12-hour outage wasn't worth whining about

In my humble opinion, I think people should quit crying about the loss of electrical power after the earthquake. All this complaining is typical of people in this state. Whenever something goes wrong, there's more finger-pointing than a Superman sighting in Tokyo.

Who's really to blame if you weren't prepared to live for 12 hours without electricity? Hawaiian Electric? The "government"?

How's about everyone take responsibility for themselves for a change, and be prepared for the next time something like this happens?

Maybe government could run HECO

I'm willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that if Randy Iwase came up with a plan to have the state take over the Hawaiian Electric Co. and run it as a nonprofit organization, then he would be elected by a landslide. It is unacceptable for the present management of Hawaiian Electric to tell the public that there is nothing to worry about for 30 or maybe 40 years. I don't believe them. Do you?

Everyone wins with Amendment 8

I wholeheartedly agree with Chad Taniguchi's Oct. 22 letter to the editor in support of Charter Amendment 8 to make this city more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. It is a win-win proposition, everyone has to gain and no one has to lose. It's not only cyclists and pedestrians who will benefit, but drivers as well.

So even if you drive all the time and never walk far or ride a bike, Charter Amendment 8 will benefit you. Everyone should vote "yes" on 8.

Dobelle's ouster was politically motivated

Re: Kitty Lagareta's article in your Sunday edition under "University Matters": "Keep politics out of the University of Hawaii"? The whole affair with former UH President Evan Dobelle was about politics and now the seeds that were sown by the Board of Regents are bearing fruit.

Lagareta and her colleagues deserve Amendment 1 after their politically motivated actions against Dobelle.

As an alumnus of Trinity College, I know and respect Dobelle. Others out there must feel the same way since his present position is both prestigious and carries a great deal of responsibility in a part of America famous for higher education.

Lagareta and the Board of Regents created a situation where Amendment 1 is a necessity. I hope that the public feels the same way.

Chang was early proponent of hemp

I am strongly supporting Sen. Dan Akaka in the U.S. Senate race. While I have respect and good will for my colleague in the state House, Rep. Cynthia Thielen, there are two inaccuracies in your endorsement of Oct. 18.

The first is that the Sierra Club has not endorsed Thielen in the Senate race.

The second is that the hemp farm in Wahiawa was not a single-handed effort by Thielen. In 1999, it was Rep. Jerry Chang from the Big Island that introduced House Bill 32, which in its original version required the University of Hawaii at Hilo to study the feasibility of industrial hemp production in Hawaii. The bill became controversial as it made its way through the Legislature because of the drug enforcement issues, but the result was that the state could authorize privately funded hemp research with the proper safeguards in place. In 2002, Rep. Chang again introduced House Bill 57 allowing hemp research to go forward.

This became a "not in my backyard" issue, and finding a home for the hemp farm was problematic. The Dole Plantation and the community in Wahiawa should be credited for being open and civic-minded in accepting and supporting the hemp farm.

Editor's note: The Oct. 18 editorial correctly noted that "Thielen has been endorsed by the Sierra Club." While the Sierra Club Hawaii chapter did announce yesterday that it is endorsing Sen. Dan Akaka in the general election, it endorsed Thielen in the House race during the primary election and has given her high marks for her stands on environmental issues.