Masu's left massive good memories
My grandma's house was across the street from Masu's Massive Plate Lunch, and every visit to Gram's usually led to a Teri Chicken & Laulau Plate (
"Mass aloha for Masu's," Star-Bulletin, March 1). I just want to say aloha and mahalo to Masu's for the memories and ono food.
Shyra Smith
Honolulu
Yoshina skillfully guided isle voters
It's too bad politics forced Dwayne Yoshina out as chief elections officer (
Star-Bulletin, March 1). He should get credit for his accomplishments.
We are one of the few states that have paper ballots with electronic counting, allowing both a fast count and recounts if there are any problems. Our electronic voting machines have a sealed printer to provide a paper trail.
The so-called controversies over the years were either exaggerated or completely false. For instance, after Yoshina managed the difficult conversion from the old punched card system, a few machines miscounted a few ballots because of a mistake by the manufacturer. There were hearings and lots of posturing, but the fact was that the number of miscounts was so small, they did not change the overall result in a single precinct.
Similarly, Republicans made periodic accusations of fraud, but these turned out to be bogus. Funny how they stopped complaining when Gov. Linda Lingle won. Other "controversies" arose because the media wanted instant results.
Unlike other states, we have never had a doubtful election. Thank Dwayne Yoshina.
Larry Meacham
Honolulu
Cachola disregarded UH, airport commuters
Bravo to the City Council members who had the intelligence and the guts to stand up to their fellow members, even though Romy Cachola's team won (
Star-Bulletin, Feb. 28).
I don't know what Cachola hopes to gain, but Honolulu will soon become the laughingstock of the Pacific, rather than the jewel our mayor envisons. I guess Cachola hasn't stopped to consider the numerous daily commuters for whom the airport route would have made so much sense.
Living in an area where University of Hawaii parking is horrific, my neighbors and I put up with daily illegal parkers and frustrated students and neighbors. The UH is a research institution, the East-West Center has students from all over the Pacific coming to study here -- and they all contribute to our economy. I guess these folks up at the campus, and the daily interisland commuters and visitors who would also use the system, have not been considered at all, even though each of them pays some form of taxes daily into state and city coffers.
Cachola and his Council members have forgotten that they are supposed to be in politics as representatives of the majority, as servants to our democracy; not as self-important sovereigns holding people hostage for votes.
For a present when they're voted out, has "For the People, Of the People, By the People: A Primer on Democracy for Dummies" been written yet?
Merrie C. Grain
Honolulu
Newcomers need lesson on crosswalk laws
Working in an area with multiple car rentals and numerous military, I've also noticed that many tourists and newly arrived military do not comply with the safety laws for pedestrians in crosswalks.
I do not think this needs legislation, but as a "good business" measure, I'd suggest that car rental companies provide all renters a brief summary of the law regarding crosswalks, including the fine for violation. And it might make a greater impact if the renter at least initials the form.
The military could do a "high level order" meeting with any new arrivals to accomplish much the same.
Lance Bateman
Honolulu
Requiring Superferry EIS is act of sabotage
I am writing to oppose one of the more ridiculous bills to appear in our state Legislature in recent memory -- SB1276 SD1.
Hawaii has long relied on sea-going transport to move commercial goods and air transport to move people. Every day Hawaiian ports -- both on Oahu and the neighbor islands -- receive numerous vessels carrying cars and other freight from all over the world. Rental companies and car dealerships ship cars and commercial carriers move trucks and containers from island to island on a constant basis.
Inter-island air carriers move thousands of people daily. None of these activities have ever required an EIS.
How can requiring an EIS for the Superferry be considered anything other than a commercially protectionist and anti-competitive act of business sabotage?
The current bill identifies only one company -- Hawaii Superferry -- and requires it to generate an EIS. State and federal courts and state and federal regulators have all said that such a requirement is unnecessary. This is nothing more than an attempt to squelch innovative competition.
This is a terrible bill and should be removed from consideration immediately.
Henry Bennett
Kaneohe
'Haole' has devolved into racial slur
The beating at Waikele by a local man and his son on a military couple is a terrible thing (
Star-Bulletin, Feb. 22). For it to happen to anyone is outrageous. There is no excuse for this treatment on anyone regardless of race.
For people to bring up the racial issue, I believe, is entirely appropriate. Today the word "haole" is used by most people to describe anyone who is of Caucasian ancestry. More simply, it is used as a slur on "white" people.
Haole does not translate into "white person." It has become that because many people use it in that context. Haole used in its correct form means anyone who is not a native Hawaiian.
I see and hear Asian people use it in describing Caucasian people whose skin color is just as white as theirs.
Filipino, Samoan, African, European people are all haole. There is no racial slur in that word. The slur comes from those who chose to make it so, including native Hawaiians who use it as a slur. Sadly, today the h-word holds the same demeaning intent as the n-word. It has evolved along with all of us kanaka maoli and haole. Everyone needs to respect the language and each other.
Sharon Pomroy
Anahola, Kauai
Anti-haole feeling linked to imperialism
The negative response against haoles isn't a personal or racial matter to Hawaiians, but a negative response to Western imperialism and American expansionism in Hawaii and the Pacific instigated by President William McKinley and then Vice President Theodore Roosevelt during 1898.
One will feel the same negative response from the first people in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Nicaragua, Honduras, Vietnam, Iran, Guatemala, Chile, Grenada, Panama, Afghanistan and Iraq -- all of which were invaded by the U.S. military between 1893 and 2003.
Tourists and settlers give the same response when confronted with the negative attitude against colonization: We weren't there during 1898, so why blame us? The fact is that the international tourism industry is another form of Western imperialism and American expansionism.
Eric Po'ohina
Kailua