Recount of dirty system doesn't help matter

I wish that the integrity of the voting process had been restored. However, I am unappeased by the purported results of the extensive, expensive recount of ballots from the 1998 November election.

The charade was overseen by selected observers and a few media personnel who apparently lost interest after a couple of days. The schemers must have patted themselves on their backs, having fooled the people again.

The chief elections officer and others just wanted to hang onto their positions. No one is ready to work toward a better society by changing a failing system that appears rotten to the core.

By keeping elections secret, fraud cannot be detected; by increasing the mudslinging and dirty tactics, politics drive decent citizens away from voting.

Thus, the minority -- represented largely by government and union employees -- rules. This self-serving shortsightedness has ruined us, and no one wants to 'fess up. Pity the people of Hawaii for their ignorance and gullibility.

Melissa Yee

Estates are rallying to help Bishop

The revelation that Campbell Estate trustees are advising Oswald Stender on Bishop Estate matters is further evidence of the abuse of land monopolies.

Hawaii's economic crisis was created, in part, by the alliance of the Bishop, Campbell and Damon estates using their political connections and concentrated land ownership to artificially inflate prices.

A few reaped huge profits at the expense of everyone else. The money was moved into mainland investments. Imagine how different our economy would be today if it had been invested in Hawaii.

The land monopoly would have been dismembered long ago, if not for Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate. Its benevolent purpose provided the social and political justification to leave all of the estates alone.

Now the attacks on KS/BE have made the "for-profit" estates nervous. Did Campbell's trustees decide they needed to protect their own special status? Is that why they are involved in Bishop Estate?

The real question may be whether those residents who don't have rich ancestors will have the political strength to fight back.

Adrienne Yoshihara

Campbell 'helping' Bishop looks suspicious

Bishop Estate and Campbell Estate compete for development rights, tenants and even water from Waiahole ditch. Why would Campbell's trustees think they have a right to meddle with the Bishop Estate?

Their motives are obviously to undermine their competition. This may be good for the handful of people who divide up Campbell Estate's millions each year, but it is a threat to Kamehameha Schools and the education of Hawaiian children.

The attorney general has been diligent in tracking the abuses of Princess Pauahi's legacy. She needs to look into the Campbell Estate's machinations and put a stop to them now.

Scott Coulter
Kaneohe

State should investigate leasehold system

What I pay for gasoline is a mere pittance compared to what local land barons charge me to lease the land under my house. Now we learn that the Campbell Estate trustees are counseling the Bishop Estate trustees.

I humbly request that Attorney General Margery Bronster put the gasoline lawsuit on the back burner and go after the robber baron trustees who are truly taking us for all we've got.

Marian Cox
Kapolei

Bishop Estate Archive

Tamotu Tagoai deserves benefit of doubt

The administration of St. Louis School strongly disagrees with the recounting of events in your March 29 issue.

We were not aware of the extent of Tamotu Tagoai's alleged juvenile record. Furthermore, there was never any conversation between former St. Louis teacher Gerilyn Corpuz and this administration regarding his alleged juvenile record, as that would be confidential information.

St. Louis offers education to young men of various backgrounds in an effort to give them an opportunity to succeed in life. This is central to the Catholic tradition.

Tamotu Tagoai has been at St. Louis for almost two years. He has a 3.67 grade point average and had no disciplinary problems prior to the alleged incident of Feb. 8.

We ask that the public reserve judgment regarding his guilt or innocence until the facts emerge through the legal process. Every citizen deserves that right.

Fr. Mario Pariante
President,
St. Louis School

U.S. shouldn't risk getting Russia mad

The Russians still have a couple of thousand nuclear warheads targeted at American cities, and the launch-officers in command make less than $6 an hour, if they are paid at all. To forget their problems, they all get drunk as skunks on Saturday nights.

Does it make sense to flex our muscle in Kosovo and offend Russia over an issue that has no American interest at stake?

Clinton should not be playing with fire in the Balkans because "it feels good." He should stick to domestic affairs and leave Realpolitik to grown men like Henry Kissinger. I'll take Richard Nixon over this president any day.

John M. Shubert

Chandler's department needs more support

Regarding the reappointment of Susan Chandler to head the Department of Human Services, perhaps she and her people could do more about investigating allegations of abuse and monitoring cases if we gave them the tools needed to do the job, such as better funding and laws.

We could explore a citizen's committee to review cases and make recommendations on whether an abused child should be returned to an abusive caregiver.

If we truly are sick at heart over the number of abused children, we as well as our lawmakers and judicial system must take the firm stand that domestic violence of any kind will not be tolerated.

When someone chooses to do drugs, drink and abuse the people around them, they have decided what is most important -- and it is not the ones who love and trust them.

Sandra Meehan
Ewa Beach

"My boyfriend was a little astonished to find out I play bagpipes. But I haven't given him much time to object!" Erin Brown KHNL weather reporter One of the pipers who will perform at Saturday's Hawaiian Scottish Festival & Games at Kapiolani Park "I guess the work starts again in earnest." Dwayne Yoshina Chief Elections officer On being reappointed by a 3-2 vote after problems in last year's elections

Hawaiians aren't getting what they are due

This is in reference to two March 23 letters to the editor from James Ko and Art Todd. Both questioned why "free" tuition must be made available for Hawaiian students to attend the University of Hawaii.

Ko suggested that Bishop Estate should pay for the tuition and Todd asked, "Where does this end?"

How about this suggestion? Instead of talking about endings, let's talk about beginnings. How about giving Hawaiians back their ceded lands or at least the monies derived from same that legally belong to them and which have not been forthcoming? Is anyone's level of consciousness being raised here?

W. Keakaokalani Williams
Kailua
Via the Internet

Tourism isn't the answer to isle's economic woes

I was disheartened to read about Mayor Maryanne Kusaka's proposition to extend the Kauai Airport runway to accommodate large trans-continental airplanes.

When will elected officials realize that tourism is no longer a sufficient remedy for Hawaii's economic problems? Can't they see that no matter how many new hotels or convention centers are built, it still won't save Hawaii?

Students like myself leave the islands for nine months out of the year for school. When we come back, we see our home changed forever.

May I take this opportunity to address our representatives: Hey, stop relying on tourism to solve all of our ills. Hawaii needs leaders, not political flunkies who cater to an archaic industry which hasn't sufficiently provided for the population since the 1970s.

Mauna Kea Trask
Tempe, Ariz.
Via the Internet

Supporters of ban aren't 'wimpy crybabies'

Ken Chang writes in his March 27 letter as if he woke up cranky from too many sleepless nights -- oops, no, that would be us "wimpy crybabies," as he labeled residents who have finally jumped over to the side asking for a fireworks ban.

The fireworks display throughout my neighborhood began approximately two weeks before New Year's Eve and ended...oh, howza 'bout last Friday?

Sure, Friday's fireworks hoarders didn't sound as if squads were setting off land mines like the beginning of the year, but it was dang annoying just the same.

As to Chang's suggestion to "toughen up" -- I've lived in snow for more years than I care to remember. I have experienced floods, heat waves and storms, when the electricity was off for several days. They were relatively quiet moments, unlike the days leading up to New Year's Eve and, of course, last Friday.

Claudia Parras
Ewa Beach
Via the Internet

In Hawaii, S.O.S. spells entertainment

Congratulations to the Society of Seven on its 30th anniversary.

After reading John Berger's March 18 review of the anniversary show, I can't wait to see it on my next trip to Hawaii. These guys never fail to give everyone his money's worth and more!

Kay Kouski
Moline, Ill.
Via the Internet

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