Counties should back meals for the needy
Lanakila's Meals on Wheels provides a valuable service for elderly residents on Oahu. Unfortunately, recent articles report that the program is experiencing a budget shortfall. What the media has failed to report is that money for Kupuna Care programs like Lanakila's Meals on Wheels is not being held up by the state.
On Nov. 5, Gov. Linda Lingle released $475,000 for Kupuna Care at a ceremony marking National Caregiver Month. The established practice is for these funds to be distributed to the four counties. The counties, in turn, are responsible for deciding how to allocate the additional money to individual programs in their areas.
It's clear the governor has done her job by releasing the money. Now the city and counties must follow her lead and distribute money to the service providers that best meet the needs of their elderly populations.
Steve Stinton
Kailua
It's great that we allow freedom to happen
Would that the American public could see the world as clearly as their leader.
On Wednesday, President Bush told a reporter how lucky the Iraqis are -- that if you lived there today, "you'd be saying, 'God, I love freedom. ... Freedom's happening in Iraq.'"
Yessireebob! Americans should be happy to know that we've brought security, prosperity and happiness to those Iraqis who are still alive and who haven't left their country since we went there and allowed freedom to happen.
John A. Broussard
Kamuela, Hawaii
Killing should've been first-degree murder
It is inconceivable that Patrick Lorenzo was convicted of second-degree murder ("Jury convicts in deputy killing," Star-Bulletin, Nov. 8). This might result in his parole and the potential for another murder. It is time for repeat offenders to pay the price for their actions. Lorenzo murdered a law-abiding citizen during a crime in which he had a gun. If there was no intent to commit murder, why did he have the gun? The answer is simple: He intended to use it. Any time a perpetrator of a crime carries a gun, it is only for one thing: to shoot.
Hawaii laws must be changed. Any crime resulting in a death from a handgun must be murder in the first degree with a mandatory life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. The citizens of this wonderful state must be protected.
James A. Kellogg
Honolulu
Republicans do more for schools, homeless
At the recent meeting of former Democratic Govs. Cayetano, Waihee and Ariyoshi, they gave some advice to their party faithful. They said that Democrats need to focus on fairness and equality for everyone while helping the poor and homeless.
Yet while they were in power, these governors and their Democratic-dominated legislatures did nothing to fix Hawaii's poor public education system, did nothing to lower Hawaii's high and excessively regressive tax rates and did nothing for Hawaii's homeless.
Gov. Linda Lingle has taken on all these issues, but the Democratic-controlled Legislature continues to do nothing but pay lip service to them.
In the 2008 election it's time to give our Republican governor the help she needs in the Legislature to deal with these problems. It's time to vote Republican.
Marian Grey
Hawaii Kai
He speaks language of the streets
Duane "Dog" Chapman does not deal with people in high society. There is a certain amount of street credibility incumbent upon your ability to reach these people. Unfortunately, often this requires that you get in the gutter with them in order to communicate with them on their level.
While the N-word is a particularly reprehensible and hurtful word to many, it unfortunately is of common usage among many African Americans themselves, hip-hop artists and foul-mouthed comedians of all colors. I am sure Chapman has used it as a tool when dealing with people of questionable character only when he thought it was necessary, and I am convinced the thought of him causing personal hurt of a racial nature was the farthest thing from his mind.
The saddest aspect of this whole episode is the total estrangement of a father and son and that a yellow-sheet publication would take advantage of it.
Joe Amerena
Citrus Heights, Calif.
Formerly of Hawaii