Editorials
Thursday, June 19, 1997HAWAII wants the federal government to drop the visa requirement for Koreans visiting the islands, but it's a tough fight. The State Department and the Immigration and Naturalization Service oppose the idea, and Congress isn't likely to overrule them. The reason for the opposition is security: to prevent undesirable people from entering the country illegally. Officials point out that passports are easily forged, and without the visa requirement it would be more difficult to catch illegal entrants. Winning Korean visa
waiver will be toughA program of visa waivers exists and now covers 25 countries. But South Korea does not qualify because 6 percent of U.S. visa applications in Korea are refused. Under the waiver program, a rejection rate of 2 percent or less is required.
Former Rep. Pat Saiki pushed for the visa waiver in order to boost Hawaii tourism from Korea, and her successor, Neil Abercrombie, is continuing the effort. Abercrombie told the House immigration subcommittee, "This is a question of jobs and income, not immigration fraud cases." The wait for visas at the U.S. embassy in Seoul, he said, "is needlessly sacrificing our market share" of Korean tourists. Governor Cayetano also plans to testify in favor of the waiver.
Proponents of a visa waiver are probably correct in arguing that it would boost Korean arrivals here, putting Korea on a par with Japan, which has become such a huge market for Hawaii tourism. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that a waiver for Korea can be justified without making an exception from the current rules.
Beefing up the consular section of the U.S. embassy in Seoul to expedite the handling of visa applications and taking other steps to make the process more convenient could be a partial solution that Hawaii's representatives should support if the bid for a waiver fails.
NO American company has developed a more wholesome image over the years than the Walt Disney Co. It seems strange, then, that the Southern Baptists should single out Disney and its subsidiaries as targets of a boycott, accusing them of promoting homosexuality. The entertainment giant has indeed taken progressive strides in recent years to recognize gay lifestyles. To the extent that has promoted tolerance of gay rights, the company has performed an important service. Boycott of Disney
THERE will undoubtedly be fierce resistance, but the Senate Finance Committee's vote to require Medicare beneficiaries with incomes above $50,000 to pay more of their physicians' fees deserves support. This is the sort of policy change needed to save Medicare from going broke. Medicare and the rich
It is perfectly reasonable to expect those who can afford to do so to foot a larger share of their physicians' bills. Not only that: Without some such changes Medicare will go broke.
Rupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor
