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Saturday, April 29, 2000

Ousted trustees didn't perform their duties

Disenfranchised supporters of deposed Bishop Estate trustees Richard Wong, Henry Peters and Lokelani Lindsey are desperately trying to deflect the turmoil they created at the Kamehameha Schools by playing the "race card."

But imprudent and frivolous waste by the dismissed trustees --via their exorbitant salaries, illegal political funding, investment failures and the lack of a long-range strategic plan -- is the real reason they were removed.

It was the absolute responsibility of the trustees, along with the general manager of the asset management department, to maximize the capitalization rate of return to be used for the purpose of educating students at Kamehameha.

The miserable annual rate of return on the asset base of the estate was a direct result of the incompetence of the failed trustees.

Rod Ferreira
President, Kamehameha Schools Alumni Association
Waimea/Kohala Sub-Region
Kamuela, Hawaii

Navy sub's name insults Hawaiians

I am extremely disturbed that one of this country's $2-billion nuclear attack submarines is being named the USS Hawaii. It is an affront to the reconciliation process.

Hawaii is a sacred name to the Hawaiian people, and the use of it by the American military, especially without consultation with the Hawaiian community, is insulting. Hawaii represents aloha, not destruction or death.

The Ka Lahui Hawaii Master Plan for Hawaiian Self-Governance is founded on a commitment to peace and disarmament.

This requires that we resolve conflicts in a nonviolent manner. Disarmament means the Hawaiian nation shall not engage in acts of militarism, or endorse military undertakings on its land and territories.

I hope the Navy changes its mind and renames this submarine.

Black Hoohuli
Waianae

Hawaii helps thwart campaign-funding reform

Unfortunately, both major political parties, nationally and in Hawaii, are determined to prevent real campaign funding reform. They release proposals that allow individual legislators to give the image of supporting campaign reform while, in fact, the competing programs assure the failure of any program to survive the legislative process.

Rep. Gaylen Fox pointed this out in his endeavor to back the plan supported by Bob Watada, state Campaign Spending Commission executive director.

The plan would limit contributions to $1,000 per election, ban donations from both corporations and unions and prohibit fundraising during legislative sessions. It would address at least 80 percent of the problems we have in the corruptive process of campaign funding.

But to make sure that this plan never has a chance, Democrats in the House have proposed a bill for candidates in the next City Council election to qualify for public money if they agree to limit their own fundraising.

We have an example of the same charade in Washington, where Sens. John McCain and Russell Feingold have made a proposal for finance reform and Vice President Al Gore has come up with a proposal that includes $8 billion of anonymous contributions from corporations that would fund an alternative system. Gore's proposal has no chance of passing, but it makes sure that the McCain-Feingold proposal will again fail to pass in the Congress.

The hypocrisy demonstrated by the members of Congress and at our state Legislature is appalling and the people pay dearly because the corrupt system prevails. What a shame.

Cec Heftel
Former congressman from Hawaii

Cayetano is wrong about privatized prisons

Governor Cayetano has repeatedly stated that the private sector can operate a prison more effectively and efficiently than public employees. We corrections professionals respectfully disagree:

According to an issue of Crime and Delinquency, an analysis of "33 cost-effectiveness evaluations of private and public prisons revealed that private prisons were no more cost effective than public prisons, and other institutional characteristics -- such as economy of scale, age and security level -- were the strongest predictors of a prison's daily per diem cost."

The concerns surrounding privately operated correctional facilities are much more than money-based. According to the 1998 Corrections Yearbook, the correctional officer turnover rate in 1998 for public facilities was 15 percent while the private sector yielded 41 percent. These figures should concern any correctional manager or elected official.

Failure by the private sector to operate safe and secure facilities, and resulting liabilities, should also be considered in the private/public debate. In September 1999, a correctional officer was murdered by an inmate during a riot in a privately operated facility in New Mexico. This was the fifth murder (four were inmates) to take place at this prison in eight months. The state-run facilities had experienced no murders in the previous two years.

Governor Cayetano has stated that managing Hawaii's correctional facilities is "very, very difficult." We agree, and urge the governor to reconsider his position because it is not supported by the facts.

Fred Hyun, Milton Kotsubo and Martha Tomey

Don't give ex-Beatle the star treatment

What is the real issue in your April 21 story, "High court to reconsider ex-Beatle easement request" -- that it takes tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars and more than seven years to decide and still no decision?

Either there is, and was, an easement of record or not. Period.

If there is and was one, it has been in place prior to George Harrison's ownership, and he should have had a better real estate attorney and Realtor working for him.

If there isn't one, and one wasn't in place at the time of his purchase of the Maui property, then there is no easement. What is so difficult about that?

