Maj. Gen. Robert Lee, state Civil Defense director: "You don't know what is happening now. It is better to ask for the whole thing."
On a positive note, which Mr. Iwase would have trouble understanding, Hawaii will now be able to recover the overtime costs incurred by city workers from the federal government.
Good on you Linda. You did a great job, and I know one honest Democrat agrees with me.
Phillip Barker
Kaneohe
Thielen's caring and tenacity pays off
A few years ago I was one of a group of parents trying to get funding for an after-school tutoring program at Kalaheo High School. We kept going back and forth between the Department of Education and the Legislature, getting nowhere.
Then Rep. Cynthia Thielen got involved. Not only did she help us solve the problem, she took the time and energy to teach us how to work inside the system to get other things done, too. As a result of the program, my son went from a D average to a B. That was more than 10 years ago. I am proud to say that my son is a licensed electrician and a productive citizen in the community.
Thielen has the kind of caring attitude and willingness to help that we need in Washington. Her leadership, independence, ability to work with different parties, and to stand up for the right thing has not gone unnoticed.
Thank you, Cynthia. You have my vote.
Claudine M. Tomasa
Kailua
Help Democrats take back Washington
Bob Hogue is a nice guy but the Republican Party in Washington, D.C., has led this nation on a losing streak.
Cynthia Thielen seems to be a woman of strong and good character who cares about the environment. Unfortunately, we can't say the same for far too many in her party in Washington, D.C. Yes, Daniel Akaka let us down when he horse-traded his vote on Alaska oil drilling. He did so in order to get Sen.Ted Stevens' (R-Alaska) to become one of a very few Republicans to vote on his Native Hawaiian Recognition Bill, along with every Democratic senator. However, let's not forget that Akaka went against the tide and voted against the authorization for the war in Iraq, which has become a most devastating hit to our environment and ourselves.
Politics are a team sport. Let's judge "A thing (the Republican Party) by its fruits" and help the Democrats take back control of the Senate and House by voting for Daniel Akaka and Mazie Hirono.
Daniel Laraway
Honolulu
Akaka a champion of the less fortunate
Sen. Daniel Akaka has spent his life working to improve Hawaii and the nation for his family, friends and all our state's and nation's citizens. Serving in the Army, shaping young minds as a school teacher and principal, advocating for stronger civil liberties as a congressman and fighting to keep America safe as a senator, Akaka has always been a friend to the middle class, a voice for those less fortunate and a champion of native rights.
Today Americans face challenges to our individual rights, to the country's security and to our economic stability. Akaka has stood strong against infractions of a citizen's right to privacy and voted against the Iraq war, which has killed thousands of Americans and drains the taxpayers of billions of dollars, which, if invested in America instead of the war, could have been enough to rescue Social Security, establish a nationwide public healthcare system, fund our schools and still have money left for infrastructure developments and support to small business.
It is imperative that Hawaii returns Akaka to the Senate on Nov. 7, so he may continue the good fight for our future.
Kealii McClellan
Kaneohe
Democrats politicize natural disaster
I am so angry, I can hardly gather my thoughts to write this letter. It is shameful that the Democratic Party is so desperately trying to claw its way back into power that it has to resort to using events like the earthquake as a means for attacking the governor. Civil Defense did the right thing by not jumping to any conclusions and having the presence of mind not to sound any unwarranted alerts. There was already panic within half an hour of the quake on Oahu and it wasn't even a very big earthquake here. What are we, a bunch of drama queens? Civil Defense and our governor did what they were supposed to do.
Randy Iwase and Rep. Neil Abercrombie, well, unless grandstanding is in their job descriptions, I don't think that either of them is serving the people of Hawaii well by telling us that inciting panic is ever a good idea. It is shameful that they would have to sink so low as this, especially Abercrombie. Having been on the receiving end of like malice, one would think that he would be above this kind of negative assault, I thought so and until today, he always had my vote, but not anymore!
Marshall Rieth
Aiea
Legislators overreacted to power outage
The comments in last Tuesday's paper from J. Kalani English and other legislators ("Outage stirs anger,"
Star-Bulletin, Oct. 17) shows one of two things. They are on a political rampage or they are so spoiled as individuals they cannot possibly be in touch with their constituents.
Twenty-four hours without electricity is a human catastrophe? There is a good reason why very few people were outraged, as was suggested -- we opened a book, spent time with family and wrote off the relatively minor financial losses as a consequence of 21st-century technology.
Nancy Schnur
Aiea