State should properly fund the OIP

The closing statement of David Shapiro's Oct. 9 "Volcanic Ash" column, "Let the OIP rest in peace," should be posted as quote of the year. Shapiro wrote, "Maybe some day we'll get an administration that sees information as a right of citizens in a free society instead of part of the spoils of political victory."

Those who read the article and maybe got the wrong impression that OIP is useless should look at our Legislature's and governor's history of information access-unfriendly legislation like raising copy costs and cutting the OIP's budget more than 60 percent since 1994.

I'm tired of hearing the administration brag about how Hawaii is "one of the most wired states in the country." Without having public information available on Hawaii's Internet infrastructure, that can be facilitated by the OIP with proper funding, our current information highway could be likened to H-3 before its long- delayed opening, "a road to nowhere."

Hawaii is one of only five states in the country that are fortunate to have an agency like the Office of Information Practices. How about allocating the currently unaccounted for "copy costs" as part of their funding?

Don't forget what Thomas Jefferson said: "Information is the currency of democracy." Without timely access to information the Hawaii public will continue to be intellectually bankrupt. Come on Ben, where there's a will there's a way.

Jeff Garland
Kaneohe
Via the Internet

Fight song fizzled at UH football game

This past Saturday at the University of Hawaii football game a very disturbing event occurred. After UH scored its first touchdown of the night I noticed that the band did not play the UH fight song.

Instead, in its place, was a tape. These past few years I sat faithfully through all the home games cheering through the good times and bad. Every time UH scored a touchdown the band played the fight song with pride no matter how much UH was down by.

Isn't it traditional for the band to play the school fight song when a touchdown or any point is scored? I think that the band should continue playing the fight song after every score instead of a distorted tape which no one can understand.

Other than that, GO BOWS!

Grant Hedani
Via the Internet

What would Rice gain by voting in OHA election?

Harold "Freddie" Rice's lawsuit against the Office of Hawaiian Affairs just bothers me so much and I feel so helpless. I am so very worried about my children and other Hawaiian people. After all that Hawaiians have been through, only now the United States has recognized the very wrong done to the Hawaiian people. We are just barely getting back from what was stolen from us. What is Rice's real plan? It cannot be just to vote in the OHA election. He would not gain anything.

It just doesn't make any sense at all. It hurts to see someone who was born and raised here make so much more trouble. Haven't they done enough?

Roberta Mindoro
Via the Internet

Quotables "What's important in Hawaiian leadership is that now Hawaiians have a voice to lobby for our needs." Pi'ilani Smith PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF UH On the greater role that Hawaiian students are playing in public debate of issues facing the University of Hawaii "HNA (the Hawaii Newspaper Agency) is returning the Star-Bulletin's assets to Liberty, who is free to use them to compete." Gannett Co. From a court document explaining its position on the closure of the Star-Bulletin by its owner, Liberty Newspapers Ltd., whose 1993 purchase of the paper from Gannett left all physical assets of the newspaper plant -- building, press and computers -- in the control of the Gannett Co.

Kauai doesn't want harbor renovations

The state is quietly building a $5.7 million white elephant at Kekaha, Kauai. More than $400,000 has already been spent to design facilities to allow cruise ships to dock at the Kekaha Small Boat Harbor.

Kauai residents at a recent public hearing angrily denounced the project as a waste of taxpayer money. Residents felt that the arrival of thousands of tourists would ruin the rural plantation town of Kekaha.

The Cayetano administration cannot stop the project now because that would be tantamount to admitting that a mistake was made and that more than $400,000 was wasted. So the state will build the cruise ship facilities and cram it down the people's throat.

In an era of tight state budgets, isn't there a better way to spend $5.7 million?

Jerry J. Sokugawa
Kekaha, Kauai

We need a ferry that transports cars, too

If you want to improve ridership of the ferry from Kapolei to Honolulu, then allow vehicles to be put on the vessel.

I know the point is to reduce the amount of cars on the roadways, but this won't be accomplished if no one rides the ferry. Traffic is very bad going from the Kapolei-Ewa area to Honolulu and can be reduced by providing ferries that carry vehicles.

I would use it because then I wouldn't be in traffic and I could drive my car from the dock to my workplace. I need my car for my work as do many people.

So how about it? Let's do something that makes sense. It works in other states without costing an arm and a leg, why not here?

Richard Okita
Ewa
Via the Internet

Diamond Head vendor is gouging hikers

Recently, I walked the trail at Diamond Head park with my young son and my girlfriend. At the end of our short hike, we bought a can of soda and a small bottle of water from a vendor selling refreshments out of a cooler.

Imagine our surprise when the man asked for $4 for the two small drinks. I couldn't pull the can out of my 3-year-old's hands, so I paid the money. Two dollars for a can of soda seems a bit much.

Since the state Department of Land and Natural Resources issues one permit to sell refreshments at the park, I believe the company currently awarded that permit is taking advantage of its exclusive position.

The public would be better served by having at least one other vendor or a competitively priced coin machine.

At the very least, the vendor should be forced to have a price list displayed.

Chris Dudley
Via the Internet

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