Lingle shouldn't blame media for Awana flap
It is unconscionable that Gov. Linda Lingle would defend former Chief of Staff Bob Awana's actions as a "personal matter" (
Star-Bulletin, Dec. 4). Awana offered to help a young Filipina eager to attend nursing school in exchange for spending some personal time with him and others on a state trade mission to the Philippines, according to a federal attorney defending a man who attempted to blackmail Awana.
The Filipino constituency has been critical for Lingle. It is an insult to their dignity to excuse the actions of her former chief of staff. It is a sad statement on her integrity that she has blamed what seemed to be a responsible move to relieve him as a begrudging response to the media.
R. Scott Belford
Ewa Beach
Think hard before privatizing roads
Thank you for the sobering and hard-nosed opinion piece from Rep. Marilyn Lee about the troubling trend toward privatizing roads (
Star-Bulletin, Dec. 2). She reports that New Jersey's Gov. Jon Corzine, after many months of study, declared that he would not sell off his state's roads to a private operator.
Before becoming governor, Corzine headed Goldman Sachs, a company that has collected tens of millions of dollars arranging road privatization deals for other states. From the financial point of view, arguably nobody knows more than Corzine about road privatization. His actions with his own budget speak louder than any words and should give pause to any legislator considering these road sell-offs.
Phineas Baxandall
U.S. Public Interest Research Group
Boston, Mass.
Turn those bulldogs into little wiener pups
Congratulations from a BSU Bronco. Congrats and best wishes in the Sugar Bowl. Just as Boise State University did last year against Oklahoma, I wish the best of luck and good fortune for the Warriors against the Bulldogs. Beat them, turn UGA into a wiener dog. Go Hawaii!
Mark Henningfeld
Boise, Idaho
Coach shouldn't have criticized quarterback
I am a University of Hawaii graduate living in Gainesville, Fla., with my wife. A former Sacred Heart's grad, she is finishing her Ph.D. this year at the University of Florida. As such, we are both UH and UF fans. We watch every game that we can and are proud that Hawaii is getting respect on the national stage.
Our Warrior pride made June "Rude" Jones' comments on ESPN on Dec. 2 all the more hard to swallow. I understand that Hawaii and Colt Brennan have been slow to get recognition this year and the comments from sports anchors about Brennan being a "system QB" have been difficult to take. But for the head coach of UH to criticize UF quarterback Tim Tebow's skill as a passer only made UH and Hawaii residents look like a bunch of whiners. Jones had an open microphone and the opportunity to praise Colt and his abilities to the nation without trying to tear down the Heisman frontrunner. I expected so much more from my school, my people and my home.
Don't forget that UF is hosting UH for the opening game of the '08 season here in Gainesville -- and Gators have a long memory, brah!
Denton Kort
Gainesville, Fla.
Jones has created something valuable
I remember vividly in August 2003 picking up the Star-Bulletin and wondering how the University of Hawaii was going to deal with June Jones as head coach. Folks were in an uproar, with the most vocal being UH professor Noel Kent, who expressed legitimate budgetary concerns.
Jones talked a good game at which time his agreed-upon salary was twice that of any employee, or close to it.
I also thought if Jones could not pull this off he would find it hard to escape the imu.
Well, this Warrior fan did not expect these spectacular results. Jones and his talented team have reached national prominence with the Warriors, a football powerhouse to be reckoned with.
What Jones has done since that August evening in 2003 has been nothing short of exemplary and remarkable. He has created intrinsic value here, and this is something money can't buy.
Congratulations, Warriors, not only are you on the radar screen, you also are on primetime television screens across America. Well done, and we'll see you in New Orleans.
W. A. Howell
Ontario, Calif.
Bush is setting us up for another invasion
When your collective head is in the sand, what is the rest of the world looking at? Stephen J. Hadley, President Bush's national security adviser, said recently in the Washington Post that Bush has known for months that Iran has no nuclear weapons program. Bush said that he "only learned of the new assessment last week."
I would hate to think that we would allow another Iraq situation, with the few human and financial resources left available to us, and because we are being fed misinformation once again. When is enough enough?
Shirley Scott
Honolulu