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Fluoride horror stories are laughable now

In the mid-1940s, Newburg, N.Y., decided to fluoridate its water. It acquired the necessary permits and announced in the newspaper that the fluoridation would begin one Monday morning.

Shortly after the announced time for the fluoridation to start, the phone calls began. A woman's dress had been ruined in the wash. A man's dentures had cracked. Someone had a heart attack. Of course, all of this was the fault of the fluoride.

I understand the calls went on all day. That evening, however, the paper ran a small article saying that, due to unforeseen circumstances, the fluoridation would not begin until Wednesday. My mom and dad used to laugh over this story.

It is time to fluoridate Hawaii's water.

Betsy Alau
Via the Internet

Cost of fluoridation should decide feasibility

In his Jan. 15 letter, John McIntyre said he got cavities after coming to Hawaii because it did not have fluoridated water.

If anyone gets cavities after moving to the islands, it is because of personal hygiene, not because of no fluoride in the water. I've been here for over 15 years and have never had a cavity in my life.

The real issue is how much is fluoridating the water going to cost the public, how many people in Hawaii actually want it and are they willing to pay for it.

Brian Howdeshell
Via the Internet

Black history deserves more attention

It's not enough to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday and Black History Month in February. The time has come for the people of Hawaii to accept the African-American cultural heritage as part of the ethnic diversity of these wonderful islands.

Because we are a global society and the world comes directly into our homes, our children need to learn the values of peaceful co-existence. American history consists of different "grains of sand," and every grain depends one upon the other, regardless of whether it is acknowledged.

All history that is taught in the social studies curriculum should be inclusive of all Americans, not a single ethnic group.

My dream for the 21st century is to work every day to show mutual respect and compassion to all the people who live in these islands. I want the same effort to be made toward me, my family and other African Americans in Hawaii.

D.M. Hill-Guttman

State is wrong about feral cats

I run a feral cat colony. I have neutered 52 cats in four years, often spending my own money. Had I not, there would be 300 cats in my neighborhood by now. Instead, I have only about 20 left in the colony, all of them fixed, with no new kittens for a year. Their numbers dwindled due to traffic, disease and infections from respiratory viruses and illness.

I am humanely solving the wild cat problem in my area. My feral cats don't fight with neighborhood cats over food because they are fed by me. They cause no harm but just live their very short lives under the umbrella of my love.

Apparently, the state is worried that my cat food attracts rodents. If so, I have never noticed any evidence of this. And if rats come, my cats would be overjoyed. Dessert!

The state has hundreds of citizens trying to change the feral cat problem. We can prove our successes. Why is the state messing with it?

M.J. Harden
Kula, Maui
Via the Internet

Quotables "We are running out of time, we are running out of money, the people haven't seen any change and the pressure is building." Barbara Marumoto REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR On the mood as the 2000 session of the Hawaii Legislature begins today "Every time I go to the mainland, there's sort of a Hawaii envy club." Mark Ellman CHEF OF MAUI TACOS AND DON HO'S ISLAND GRILL One of 25 island chefs who will make promotional visits to more than 20 mainland cities to be unofficial ambassadors of Hawaii cuisine

Multimillion-dollar project is not a 'berm'

City officials plan to turn Hanauma Bay into a "world-class tourist destination." They say, "We can't turn the clock back to what it was 30 years ago."

One city bureaucrat tried to explain that the planned 13,000 square feet of offices, snack bar, a gift shop and education space didn't constitute a building, but a "berm." Can you believe it? A $9.3-million berm!

The clock can and must be turned back. We cannot allow the mayor's plans for Hanauma Bay to go forward as is. More community input and support are essential before any project of this magnitude should proceed.

We -- the citizens of Hawaii, not the tourists -- should be the deciding factor on what is best for preserving this one-of-a-kind natural resource.

Definitely NOT needed is a $9.3-million "berm" to forever change the pristine upper rim of our nature preserve.

Robert L. and Diane D. Ackerson

Cuban raft boy should go back to dad

Only in America could the case of little Elian Gonzalez be made so complex. What his mother did was child-snatching, which is against the law -- even in the United States, is it not?

Of course, no one cares about the father's parental rights. And, just because his father happens to live in a country whose leader we don't like, politicians like Al Gore start piping up.

Hmm, could this be an election year?

James Ko
Via the Internet

City is too strict about residential rates

The Harris administration has completely eliminated customer service at city golf courses and, in its place, installed a Gestapo-type operation.

Every resident who wants to golf at a city course must register and obtain a special ID card. If he or she doesn't have the card when checking in, despite having other documents to prove residency, that person is assessed a $4 penalty fee.

Even more absurd, if someone doesn't have the ID and cannot prove residency, regardless of being recognized by the staff, that person must also pay the nonresident rate of $42.

City officials say this is the only way to distinguish between residents and nonresidents. This is bull, because nonresidents consist of less than 1 percent of total players.

We believe that the stringent requirements are to accommodate the private contractor.

David Mendonca
Kaneohe

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