Celebrate New Year's Eve like the Chinese New Year

The recent Chinese New Year celebration illustrates how traditional cultural use of fireworks can be sane and safe.

It was pretty quiet in our neighborhood, with no heavy pall of smoke, no aerial displays like anti-aircraft fire, and no pipe bombs. There weren't any brush fires, house fires or blown-off fingers. Isn't this how New Year's Eve should be?

I believe that most proponents of a fireworks ban actually favor the continuation of true cultural and religious practices. I suspect that those counted in recent surveys as opponents of a total fireworks ban would support cultural, religious and public display uses.

Raymond S. Tabata
(Via the Internet)

Fireworks Scientific Poll Results
Fireworks Online Survey Results
> Hawaii Revised Statutes on Fireworks

Government has poor credibility with voters

State Budget Director Earl Anzai wonders why people refuse to believe that the state had a $154-million surplus at the end of fiscal 1998. He should look at his own government people.

They have a sordid history of lies, deceit, juggling figures, cover-ups and secrecy. They gave non-bid contracts and tax relief to their golfing buddies.

These bureaucrats and politicians are all the same. They live in a fantasy world and treat our tax money as if it were their own to spend as they wish.

Then, at the first sign of financial difficulties, they immediately dump the ones that need government assistance the most and find all kinds of ways to increase or add taxes and fees. Yet they never cut the waste, mismanagement and fraud.

That "A" rating the state got for financial management is highly suspect, especially without knowing exactly how the study was conducted.

Everywhere we look, we see continual examples of utterly stupid multimillion-dollar mistakes, errors that even intermediate students wouldn't make.

Gordon Banner

May talented musician now rest in peace

Mackey Feary deserves sympathy, empathy and compassion. Drug abuse was not the cause of his death; rather, it was the effect of his inner turmoil, conflict and unrest. Rest in peace, Mackey.

T. Ono
Hilo, Hawaii

FBI should investigate justice system in Hawaii

This state ought to be ashamed of itself. The poor parents of Dana Ireland, who are looking for closure, have been waiting for more than seven years to find out who murdered her. Unfortunately, due to the incompetence of this state, they can't find out.

But look how quickly the Circuit Court acted to sentence Mackey Feary to 10 years for a violation of his probation and for his "dirty" urine, which the court said had ice in it. Yet the test results could have come out positive from drugs he was using for his depression.

Feary should have been put on suicide watch! How incompetent can the state be not to realize this? He had attempted suicide in September 1996 while in jail at Pearl City. How does someone lose those kinds of notes?

I would love to see the FBI come in and investigate the Dana Ireland case. In fact, it should investigate our entire prison system.

Vincent Marino
Founder, Habilitat Inc.

Don't glorify musician for his personal failings

Mackey Feary, the drug user, is no hero. Feary, the spouse abuser, is no hero. He was put in jail for a long time relating to drug use, instead of getting medical and pyschological help, and the system was wrong to do that. But the system is most wrong for not punishing Feary for his violence against his victims as seriously as his drug use.

Violence against others is the crime for which Feary should have been severely punished. Either way, he would have killed himself, because he had no respect for himself or others. He found escape from responsibility his own way, without regard for others, by taking his own life.

George Peabody
(Via the Internet)

QUOTABLE "I think those who have respiratory problems don't want to spoil the fun for those who want to participate; they just want to be able to breathe." -- Sen. Matt Matsunaga, D-Palolo, on a bill passed by the Senate that would ban fireworks after the millennium celebration except for religious and cultural events. "This is like liquid gold. Who can afford this?" -- Florida visitor Jennifer Thompson, on seeing the high price of milk at an Oahu store. "By placing his symbol outside the public office, and in the Capitol corridor, he is putting a religious symbol on public display. We are opposed to what he has decided to do: advertise his religion." -- Mitchell Kahle of the Hawaii Citizens for Separation of State and Church, after Sen. David Matsuura, D-South Hilo/Puna, attached a Christian symbol to the door to his Capitol office.

City's leasehold program is in jeopardy

Regarding your Feb. 17 article, "Administrator quits; leasehold program in limbo," I am deeply angered by the city's administrative role or lack of attention in allowing this vital community program to deteriorate to a level where Sally Cravalho, the city's leasehold program administrator, was forced to resign. I sense purposeful sabotage.

Although no one is indispensable, Cravalho has run this program from its inception. I have found her to be very knowledgeable about the system. The city's administration may well have crippled the leasehold program's usefulness for a long time.

The public has an interest in a properly administered program.

I urge all owners of leasehold property to call or write to the mayor and City Council members, urging them to immediately resolve the problem that caused this to transpire.

Tell them to stop trying to break the system that we have waited so long for, and worked so hard for it to become a reality!

Helen Carroll
Board President
The Kalia Inc.

Little opposition exists against Awana candidacy

In a Feb. 23 article, your reporter noted that some GOP loyalists "worry" about a Bob Awana candidacy for Hawaii's Republican Party chairman. There may be some within the party voicing concern over Linda Lingle's campaign manager becoming state party chairman, but they are a definite minority.

It shouldn't be forgotten that what was so instrumental in Lingle's campaign for governor was the incredible role played by non-GOP loyalists.

These individuals -- many of them traditional Democrats -- were drawn into the campaign because they saw Lingle as the best opportunity for change in Hawaii.

Much of her success can also be attributed to Awana and the part he played as her campaign manager. If he were to become GOP chairman, those non-traditionalists who were so passionately committed to change would be assured of the party's direction.

This would be instrumental in continuing the momentum that was generated in the last 12 months.

David Sobba

It's time for Hawaii to build H-4 freeway

The state should ask for federal funds to build H-4, which could extend Fort Weaver Road through a tunnel under Pearl Harbor and connect with Fox Avenue on Pearl Harbor/Hickam Air Force Base.

From there, it would connect with H-1.

H-4 could branch off Fort Weaver Road, across Barbers Point Naval Air Station, and connect with H-1 en route to the Waianae Coast. A quick look at the map on page 21 of the Oahu Yellow Pages will show the feasibility of this.

Just think how this would reduce the rush-hour traffic on H-1 and make it much more convenient for the many residents of Ewa Beach, Kapolei and other growth areas in the Ewa plain to get to downtown Honolulu and Waikiki.

Land acquisition would not be a problem, since the government already owns much of it.

And the influx of federal funds would do much to boost the local economy. How could Hawaii lose on this deal?

Ray Graham
Waikiki

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