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Kahapea trial shows administration's faults

The Michael Kahapea trial shows mismanagement by city officials at the highest level. These officials signed off on moving claims without even checking on them, because they believed Kahapea was a highly competent employee.

He certainly was -- at costing taxpayers almost $6 million.

Mayor Harris should quit his grandstanding and pay more attention to his administration. Two of the above-mentioned officials command large salaries in the budget department and are still bumbling along.

Meanwhile, Honolulu City Council members (except for Donna Mercado Kim and Mufi Hannemann) won't talk about Ewa Villages, Harbor Court and large cost overruns in construction projects. They are too busy kissing up to the mayor.

Ken Hazemoto

Mayor doesn't deserve credit in Waimanalo

I take exception to the TV ad featuring a Waimanalo resident speaking on behalf of the re-election campaign of Mayor Jeremy Harris.

This resident states that Harris has provided Waimanalo with more police officers. We have three officers on each shift (although we are allotted four officers on paper). This number has remained the same for several years. There has been no increase.

Furthermore, the ad credits the mayor with giving us a canoe halau. We don't have a halau yet. It is still in the talking stage, as it has been for the past year.

I resent Mayor Harris taking credit for these things. They are promises that were not fulfilled.

Bonnie Nuuanu
Coordinator
Waimanalo Community Policing

Don't encourage zealots from religious right

Why do you continue to publish such bigoted, hateful articles such as Jason Scott Jones' July 8 View Point column? He is so misguided, one has to feel sorry for him.

His statements can't be backed with any rational facts or studies. Jones is obviously a member of the religious right, which continues in its push for control of everyone's speech, lifestyle and actions.

It is not the homosexual that society needs to be afraid of, but religious zealots who want to determine what we, as free individuals, think and do.

We need to be asking ourselves which politicians are being duped by these people, and not vote for those who take money and input from them.

Jack Larson

Quotables "There are darn too many signs, and they don't do a bit of good. The cars are still screeching by... Boy, you keep your fingers crossed." Codie Cooke 81-YEAR-OLD OAHU RESIDENT WHO REGULARLY CROSSES PALI HIGHWAY NEAR JACK LANE On how the highway is still dangerous for pedestrians like her, despite signs and flashing lights to catch drivers' attention "We will do what we can to resolve this, not by rhetoric or heese-and-cracker ads." David Ezra U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE Calling an advertising campaign by the Hawaii Longline Association a waste of money, because the federal courts cannot be influenced by what's in the media

Abercrombie morphs with his re-election bid

Surprise, surprise. Congressman Neil Abercrombie has found some new interests. Now, Abercrombie is coming out in favor of small businesses and families. I wonder why. Could it be because family advocate and small businessman Mike Gabbard is running against him?

I have a lot of disagreements with Abercrombie. What I dislike about him most, however, is that he has become another typical politician. These election-year conversions make me nauseous.

Jack Steinfeld

Statewide survey has collected TBI data

The sad story of Daniel Lucas demonstrates the difficult consequences encountered by victims of the "silent epidemic" -- traumatic brain injury or TBI (Changing Hawaii, July 7).

Stories like this help to educate people about the need to pay more attention to the long-term effects of brain trauma.

A statewide survey is concluding to determine the needs of and the resources available to individuals who have had a TBI. The survey results, together with reports of six task groups, will be used to develop an action plan.

Public forums and task group meetings to share the survey results and gather public response and input are being scheduled throughout Hawaii.

Anyone with an interest in this issue is urged to visit the website www.lava.net/~htbiinfo.

Tony Hunstiger
TBI Planning Grant Coordinator
Pacific Basin Rehabilitation
Research and Training Center

Most OHA trustees back streamlining

The actions of the majority of Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees in approving a four-division budget was an endorsement of the current efforts of the OHA staff and board to reorganize OHA's internal operations.

Although these efforts were opposed by trustees Haunani Apoliona, A. Frenchy DeSoto and Collette Machado, the OHA board has for 18 months supported efforts of the administration and executive staff in streamlining OHA's internal structure, which had burgeoned into 11 divisions during a 20-year period.

The current structure is geared toward more efficient beneficiary services rather than maintaining several divisions created to address trustee interests. Several legislative audits have called for this change.

During the course of the budget deliberations, OHA staff members were adamant in their commitment to the new organizational effort. Accountability is the standard under which the office has operated since the last elective period in 1998.

Since that time, OHA has reviewed its fiscal policies, services and investments and taken corrective action. A new financial consultant has been retained, a review of all money managers' performance has been achieved and some changes have been made.

OHA has taken the necessary steps to conform to its investment policy in international investments and has computerized and updated the fiscal reporting system of the office.

It is regrettable that some trustees who opposed the internal reorganization and fiscal evolution sought to utilize the budget process as a way to overturn the reorganization effort. What is most important is that the majority of the board, working with the administration and staff, have persevered in implementing changes to ensure better accountability and transparency at OHA.

Mililani B. Trask
Trustee-At-Large
Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Office of Hawaiian Affairs

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