Get rid of the druggies, not Chinatown trellises

Because "there were complaints about drug dealing going on," according to Honolulu police Maj. Clayton Saito, the city took down three trellises that shade several tables on Kukui and River streets in Chinatown (Star-Bulletin, May 23).

Instead of depriving the residents and visitors to this area of some much-needed shade and comfort, couldn't the police have added some patrols or undercover officers to the area? Imagine! Using added police work on a known drug area -- what a concept!

We should just be thankful that this administration's solutions were different a while back when we were having trouble with young people racing on the freeways. They might have torn up some of our freeways!

Oil countries put big squeeze on consumers

A standard barrel of oil contains 42 gallons. At today's prices a gallon of oil costs more than $3. Why do we hear a lot of complaints about the windfall profits our oil companies are making and no complaints about the mega profits the oil-producing countries are making? We know that OPEC countries are smart enough to control production in order to maintain high prices so what lies in the future for us? My guess is continuing price increases.

At some point in the future the average working class and students will find driving too expensive. They would be forced to ride the bus, car pool or find some other alternative. The feared rush-hour gridlock would all but disappear. The people who really have my sympathy are the families who are struggling to feed, house and educate their children. It is my understanding that the rail system will drain the city's resources and when it becomes necessary to buy more buses and hire more drivers the only recourse would be to raise bus fares or taxes or both. Along with rising prices for food and everything else we might see a massive amount of forced homelessness.

Rabbi's lament typifies baby-boomer whining

Difficult to decide which is more satisfying:

» Rabbi David J. Forman's tormented realization that feel-good liberalism characterizing the trivial decade of the fatuous cry-baby boomers -- the Sixties -- has brought nothing but ruin, peril and renewed attempts to eradicate Jews (View from Israel; May 18); or

» the bitter condemnation of Forman by his cry-baby boom contemporaries for daring to speak the truth ("Rabbi's essay revealed a man in turmoil" and "Israel created radicals that rabbi condemns" Letters, May 23).

Either way, the day of the preachy, gutless cry-baby boomer is over. The adults -- young patriots now writing the record of their "greatest generation" in mighty deeds -- are taking control, determined to save America ever since awakening to the call to arms that sounded on 9/11.

Normal people better buy earplugs. The level of caterwauling by tantrum-throwing crybabies (monumentally ungrateful hypocrites who have contributed precisely nothing to America) is set to rise to deafening levels as they realize they are now sandwiched in between two -- count 'em two -- "greatest" generations.

Some schools can close without hardship

Regarding the bill to identify schools to close and consolidate, I was raised in Kaimuki, where there were three public elementary schools within a half-mile of my home (Aliiolani, Liholiho and Liliuokalani). I am one of the thousands of baby boomers or Gen-Xers who moved to the Central or Leeward side of the island because it was too expensive to own a home in town. Now, there is one public elementary school within one mile of my house.

I don't think the Department of Education ever adjusted to this migration west. As a result, many of the schools in town are underutilized, considering how valuable land is in town. Three schools within a half-mile of your home are not necessary.

GOP convention voting was secretive, unfair

How would you feel if on Election Day the rules were changed to the disadvantage of your candidate? At the polling site you were handed two ballots -- one blank and one with the name of the candidate you don't want to vote for. After you vote you see poll workers wearing shirts of the candidate you oppose haul the boxes away for a secret count where observers from your candidate's campaign would be arrested if they observed the count totals added into a computer for a running total.

After the count, the chairman of the party, who represents the candidate you oppose, announces his candidate won and refuses to release vote totals.

Sounds crazy, huh? Welcome to the Hawaii Republican Party's voting process at the convention earlier this month:

» A ballot with one option and a blank ballot.

» A secret final count of the votes, with the threat of expulsion for viewing a monitor with the totals.

» Winners announced with refusal to release vote counts.

My grandfather did not fight for our nation in the Pacific during World War II for Gestapo-style electoral tactics to prevail. The party that Goldwater and Reagan championed is weaker than ever here in Hawaii to have to resort to these desperate anti-American tactics. We will win our party back.