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Every voter should be asked about citizenship

Mayor Harris sent me a generic request for absentee voter ballot form. This form does not have a checkbox or even ask the applicant if he or she is an American citizen. It asks only for the applicant's Social Security number.

Yet many people who have Social Security numbers are not citizens. Therefore, it seems to me that care was not taken in composing these forms, which are still being distributed. Perhaps the person or committee composing the forms didn't know which residents are entitled to vote, or even which residents have Social Security numbers.

When the elections people submitted the wording for the resolutions to the Legislature, did lawmakers understand what they were doing when they passed them? Any way you look at it, it shows incompetence and maybe negligence.

A complete overhaul of the entire voter registration system is needed, including an investigation into who composed these absentee voter request forms. And, on election day, every voter should be asked if he or she is a citizen before being allowed to vote.

Also, the absentee voter registration form should have that question on it with a check box.

K. Lau

Voters expect to see candidates waving signs

In his Sept. 9 column, the ever-astute John Flanagan, the Star-Bulletin's editor and publisher, made the observation that standing on the Pali Highway in the wind and sometimes rain while holding a political sign and waving at cars is not too smart.

Actually, he is correct. Standing on the edge of a highway while sucking in exhaust and giving "shaka" signs and hellos to morning commuters is not cerebral work. But alas, it's part of the process.

I am enjoying it to the extent possible, but feel that all candidates' time could be more constructively spent. The unfortunate reality, however, is that many voters expect to see their candidates on the highway.Until that changes or all candidates agree to discontinue the process, it will be continued. Any suggestions?

By the way, John, smile when you drive by. The sun always comes up on a better day in Hawaii and you have us standing on the edge of the highway to humor you.

Fred Hemmings
Kailua

Campaign signs help poorer candidates

While I applaud the Outdoor Circle's desire to keep Hawaii neat and clean, and not to have a lot of political signs in public, the fact is we have a democracy. And if we want to maintain it, we must encourage people without a lot of money and name recognition to get out there and become known. That's the basis for all political campaigns.

Essentially, when the Outdoor Circle members and other people who are against sign-waving and signs in yards oppose these things, they are undermining one of the few avenues left for those who want to serve but who don't have large campaign war chests.

Or does the Outdoor Circle want to help incumbents with great gobs of money, and keep them in power for the organization's own interests?

Mary Yokoyama

Quotables "What's best for Hawaiians is good for Hawaii in general. If you don't take care of native Hawaiians, they're going to be a thorn in your butt." Vicky Holt Takamine KUMU HULA AND SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE ILIO'ULAOKALANI COALITION Demonstrating in front of Washington Place against Governor Cayetano's appointment of interim trustees to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs board "Personally, I think most women would be better off carrying pepper spray than the short-barrel shotguns they've been buying." Mike Rosa CO-OWNER OF THE HUNTING SHOP OF KAUAI On how the gun store has been deluged with requests from terrified women on the Garden Island's west side wanting to buy pepper spray for self- defense after two rape-murders

Rutledge still has position in union

Eileen Cabral, in her Sept. 5 letter, asks why Tony Rutledge is poking his nose into union business. She implies that he should keep out of Local 5's business.

What Cabral doesn't know -- or perhaps she knows and ignores it -- is that Rutledge is still the international 12th district's vice president of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union.

As such, it is part of his job and responsibility to oversee activities of the Hawaii union, which is required to be "governed" by its elected board members. He is also available to assist them when asked.

That's an important word: elected. All of the board members of Local 5 were elected, not just Eric Gill. Some of these members have been there a long time. They are aware of what's going on.

Gill should not be trying to go around them. We voted for them as well as Gill, and we want all of them to be involved in our union's decisions on policies, expenditures and direction.

Sue Keliipio

Sullivan should get credit for green thumb

Mahalo to Star-Bulletin sports writer Al Chase for his Sept. 7 column on the new Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex. He is correct that the "Lush Waipio fields were seeded decades ago." However, Chase forgot to mention the identity of the major seeder: Jack "Soccer" Sullivan.

If Sullivan didn't plant the first seed, he was certainly responsible for watering that seed on a daily basis.

Don Horris Jr.

Mayor Harris has ruined Kuhio Beach

I have worked and played in and around Kuhio Beach for many years. So, with all the hoopla surrounding Mayor Harris' "beautification" of the beach, I went to see for myself how anyone could make Kuhio any more beautiful.

I almost shed tears at what Mayor Harris has done. For $26 million there are misarranged trees, an intruding grassy area made for only 10 people, a maze, an impeding of foot traffic and, imagine this, a waterfall on the beach. I can't see anything near $26 million in costs.

It would have cost less than $1 million to have local landscapers and artists re-create and enhance the pristine, structurally uninhibited, sweeping view of the world's most famous beach. What we have now is a backyard Coney Island West.

With Mayor Harris and managing director Ben Lee, both transplants from the mainland, at the helm of the city, it's no wonder they have absolutely no feel for the Hawaiian spirit. They truly spent more for less. They don't get that, in our naturally beautiful, blessed paradise, less is more.

Ken Shimizu

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