Someday the Warriors will get their due

Congratulations to the Warriors for a perfect regular season and welcome to the Bowl Championship Series! We're all proud of your undefeated season; it's a credit to your university, your state and the WAC. Boise State was the only undefeated Division 1 team last year; this year it's the Warriors' turn.

You will not be playing for the national championship, but you should be. Maybe someday the pollsters will decide the WAC really does have teams that can stand up to anyone. Right ... maybe someday!

Good luck in your BCS adventure. We'll all be watching and cheering you on to victory!

Coach brings a lot of money in, too

I disagree with Shawn Winthrop about Warriors Coach June Jones' salary (Letters, Dec. 2). I BELIEVE those who bring money and ohana feelings to our university and the entire state deserve a competitive salary. I even BELIEVE that the monies from the BCS game should go mostly to the Athletic Department as a reward to the players and coaches for their hard work and efforts.

Let the professors and scientists who receive grant money compete with other universities for their needs, just as our athletes do year in and year out. What have they done to bring such name recognition, good feelings and pride to our university and state?

Bush fails to convince on Iraq 'threat'

I watched President Bush comment on TV about "Iran: The Threat" on Tuesday, after the release of the National Intelligence Estimate's report. Even he could not convincingly state the case for the continuing harangue with Iran. Sad to see him talk around himself and expose himself as a liar or a dimwit. We cannot afford to follow his mistaken lead on "Iran: The Threat."

Is it finally time to put lines underground?

Is it time yet? One dead from a power line dropped on a car. Thousands unable to go to work due to downed lines and poles. Food spoiled. The cost of police handling traffic when lines or poles are down. The costs to individuals, employers, employees, city and state caused by the lack of an effort by Hawaiian Electric to focus on undergrounding grow each time we have even minor storms.

Studies have shown that over a 30-year period, the initial cost of undergrounding can be less than maintenance and line or pole replacement over the same period. If Hawaiian Electric considered undergrounding an investment to be recovered through amortization over 20 or 30 years, its investors could be protected. And we can't forget -- it is a utility, and has a duty to the public that seems to take a back seat.

Is it time yet? It seems well past time.