Culprits go unpunished in Dana Ireland case

I grew up on Oahu over 50 years ago. Every summer, I come back to visit and see the changes.

As the plane comes down for a landing at Honolulu Airport, I look at the skyline from Pearl Harbor to Waikiki. When I drive over the new H-3, I see the beautiful valley now available for the appreciation of drivers. Some change is good.

Yet every summer, for the past eight years, I have come home to find one thing that hasn't changed: The Dana Ireland murder case has yet to go to trial and the culprits remain unpunished. Auwe!

A.M. Williams
Kailua

Majority on Council should be ashamed

I am dismayed that the City Council raised taxes and assumed that there was no place to cut in the budget. To approve a property tax rate increase in the face of so many unanswered questions defies logic. For example:

How did the city go from "needing" a garbage fee to balance the budget and then magically finding $23 million to do away with that fee, as well as the proposed increase in municipal golf fees?

How was Chairman Jon Yoshimura able to say that the $10 million for union pay raises would be "found" by the mayor, implying that there was money out there -- somewhere -- without providing specifics?

Why is the city adding 24 positions to the payroll? Why can't some vacant but funded jobs be abolished, if they haven't been shown to be essential?

How discouraging there are so few voices on the Council demanding accountability. Despite protestations, the new majority looks like nothing more than a rubber stamp for the mayor.

Ann Nakamura
Mililani

Public won't forget tax-raising City Council

On June 9, the City Council passed Res. 99-71 by a vote of 5-4. It did so after receiving hundreds of opposition faxes and phone messages, after seeing a gallery packed to standing room with protesting taxpayers, and after receiving and hearing opposition testimony all day long. Some 40 speakers collectively represented many thousands of taxpayers.

The Taxpayer Coalition and others who opposed the resolution will not forget what happened. We are profoundly disappointed in those members who voted to increase our property taxes: Jon Yoshimura, Duke Bainum, Steve Holmes, John DeSoto and Rene Mansho. We will associate their names and futures with this action for some time to come.

Mayor Harris, the architect of this awful resolution, somehow compromised these council members to reach this ruinous result. Wednesday's vote was head-in-the-sand, same-ol', same ol' on a critical issue in critical times.

Those present could conclude only that the vote was a backroom deal done for all the wrong reasons, hauntingly similar to the rejection of Attorney General Margery Bronster by the state Senate. The reasons given were contrived, and flatly ignored economic realities.

Jay M. Fidell
Taxpayer Coalition

Quotables "By the time I was 17, I realized that I had to get off the rock and go, go, go. The mainland was big, different and white. Ironically, I find now that I miss many things about Hawaii." John Moritsugu SAN FRANCISCO FILMMAKER On his transformation from Punahou student to alternative art-film producer "I'm within 15 feet of the cats year-round. It's just (like) playing with my kids." Khris Allen BENGAL TIGER SHOW TRAINER Considering the several-hundred-pound tigers, now performing at the Honolulu Jaycees 50th State Fair, to be just like pets

Why not ban other ads in newspaper?

I was interested to learn that your newspaper will no longer accept tobacco advertising. While I don't dispute that you are within your rights to make such a decision, I question your logic in light of other ads you accept. Your publication still runs ads for alcoholic beverages, "gentlemen's clubs" and films with extreme violence.

While alcohol can be responsibly used by many, some would argue that any ad putting beer, wine and spirits "on sale" is promoting the use of these substances.

Is it responsible to run ads for clubs whose sole purpose is to promote the objectification of women? While some of the establishments feature more or less straightforward "exotic dancing," what about those "massage" and "relaxation" outlets that are pretty much nothing more than fronts for prostitution?

And with Clinton proclaiming Hollywood's responsibility to our country's youth in light of the recent tragedy in Colorado, how can you in good conscience run ads for movies like "The Matrix"?

Where is your paper going to draw the line in determining what is "good" for your readers? While I applaud your civic mindedness, your energy might be better spent getting Hawaii's young people to the point where they may actually be able to read your publication, regardless of ad content.

Euphrosyne V.E. Rushforth

Clowns abound on political scene

Apparently, the season may become noted for having produced some of the best comedy routines since Abbott and Costello produced "Who's on First?"

I heard Dan Quayle argue that President Clinton and his associates deserved blame rather than praise for their role in the Kosovo victory -- achieved primarily through bombing from high altitudes. Blame? It's the first major war in history in which the winning side suffered no combat casualties! Even Trent Lott may have trouble topping Quayle for his argument's sheer absurdity.

Meanwhile, on the Hawaii scene, Sen. Marshall Ige's hint, as reported in your June 5 issue, that the state Senate would open an inquiry into the conduct of former Attorey General Margery Bronster is almost as absurd as Bishop Estate trustee Henry Peters' earlier threat to sue the IRS.

Bring on the clowns!

Robert B. Buchele

It's easy to criticize Jesse Jackson's efforts

I'm sure the families of the three young U.S. soldiers taken prisoner by the Serbs would strongly disagree with your June 8 editorial view that "somebody should tell (the Rev. Jesse Jackson) to stay at home" when it comes to negotiating the release of POWS.

I'm equally certain that the families of the captured Australian aid workers would welcome Jackson's efforts to secure the release of their loved ones.

It's easy for you to carp about Jackson's "posturing." When do politicians, pundits or editorial writers do anything else?

Faye Kennedy

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