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Forget Florida: Hawaii needs OHA recount

The ongoing recount situation in Florida has made me wonder whether our own state should consider recounting the votes cast in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs election. After all, how is it that we have a bartender from Keo's, a non-native Hawaiian from Maui and a former Bishop Estate trustee in charge of $400 million?

The media-engineered "name-recognition contest" for OHA resulted in the election of trustees who are only slightly more qualified and deserving than a Republican secretary of state in charge of certifying votes for Al Gore. You wouldn't wish this on your worst political enemy.

Good grief, are all the voters in Hawaii positive that they filled in the right circle or was their true intent lost in the machine count?

Amy Kantrowitz
Kailua

Cayetano must protect Northwest Hawaii

Governor Cayetano's efforts to block genuine protection by President Clinton for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from inevitable, irreparable environmental damage from commercial uses proposed by the fishing and tourism industries shows serious short-sightedness.

At a conference hosted by Kahea: The Hawaiian Environmental Alliance, I was educated by Hawaiian and commercial fishers, kupuna, scientists, environmentalists, agency personnel and others. All speakers described the unusually fragile ecosystems.

Fisher Buzzy Agard's comments remain vividly in my mind. From 1946-56, he fished the NWHI. Most poignant was his description of when he took stock, believing it would recover shortly. He discovered no recovery occurred -- not that year, nor the next, nor the next for his decade there.

Through causing long-term damage, despite light resource use, he began to understand the extreme vulnerability to any use and intrusion at all. As a fisher, this was hard to accept, but the truth was undeniable.

Please, Governor, protect the irreplaceable, for its value may be far greater than any of us realizes.

Laure Dillon

Quotables "I've never had a finish like this. I've had back-to-back eagles before, playing weekends with buddies. But not in a tournament when everything's on the line." Tiger Woods WINNER OF THE PGA GRAND SLAM OF GOLF IN POIPU On his impossible-made-possible finish in the Kauai tournament, making him the first to win the $1 million event three years in a row "They stood there and watched." Wendy Latchum WIDOW OF ARMY HELICOPTER PILOT JOHN R. LATCHUM Testifying what a group of youths did moments after fatally shooting her husband in Waianae in 1998

President's visit to Vietnam was a sham

What nerve! How dare he! It's not enough that Bill Clinton turned his shameless back on his country and pulled every string he could to get out of going to Vietnam. Now the president is running out of countries to visit so, without a bit of guilty conscience, he brazenly goes to Vietnam.

He went in total luxury just to gawk where a brave, true American died when his plane was shot down. It sickens me that tax money from hard-working, decent Americans paid for these visits just so Clinton could get away from Washington, D.C.

He should have, over the years, stayed home -- working to find ways to feed and educate thousands of our children who cannot read and who go to bed every night hungry.

In your Nov. 16 issue, Clinton is quoted as saying that he "opposed and despised" the Vietnam War. So did real Americans, but our sons and daughters went. As the mother of a wounded, decorated Vietnam veteran, my heart still goes out to the mothers of the 58,000 patriotic ones who never returned.

Anne Hancock

Kapolei road is hazard to pedestrians

There is a concern in the Kapolei area about Fort Barrett Road, which basically has no sidewalks. Pedestrians are virtually invisible to drivers.

My science class and I conducted a test on this road. Cars were timed going from point A to point B on Fort Barrett. We found a lot of cars speeding and not slowing down until the stoplight.

I myself have walked down this road and have experienced the fear of speeding cars just ripping past me. Every time a car would go by, I felt a big gust of wind and thought I was going to get hit.

There is basically no room to walk along that road. On one side there is a deep dropoff that has a lot of rocks; it would be fatal if someone fell there.

Some people say Fort Barrett Road needs sidewalks. Others suggest the addition of stoplights and crosswalks. This issue needs to be taken care of right away. If something isn't done soon, we will have our first fatality along this dangerous road.

Shannon Johnston

Government is abetting high cost of health care

The cost of medical care continues to climb in Hawaii. Some of that is inevitable and to be expected. However, when costs increase arbitrarily and at expense of the patient, the patient (the voter) needs to be aware of this.

For example, when doctors like me pay malpractice insurance, we pay 4.265 percent in comparison to a national average of 2.5 percent. Then, when we collect from our patients, we also pay the 4.265 percent. This is double taxation.

An even greater irony is that our policy holder is required to pay 3.75 percent of our premiums into the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund even though it isn't covering us for hurricane insurance. This fund has never had to pay one penny to anybody in Hawaii. This results in a pure windfall for the state and raises the expense of medical care.

Is this why Hawaii is called the Health State? Is it because a substantial portion of our tax dollars is going into tax coffers instead of paying for medical care? Think about it when you talk to your legislators.

Jack H. Scaff Jr., M.D.

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Purchase of Bulletin is great news

Congratulations to the Star-Bulletin on the paper's sale to Canadian publisher David Black. It is the paper I grew up with and I access your excellent Web site daily.

Christina Waldeck
Torrance, Calif.

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Such great news! Congratulations to David Black for his efforts and perseverance. I would like to sign up for a Sunday subscription. Even here in Arizona, we like to have our Star-Bulletin.

A special thanks to your Web masters, Blaine Fergerstrom and Ken Andrade. They keep our hearts in Hawaii every day.

Pat Offer
Sun Lakes, Ariz.

Bulletin closing archive

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Cayetano has flunked out as education governor

From my vantage as a faculty member working without a contract for the past two years at the University of Hawaii, here is the legacy of Ben Cayetano, who campaigned as the "education governor" -- the drain of talent from the faculty, the sagging morale and the disrespect for higher education that he has shown to our children. All of this will take years to repair.

I hope our next university president and next governor will rebuild the university to an institution that holds hope for a better future for our kids. Citizens of this state must tell their elected officials that higher education is a good investment.

