It's news when city official breaks the law

City Council Chairman Jon Yoshimura pleaded no contest to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident after his Mercedes hit a parked car early one recent morning. He was fined $35.

During an interview with KITV-4, Yoshimura complained that the station was pursuing the story because he is working for another TV station.

If Yoshimura ever had a sense of news, he has lost it. When a city official leaves an accident scene, it is news. If he cannot separate his political life from his place of employment, he should retire from one or the other.

Meanwhile, other news organizations did not pursue this story with their usual vigor. Did the police hide his record from reporters, as they have done in the past when a government official was involved?

Was the $35 fine the going rate for a first-time offender?

Charles E. Frankel
Via the Internet

Quotables "I made a mistake. I should have made a more thorough investigation into what I had hit. but I thought I had hit something other than a car." Jon Yoshimura HONOLULU CITY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN After pleading no contest to the charge of hitting a parked car and leaving the scene of an accident on July 13 "Not even a blind man would mistake that car for a pole. He moved (the Pathfinder) about four feet." Jack Ravenlock A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT THAT INVOLVED YOSHIMURA

Mainland people mourn Kupau as well

We are saddened to hear of the passing of Walter Kupau of the Hawaii Carpenters Union. He was a hard-working, dedicated, sincere person whose word was gold.

While we were always on opposite sides of the issue, he always took the time to learn everyone's position and needs. He was brash (while trying to hide his soft heart), always drove a hard bargain and never left any doubt where he stood on an issue.

He deeply loved his union, his family and his beloved Hawaii. His presence was always felt when he came to mainland meetings to participate in hardball negotiations and to help educate others on how his union made a difference.

He was devastated by the crumbling economy in the islands and was the first union leader to reach out across the "joint venture and privatization" barrier in an attempt to save his guys' jobs and protect their well being.

He was a man of wisdom and pure heart who will be missed not only by those in the islands but by many of us on the mainland who came to deeply respect him.

Randy Avon
Fort Lauderdale, FlA.
Via the Internet

Chocolate store made bad impression

We see some great promotions for mainland businesses establishing themselves in Hawaii. The grand opening celebration of Ghirardelli Chocolates' new Waikiki store wasn't one of them.

After dinner on Aug. 9, I decided to walk over and give the new shop a try. As I approached, I was greeted by a smiling young woman who asked me for my invitation. When I told her I didn't have one, she told me to come back some other night. The grand opening was "by invitation only."

Folks, we're talking about a confectionary shop, not an art gallery. What kind of business do they expect to do by turning away paying customers? Oh, well. I walked across the street to Lappert's and had a great Kona coffee cone.

Ken Armstrong
Via the Internet

Quotables "You took advantage of your position and you did what you did in the name of religion, which makes it twice as bad. You will be released when you are 100 years old. That's all." George Masuoka KAUAI CIRCUIT JUDGE Who sentenced Thich An Than, the leader of a small religious sect, to 40 years in prison for having weekly sex with a now 14-year-old girl over the course of 2-1/2 years during private religious classes with her

Iowa straw vote was expensive facade

You owe it to your readers to tell them what the Iowa straw poll really was -- a GOP fundraiser, no more, no less. To report the "results" of a mockery of democracy, where fun-loving GOP candidates pay $25 for each vote (buying the vote for the publicity they will receive from the media event), only contributes to the farce. It is not an election; it is a carnival.

Is it any surprise that the candidate with the most money buys the most votes? Or that the best possible GOP candidate might drop out after not being able to buy enough votes in Iowa?

Two-thirds of those "bought votes" at Iowa said the GOP does not want George Bush as their candidate, yet he is declared the "winner" because he was able to buy more votes than runner-up Steve Forbes.

We are becoming the laughing stock of democratic nations. We'd do better by putting every American's name into a huge barrel and pulling out the names of our next president, vice president and 50 members of a unicameral legislature. We'd save the country untold billions of dollars spent to buy votes.

Keith Haugen
Via the Internet

Everyone has prejudices -- even liberals

I shook my head in disbelief after reading Diane Chang's Aug. 2 column about the transsexual canoe paddler. It contains the following gem: "I've always fancied myself a bona fide liberal with nary an ounce of prejudice."

Liberals foster the most passionate of all prejudices: intolerance of people with ideas that are different from theirs.

Not so?

OK, then take this little self-examination. How do liberals feel about Rush Limbaugh? Newt Gingrich? Pat Buchanan? I'm right, aren't I?

Bob Tassie
Kailua
Via the Internet

Pool is embarrassment to veterans, tourists

Mayor Harris is right on track with his intent of fully restoring the Natatorium in honor of those who served in World War I. He should be commended for his determination to fix what is long overdue.

Unfortunately, there are some people who feel otherwise. Shame on them and the Kaimana Beach Coalition for filing a lawsuit against the city and wasting our tax dollars.

Today, tourists see the remnants of what once was a beautiful piece of architecture and landmark in Waikiki and ask why it is fenced off and closed. How embarrassing.

Scott Walden
Via the Internet

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