Sharing of aloha makes visits nicer
It's time to leave again. Thank you, Hawaii. Thank you for your aloha. In this world where people pass each other without a glance, you acknowledged others. Whether we were walking, riding TheBus or enjoying the music in a lounge, you smiled, spoke, offered directions, talked story or shared a song. Mahalo. Your aloha will help make this world a better place.
Lanny and Phyllis Younger
New Lenox, Ill.
WACKY system proves Warriors are the best
The college football world is considering abandoning the Bowl Championship Series power rankings because the extremely simple system developed by Randy Forbes has proven for the second year in a row that the undefeated winner of the Western Athletic Conference, otherwise known as the WAC, is truly the No. 1 college football team in the nation. Henceforth, this system will be known as the "WACKY" in honor of the WAC.
Here is this year's proof that undefeated Hawaii is No. 1:
Hawaii beat Washington
Washington beat Stanford
Stanford beat USC
USC beat UCLA
UCLA beat Oregon State
Oregon State beat Oregon
Oregon beat Michigan
Michigan beat Illinois
Illinois beat Ohio State.
Suck it up, Buckeyes, Hawaii is No. 1.
Randy Forbes
Angola, Ind.
Frazier should admit he goofed it up
Regarding "Sold out, UH asks for more Sugar Bowl tickets" (Star-Bulletin, Dec. 6): You folks are missing the real story: How incompetent is University of Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier for returning tickets that should have been made available for the people of Hawaii?
His explanation that he would not take the potential financial risk of not selling UH's allotment is baloney.
All Sugar Bowl tickets in past years have easily sold out. In fact, scalpers have made fortunes because of the especially high demand regardless of who is playing.
Frazier should not be given a free pass on this!
Ken Fong
Honolulu
Almost everyone had faith in Warriors
The University of Hawaii Warriors and their fans believed. The UH Athletic Department, headed by our athletic director, Herman Frazier, did not. Thanks again, Mr. Frazier, for your faith in Hawaii and its fans.
Anson Lee
Hilo, Hawaii
Girls should learn to accept diversity
The Dec. 5 article about the attack on the middle school student who was suspended for a day prompted me to write. Although it seems unreasonable to punish the victim by suspending her for a day, the code of conduct was probably breached by her use of a derogatory term toward her attacker. But the bigger issue and concern I have is why, after all these years, is there still violence of this nature in the school? Surely some school official was in reasonable proximity to disperse the "pack" of girls following the victim. And really, girls, a hate crime is a hate crime is a hate crime. Being racist covers all people. No amount of pent-up frustration will change the fact that people of all nationalities and races live in Hawaii, or anywhere else on the planet, for that matter.
I hope you practice pono and find it in your heart to accept all people.
Willow Berntsen
University Place, Wash.
Welfare checks should require drug tests
Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test, with which I have no problem.
What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them? Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping people sitting on their bottoms, doing drugs, while I work.
Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?
Bart Canada
Honolulu
Storms carry warning about power poles
Electricity to the Ahuimanu/ Kahaluu area has been spotty this week; indeed, it was out for 18 hours straight as a result of the recent windstorm. But worse than a total outage was a semi-outage earlier the day before, during which the outlet voltage at my home fell from its normal 115 to an average of 75 volts. Low voltage is often worse than a total outage because appliances such as fluorescent lights and refrigerators "try" to continue to operate while slowly destroying their motors and other electronic components. Hawaiian Electric might find itself responsible for major damage to many customers' appliances and electronics.
But most important is what this week foretells regarding what will happen when Oahu is eventually hit by a hurricane. The prospects are scary when HECO can't even install new power poles on Farrington Highway that are able to withstand a brief episode of 70 mph gusts! (Ninety-five mph winds exert approximately twice as much force; 140 mph winds, four times as much.)
HECO sells us electricity at more than twice the price of the national average. However, it's reliability is unacceptable. This week's storm is a warning -- one we would be wise to heed.
Mike Rethman
Kaneohe