City officials could save lots by cutting own salaries

With respect to the $130-million city budget shortfall, I still don't see any offers on the table to cut salaries at Honolulu Hale or on the City Council.

Robert "Rabbett" Abbett
Kailua

Modaferri's sentence was ridiculously light

Wait a minute! Gary Modaferri, former prosecutor, is charged with having drugs and a gun, admits to distributing methamphetamine, says he is "sorry" and now he has to serve only three months in federal prison? What was Judge David Ezra thinking when he handed down such a ridiculously light sentence, and what happened to mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines?

As the wife of a man who is presently under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, I work to reform mandatory minimum sentencing laws. I do believe that our judges should be allowed to view cases individually rather than following "the book." Statistics show that treatment is preferable to incarceration.

Yet I can cite case after case where the sentencing guidelines dictated long and extreme sentences for minor offenses. What I would like to know is how did Judge Ezra find his way around those guidelines, and when will justice prevail for everyone, not just "officers of the court?"

Lisa M. Wiley
(Via the Internet)

It's obvious governor doesn't know business

I have been a small-businessman in Hawaii for almost 23 years. I just read a quote from our governor in Pacific Business News that is beyond belief. When told that small business and big business have very different needs, Cayetano replied, "Business is business. (Bankers) Larry Johnson and Walter Dods Jr. assured me there is no difference between the way big business and small business operate."

The majority of the governor's "new" Small Business Revival Force are political cronies, campaign advisers, party loyalists and a few token, independent small-businesspeople. I say "politics is politics," and a lame-duck, status-quo loving, business-ignorant governor will never get us of this economic mess. Don't blame me. I supported Lingle all the way!

Matt Lanin
(Via the Internet)

Graulty, Metcalf are excellent appointments

Governor Cayetano deserves high praise for his appointments of Rey Graulty to the Circuit Court bench and Wayne Metcalf to the post of insurance commissioner. Instead, the newspapers have denigrated the appointments or damned them with faint praise; several letters to the editors have been negative if not hostile.

We know and have worked with both men. We join with Ruth Ellen Lindenberg of the AARP in our appraisal that these are excellent appointments of seasoned professionals who have served and will continue to serve the people of Hawaii very well, indeed.

Arleen Jouxson-Meyers, M.D.
President
Richard Miller
Professor of Law, Emeritus,
Consultant
Hawaii Coalition for Health
Wahiawa

Heteros-only message mars experience with guru

I am writing in regard to the Hawaii visit of Sri Chinmoy, internationally acclaimed peace advocate and meditation master. After going to his lecture at the UH this past December, I was intrigued enough by his message of peace and enlightenment for all to later attend two classes led by his students.

Participants were given the opportunity to continue as students of the guru, but only if they agreed to several simple requests, including remaining single if single, or married if married, and most importantly having the desire to work toward enlightenment. No problem, I thought, until I sought to clarify how my more than 25-year same-sex relationship fit within the categories mentioned. At that point, I was told, "This is not the community for you."

Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised by this heterosexism, but I was. I mistakenly believed that work toward universal peace and enlightenment should transcend sectarianism and bigotry. Instead, I was given the same, well-worn message that has been repeatedly used to shut out those who are different from the majority: "This is not the community for you."

Admittedly, Sri Chinmoy and his followers have the right to decide who they want to teach. However, their "heterosexuals-only" message chips away at our common humanity, dividing rather than bringing together. Clearly, there is room for growth even among the most enlightened.

Tom Olson
(Via the Internet)

Signs to look for on road to gay-marriage rights

Here are some road signs in the Hawaii same-sex marriage issue:

The Religious Right: Stop.
The Gay Community: Go.
Father Mark Alexander: One Way.
Dan Foley: Two-Way Street.
Mike Gabbard: Right Turn Only.
Jackie Young: Left Turn Only.
The Catholic Community: Caution -- Children.
Hawaii State Supreme Court: Slow.

Braddoc DeCaires
(Via the Internet)

Waianae residents were insulted by economist

I am compelled to respond to the Dec. 29 article concerning the challenge to the election results in the 44th House District (Waianae). State economist Pearl Imada Iboshi insulted the entire Waianae community by suggesting that problems in that race may have been due to the education level of Waianae's population.

What she was saying was that the high number of disqualified votes in that race was probably "cause da Hawaiians in Waianae no can read and don't know how fo' vote." I am insulted by her statement -- not just personally but for my family and friends who reside on the Waianae coast.

Waianae has had many labels placed on it. However, illiteracy should not be additional one it must bear due to ignorance. Iboshi should retract her statement and apologize to the community of Waianae for her degrading statement.

Philip J. Morales
Travis AFB, Calif.
(Via the Internet)

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