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Forbes questioned Hawaii's leadership

After Steve Forbes gave the keynote address at the 25th annual Small Business Hawaii conference, your Jan. 11 headline, "Forbes slams Hawaii again," and article misrepresented the thrust of his remarks.

Forbes did not "slam" Hawaii. Quite the contrary, he said there was absolutely no reason that Hawaii, advantageously placed between the mainland and a growing, thriving Far East, with a perfect climate and a wonderful populace, should not be an incredibly prosperous area and the envy of the world.

Except for one thing: Our inept political leadership over the past 50-60 years.

Forbes criticized the state's policy of punishment of innovation and entrepreneurs. He pointed out that Hong Kong after World War II was an economic basket case with no physical resources, but had a willing population and a government that let experimentation and innovation, failure and success run unimpeded.

He said Hawaii could and should do even better than Hong Kong ended up doing before the Chinese takeover.

That's not slamming Hawaii; that's trying to lend a helping hand to a sick friend. Of course, the state government people criticized his talk. He was pointing out that they, representative of emperors, had no clothes, and are the source of the disease we suffer.

Richard O. (Dick) Rowland
Aiea

Quotables "We would rather be teaching. We don't want to go on strike and we hope the state won't make us." Karen Ginoza PRESIDENT OF THE HAWAII STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION Saying that the prospect of reaching a settlement in contract talks with government negotiators, thereby avoiding a teachers strike, doesn't look good "It's not just party time. We'll be working for the first three days." Micah Kane EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HAWAII REPUBLICAN PARTY On how more than two dozen islanders -- including himself, GOP Chairwoman Linda Lingle and Rep. Barbara Marumoto, head of the local Bush campaign -- will be attending presidential inauguration festivities in Washington, D.C.

Waipahu doesn't need another retailing center

The proposed Royal Kunia Shopping Center has been in the news for the past several days. While many applaud the construction of such a huge shopping center, Waipahu residents are worried about the harm the center will bring to the area.

They have reasons to fear. Not too long ago, they witnessed the demise of the famous Arakawa Store and the closure of the Waipahu sugar mill. Recently, the Safeway store followed suit.

What happens if the proposed shopping center goes through, as the developer expected? Business activities in the Waipahu area will slow down. More businesses will shut their doors. Naturally, workers will be laid off.

Waipahu residents must show strong opposition to the proposed project. Only when they band together their voices will be heard.

Constante A. Domingo
Waipahu

Ewa board members don't reflect residents

Certain members of the Ewa Neighborhood Board are uninformed, uninterested and/or unwilling to properly address the concerns and wishes of the constituents whom they are supposed to serve.

Four members voted in opposition to the nighttime closure of Geiger Park, located in the Ewa by Gentry community. One member abstained.

These members live nowhere near Geiger Park and reside in the Ewa Beach area miles away. Their decision not to support that park's closure was probably made prior to the opening of this month's board meeting.

The concerns raised by the Ewa by Gentry residents living next to or in near proximity to Geiger Park had no effect on their preconceived decisions. The Ewa Neighborhood Board's intention is to keep all city parks in its jurisdiction open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no exceptions.

Their actions do not reflect the wishes of the majority of the community but seem to be personal and somewhat insensitive. I urge all eligible voters in the upcoming board elections to remember this when selecting candidates.

B. Marquez Jr.

City workers don't want to take responsibility

More from the city's Why it Doesn't Work Department:

I called the city and county listing in the frequently called portion of the phone book.

My report was that the leaves and dirt from the Kapahulu side outside the zoo grounds had partially covered the jogging and biking path and that it was difficult for bikers to know where the black-top path was and for runners to know they had a secure footing. Also, along the Paki Street side along the back of the zoo, the noxious ivy gourd vine was beginning to crawl up trees and needed to be ripped out.

The city person thanked me for the call, but asked that I also call the city's district office and report the same complaint, because people there would listen to me before they would listen to him.

OK. I called city person No. 2, repeated all of this information and was told that the grounds in question are maintained by the zoo, and that it needed to clean up both problems.

Auwe! Do we need signs to tell us who to complain to, like "This parking strip not being maintained by the city," or "This noxious weed undisciplined by the zoo"?

Really, I don't care who does it -- but I do care that nobody wants to do it. They only want to pass it on. Why do I have to make three phone calls to get some dirt and leaves off some pedestrian paths?

Gerry DeBenedetti

Anti-Gabbard attacks are unsubstantiated

Recently, at a school board meeting, a homosexual gave public testimony in the guise of bringing the discussion to a higher ground. This individual went on to personally attack Board of Education member Carol Gabbard.

Finally, fellow board member Denise Matsumoto asked for clarification. She said, "I'd like you to give me written evidence at a later date when Mrs. Gabbard publicly made statements that were hateful and demeaning to gay and lesbian youth, because I haven't heard her demean anybody."

This person was dumbfounded. Someone was actually asking for evidence of his claims against Gabbard.

Homosexual activists have been lying for so long about her, yet they cannot produce a shred of evidence on Gabbard saying anything hateful about anybody, including homosexuals.

The media should have had the courage to ask the homosexual, extremist, anti-Gabbard brigade for evidence supporting their accusations against her. If they had, the people of Hawaii would have benefited greatly, as would our democracy.

Shelly Browne
Kailua

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