Hazel Glenn Beh
Associate Professor of Law
William S. Richardson School of Law
University of Hawaii

Bronster's vendetta reaped no convictions

Well, so much for the work of former Attorney General Margery Bronster and the state Attorney General's Office in finding criminal wrongdoing by the ex-trustees of Bishop Estate. So far, there hasn't been a single conviction and millions of our tax dollars have been spent.

All that was accomplished was breaking the will of Bernice Pauahi Bishop. The AG's effort was another attempt by the state to end Hawaiian entitlements and get out from its own debt to Hawaiians.

Bronster should have investigated why state government owes the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) almost $600 million and even more to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. She should have investigated why OHA never received 20 percent of the so-called ceded land revenues or why so many Hawaiians are still waiting on the DHHL list.

I applaud the senators who voted her out.

Steve Tayama

Retail is too geared toward Japanese tourist

I understand the frustration of local folks about not being recognized or honored in their own land. I attempted to shop at Ala Moana Center recently. There were 20-year-old size zeros from Japan buying, buying, buying. There were no local people in these stores. The clerks barely speak English themselves.

Why are Japanese tourists the main focus of retail stores here? What has happened to Hawaii?

Last year, I went into a high-priced designer store that was bare except for a few display items along the wall. When I asked the clerk how business was going, she said they had to "educate" local people because they wanted to shop only at J.C. Penney and Liberty House.

The answer to this insulting situation is merchandise from the heart of Hawaii. Have more stores like Reyn's and Native Books and Beautiful Things. More surf shops and water sports stores. Ala Moana is right across the street from the beach!

I buy wooden bowls from an artist who makes them from Hawaiian woods. He sells them out of his mother-in-law's garage in Kailua. If he had the encouragement and financial support to start his own shop, he could be part of a movement honoring Hawaiian-made products.

Charity begins at home. There must be a shift away from the dollars spent by Japanese secretaries to a way Hawaii people can support themselves with dignity while creating beauty in the world.

Emma Howard
Kailua

Election debate continues

Several ways to decide winner of election "Keep countin'," bellowed Albert Gore Of the Floridian vote. But George Bush argued, "Count no more," Which only got Gore's goat. It seems the fairest way to go Is for both men to jan ken po. Or spin the bottle, roll the dice, And if Bush wins, that would be nice! Wanda Kulamanu Ellis Au

Bush knows recount will lead to his loss

By their actions, both the George W. Bush and Al Gore teams have demonstrated they have one big thing in common: They both know that if all the ballots are counted, Bush will lose.

All of Gore's actions have been to get all the votes counted. And, of course, all the Bush actions have been to prevent all the votes from being counted.

The Bush team is saying to us over and over and over, "We cannot allow democracy to steal the election from Governor Bush." Wake up, America!

Rick Lloyd

Centrist stances resulted in close election

Along with everyone else, I have been watching the presidential election with great interest. However, I am not as surprised as others seem to be.

Wasn't it predicted that this race would be close?

Weren't both candidates confining their campaign rhetoric to the same centrist issues, just different shades? That is why many voters didn't see any difference in their positions. They were both aiming at the middle of the electorate and they hit it!

In these days of daily, if not hourly, polling, the candidates were more concerned about not alienating voters than they were in solving the nation's problems.

They should have been discussing global warming and its extreme weather effects, abortion choice, clean water and air, conservation of natural resources, less oil-dependent energy and more equitable distribution of wealth, not only in our country but worldwide.

If anyone examined these issues, they'd see that the candidates are worlds apart.

Vernon Wong
Waipahu

Revoting in Florida would be unfair

I refer to Christopher Hatico's Nov. 22 letter to the editor in the Star-Bulletin titled, "All Florida voters should cast ballots again."

I couldn't disagree more. It appears that a good share of our election mess is centered in Florida.

After seeing how our politicians have acted and reacted, why should only Floridians be given the opportunity to change their minds. Do you really believe that they would vote for the same candidates that they voted for/intended to vote for/thought they were voting for? Who knows?

After what I have seen and heard since Nov. 7, given the opportunity, I might even change my mind.

If Florida revotes, the entire nation should be given the opportunity to revote. Short of that, nobody should be able to vote again.

Bernard Judson
Kapolei

Candidates don't pay attention to Hawaii

In response to the Nov. 14 letter by Larry K. Williams in regards to the electoral vote: The reason given as to why the Electoral College should be kept in service is absurd. I don't know if it's obsolete, but when has a presidential candidate visited Hawaii to campaign? Or Alaska? Or Rhode Island? (OK, maybe Rhode Island.)

When I see presidential candidates running to Hawaii for our four electoral votes then I'll say that the current system works for us.

Or if George W. Bush or Al Gore talk about helping tourism or the Akaka bill, I'll believe it. Until then, we're still an island in the Pacific.

Chucky Santiago
Wahiawa

No matter who wins, changes must be made

In the confusing aftermath of this recent election -- an election that will suit no one, no matter how it turns out -- it seems to us that there is urgent need for two changes in our process.

First, the system of electors may have satisfied some 18th-century need, but in this time of all but instantaneous communication its purpose is both obscure and mischievous.

Second, closing the polls in the East, hours before those in Hawaii and Alaska, leaves many of us feeling profoundly detached from the process.

Such detachment works strenuously against encouraging voters to actually turn out and cast their ballots. When we hear in the early afternoon that the computers in New York have already predicted the winners at the tops of the tickets, we are left with the hopeless impression that our votes are devalued.

The solution to this might be a 24-hour voting day -- noon to noon on the East Coast and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. out here -- so that ALL the polls would open and close simultaneously and our votes would seem to have the value, the weight they deserve both here and in the East.

Ward Stewart George Vye

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