Can't we get off of this "Hollywood Stars" syndrome? Treat all residents and part-time residents equally and the problem is solved. Now, let's get back to some of the more critical issues facing us.

Jim Casey
Kailua

Rant & Rave column should be on front page

I'm speaking up for the young people who have shared their thoughts in your Rant & Rave column. How refreshing that so many teens feel this way.

Noelle Chun (April 18, "Daydreams necessary to innovation") and Jana Yanagisako (April 25, "Put family first to foster morality") did an especially good job in expressing themselves.

Rant & Rave should be on your front page, not tucked in the back section. Cheers to Hawaii's young people!

Emily Oshiro
Los Angeles

Quotables "I just try to free myself when I'm on stage dancing. I think I can be very effective in my facial expressions and eyes." Tehani Kealamailani Gonzado MEMBER OF HULA HALAU O KAMUELA ON OAHU After capturing the title of Miss Aloha Hula 2000 at the Merrie Monarch Festival on the Big Island "I heard her scream. She screamed for God and her mom." Jason McCubbins WITNESS WHO HAS PLEADED NO CONTEST TO HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE KILLING OF 16-YEAR-OLD SEQUOYA VARGAS IN 1993 Testifying against Richard Damian Serrano, 29, who is on trial in Hilo for the murder, rape and kidnapping of the young woman on the Puna Coast

Congress must apologize to all Hawaii residents

Our congressional delegation is requested to introduce the following joint resolution:

WHEREAS, the apology to Hawaiians, Public Law 103-150, forgot the rest of the kingdom's loyal subjects, actually the majority at that time;

WHEREAS, this oversight may violate the 14th Amendment;

WHEREAS, all royal subjects had equal standing under kingdom law;

WHEREAS, all loyal royal subjects and their descendants deserve to share reconciliation; and

WHEREAS, the divisive wording of the apology must be corrected, if Hawaii is ever to become a great and happy state.

THE CONGRESS expresses deep regrets to all loyal royal subjects and their descendants, for the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 with the assistance of the United States.

E. Alvey Wright
Kailua

Native task force won't be recognized by Hawaiians

The Native Hawaiian Task Force proposal from U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka -- to "recognize" kanaka maoli as "Native Americans" with "a political trust relationship to the U.S. similar to that of American Indians and Alaska Natives" -- is a violation of our inherent rights to sovereignty and self-determination.

This plan contradicts our repeated assertions. We are not "Native Americans" or "Americans," but kanaka maoli, a separate people and nation indigenous to our homeland of Ka Pae'aina o Ka Moananui and now outnumbered by settlers.

Since the U.S.-imposed, ambiguous and abused "trust relationship" was neither initiated nor explicitly consented to by our people, it is a violation of our inherent sovereignty and self-determination.

The newly appointed 25-member Native Hawaiian Community Working Group, which expressed grateful eagerness to advise Akaka on his pre-determined legislation, is not composed of a cross section of the kanaka maoli community, as alleged by the senator.

Most of the appointees have or have had close, colonially dependent ties, and about half have been inactive in or opposed to self-determination.

Because they were appointed by a senator, they represent the U.S. government's interests, not the interests of the kanaka maoli people and nation. Intentionally excluded from this group were spokespersons for the majority at the Kanaka Maoli Tribunal and Reconciliation Hearings who asserted our independence.

Kekuni Blaisdell

More schools should compete in robotics contest

This is my final year at McKinley High School, so I was fortunate to have been a member of its first robotics team. However, I'm disappointed that only a few hundred high schools across the nation participated in the competition.

This contest is not just about creating a robot and exposing students to science and technology. It is about creating a team. This was the first year our school has participated in this event. We had to get several sponsorships, which meant we involved the entire community.

Our team was privileged to have worked with a stern but warm-hearted adviser. But our mentors also deserve a round of applause. Not once did I see them argue with each other or with members on the team. They have shown that compromise works wonders and have set a fine example to others. Hopefully, McKinley as well as Waialua High School will be able to continue to represent Hawaii in this competition next year.

More important, other high schools, not only from Hawaii but from across the nation, should be exposed to these educational, inspirational events.

Matthew Ying
McKinley High School

Politicos love to take credit, point fingers

It doesn't seem to matter these days what political party a state legislator or City Council member belongs to.

They all think the same. If something goes right, they take credit for it. If something goes wrong, they point fingers at each other rather than face up to the consequences. I guess the lesson for Hawaii's children, courtesy of the state's politicians, is this: "If at first you don't succeed, blame it on somebody else."

Byron Toguchi
Kaneohe

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