Tourism already gets too much taxpayer help
Speaker Calvin Say is proposing more tax credits for tourism. Yet taxpayers are spending $350 million on the Hawaii Convention Center, paying over $5 million yearly for its operating losses, giving $60 million annually for promoting tourism, and allowing the industry to get hotel room taxes.Giving more and more taxpayer subsidies for a one-industry tourist economy prevents us from helping small businesses, promoting diversified enterprises and creating jobs for our young people.
Jerome G. Manis
Support of civil rights shouldn't be selective
While watching the 6 o'clock news depicting the celebration of Martin Luther King Day and his civil-rights dream, it struck me that this commemoration should apply to all Native Americans. Even more important, it should apply to native Hawaiians, especially in Hawaii.The real degree of hypocrisy, American style, was displayed by the celebrants of Martin Luther King Day. Where were these hypocrites a day earlier, on Jan. 17, when the Ha Hawaii election was held? Why weren't they supportive of Hawaiian civil rights and our Hawaiian nation?
Lindsay L. Lindsey
U.S. must stand up to Serbian forces
The United States must resume the leadership role it had in the free world during the Cold War. We should do so by responding effectively to the Jan. 15 massacre of 45 ethnic Albanian civilians in Kosovo by Serb occupation forces.First, we should recognize the independence of the Republic of Kosovo. Then, we should put the Communist regime in Belgrade on alert that should it not completely withdraw its forces from Kosovo, and that we are going to intervene militarily with air strikes and, if necessary, with ground troops.
Let's not repeat the mistakes of Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia in the early 1990s, when our failure to provide timely recognition led Serbia to wage wars of aggression against these countries and commit genocide.
Should we again fail to act, the ethnic Hungarian minority in Vojvodina and the people of Montenegro could be the next victims of Serb dictator Slobodan Milosevic, the prime Balkan war criminal. And the security role of the U.S. in Europe and NATO will be further diminished.
Oliver Schultz
Ohana Conference is great tool for social workers
I am writing to clarify who should receive credit for developing and implementing the Ohana Conference, a very program available to Child Protective Services social workers like me.The Ohana Conference allows us to work hands on, with the whole family, in determining what services are in the child's best interest. This program is by no means a cure-all to the problem of child abuse and neglect, however, it is a well-rounded and solution-focused tool.
Many institutions have been instrumental in its initial development. They include the Family Court, the Department of Human Services, the Waianae community, the National Counsel of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and other Family Court jurisdictions. Each shared their manao as to how to better shape this program.
The greatest impact, however, has been made by three strong, nurturing and genuine individuals: Arlynna Howell-Livingston, Laurie Tochiki and Dawn Slaten. These dedicated women have given their hearts and souls to this program, and deserve to be recognized for their hard work.
Jalene-Ann K. Mastin
Pearl City
Domestic partnerships are wrong, too
A headline and story in the Jan. 6 Star-Bulletin concerning domestic partnerships did not reflect the position of the majority of the members of the Steering Committee of Save Traditional Marriage '98.Our position is that we are opposed to domestic partnerships. We expect the Legislature to honor the will of nearly 70 percent of the people by reaffirming Act 217, if necessary, which specifies that marriage is a union between one man and one woman only, and by honoring their agreement to confer no additional benefits than reciprocal beneficiaries currently receive.
In response to the governor's efforts to legislate domestic partnerships and to our broad-based grassroots network, we have reorganized as "The People Have Spoken" to ensure that homosexual "marriage" by any other name, such as domestic partnerships, will not be a viable consideration.
Janice Pechauer
Past President,
Save Traditional Marriage '98
President, The People Have Spoken
Doctors should lobby for illness insurance
Is it surprising that doctors in the Hawaii Medical Association are opposed to physician-assisted suicide (Star-Bulletin, Jan. 13)? After all, for every minute a terminally ill person is kept alive by artificial means, the attending doctor makes a windfall at the expense of the patient's financial resources.Wouldn't it be more humane if the HMA doctors lobbied for catastrophic illness insurance at a reasonable cost? It is monstrous that the families of the terminally ill go bankrupt, and at the same time agonize through the process of watching their loved ones suffer as they slowly approach impending and inevitable death.
Alvin Nakamura
Do legislators have to learn hard way -- by experience?
It took a respiratory problem before Governor Cayetano advocated a ban on fireworks. I pray that misfortune does not befall members of the Legislature before they also realize the necessity of a ban.Will it take a personal injury or fire suffered by a legislator before action is taken?
If the intent of fireworks is to chase away evil spirits, go to a church or hire an exorcist. It's cheaper and cleaner.
George Shitabata
Talk of fireworks ban shows warped priorities
Hawaii has a hundred more serious problems than fireworks. We can start with the depressed economy, drugs, spouse abuse and go on from there.You can purchase alcohol and pornography 365 days a year. Those two evils are more harmful than fireworks, which are only available two weeks annually.
We should put more energy into solving other more serious problems than fireworks.
David Chong
Year 2000 is official start of millennium
Kenneth S. Foley's error on when the new millennium really begins seems to be commonly made -- counting the years beginning from one instead of zero (Letters, Jan. 16).Look at the time table as if it were a ruler. All begin at zero. The first year is counted only at the end of the first year and so on. Thus the year 2000 is the beginning of the new millennium and the end of the present one.
J.M. Clark
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