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Attorney benefits from special needs kids

It is appalling that Felix consent decree attorney Eric Seitz can collect payment for claiming to represent and defend the rights of special needs children, while publicly declaring his support for those directly responsible for denying and delaying required services to them (Star-Bulletin, May 26).

It is not "his position" that will cause parents "some dismay." Rather, it is his expressed lack of due diligence and integrity in protecting the rights of his clients.

Ironically, by mimicking the state's position on the Felix consent decree, Seitz proves beyond a doubt that the state is, indeed, in contempt of civility and the children who most need its help.

Laura Brown
Mililani

State's first couple is now a two-SUV family

Picture Gov. Ben and first lady Vicky Cayetano in their new gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles (Star-Bulletin, May 27). Maybe we can make the Exxon Valdez the official state ship.

Khal Spencer

SUVs are bad for environment, people

Your Saturday story, "Gov, 1st lady trade up to SUVs," belongs in your car advertising section, not the news pages. Is the first family really trading up?

Switching to an SUV is a step down in safety standards. The government doesn't require SUVs to meet the same standards as cars, so driving one is more dangerous than driving a car of the same weight -- for the driver, passengers and especially passengers of other vehicles.

Independent studies have concluded that 2,000 Americans die every year because their vehicles were crushed by the inflexible frames of SUVs and other light trucks. They would be alive today if their accidents had involved cars of the same weight.

Switching to an SUV is also a step down in pollution standards. By exploiting a loophole intended only for light trucks, the auto industry has produced behemoths that guzzle so much gas they reverse 25 years of progress in fuel efficiency.

Finally, the governor said his new SUV "looks classy." It's hard to see "class" in something so wasteful and dangerous.

Mike Morton
Mililani

Airline merger will mean worse service

As a Premier member of United Airlines Frequent Flyer club, I am concerned about the impending merger of UAL with USAir. Infrequent flyers are wrong if they think they will be getting easier access to free flying, based on United's current policies.

Between black-out days, weeks and months (the summer season, for example) and limited free seats, passengers who want to fly on their mileage credits have to book two years in advance. Even then, they still might not have access to choice vacation periods.

With a merger, I can hear the excuses already: "Sorry, but we have no free seats available because of greater demand."

USAir will bring on a huge number of East Coast business travelers who will pretty much dominate the demands and rewards. So much for vacation travel from Hawaii.

The lousy food, crammed seats and poor all-around service will only worsen. To add insult to injury, we can expect even more flight delays brought on by the domino effect of linked serpentine schedules of the two airlines when extended to the Eastern seaboard.

Do we deserve this?

Rose T. Pfund

Quotables "I get tired of hearing my friends constantly tell me, bragging, 'My son is going to a mainland school.' What's so good about that?" Daniel Inouye U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII On his pride about being a University of Hawaii graduate "It is my intent to bring this hemorrhaging to a close." David Ezra CHIEF U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE Finding the state in contempt for failing to improve mental health and education services for special education students "I'm becoming famous. For what, I don't know." George Yoshida HILO COOKBOOK AUTHOR On his compedium of rice recipes titled, "Hawaii's Best Cookbook on Fried Rice"

Ron Menor was poor appointment to Senate

I am intrigued about Rep. Ron Menor's appointment to the Senate after his unabashed support of Hawaiian Electric in its bid to stop alternative power from becoming a reality in the last legislative session.

Menor showed himself to be a supporter of this large industry against the will of his constituents, along with a large number of people who understood the need to bring clean, renewable power to Hawaii. I was present when he, as a key legislator with power over these bills, told other senators to go take a hike.

If I lived in the 18th Senate District covering Waipio Gentry to Wahaiawa, I'd check Menor's voting record to see if he is representing me or special interests.

Sean Lester
Makawao, Maui

Leave the pot smokers alone

There were two opposing letters in your May 27 issue, one titled "Legalize marijuana and bring it under regulation" and the other headlined "Marijuana is a threat to our children." After reading many official scientific reports of the health effects of smoking cannabis, I must agree with the first letter.

This question is best left in the hands of the medical profession, not the courts. Arresting someone for a so-called crime that hurts nobody else is unlikely to have a positive effect on the individual or society.

Let's put an end to this sad war on cannabis users and introduce a little compassion, common sense and good advice into the equation.

Alun Buffry
Legalise Cannabis Alliance
Norfolk, England

Marijuana should be legalized, not barred

I appreciate Rep. Colleen Meyer's concern for our children in her May 27 letter, but marijuana should be at the bottom of the list when it comes to drugs that are harmful.

The Netherlands has found that, by regulating marijuana sales to adults, their children use marijuana less frequently than do American children.

When we teach children that marijuana is the same as heroin or crack, they don't believe us. They will try almost any other drug that comes along because they can't trust what they've been taught.

We had best get drugs under control, regulated and off the street, so that minors have less access to them. Get drugs into the pharmacies, where they belong.

Kim Hanna
Framingham, Mass.

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