Quotables "I know what it's like to be in the system." Rosie Tennis, Youth governor of the 52nd annual YMCA Youth Legislature, saying she would like to study social work and family law. Tennis, 18, a foster child for five years, dropped out of school three years ago but joined a Leeward YMCA program and eventually obtained her G.E.D. "You shouldn't get mad at this test; get even with it." Andrea Zimmer, Director of the Hawaii office of Princeton Review, a test preparation company, teaching Kaimuki High School students how to boost their SAT scores

Board elections bring on Florida deja vu

After this past election year, you would expect a certain sensitivity to the use of punch-card ballots. But the ballots sent to our homes for Neighborhood Board elections are punch cards (purchased at a discount from Florida?).

Voters will be expected to find a pin small enough to punch out the chad, and then to check to see whether it "hangs" -- and carefully remove it without spoiling their ballots with a tear or nick.

On top of that, voters must put ballots in a signed envelope, ensuring this will not be a secret ballot.

OK, Neighborhood Board members are minor positions, often filled by anyone who files. That doesn't negate the need for the commission members to properly fulfill their functions. But who am I kidding?

Lance Bateman

Editor's note: Lance Bateman is a member
of the Kalihi Neighborhood Board.

Smyser helped shape today's Hawaii

When I first met Bud Smyser in the 1960s, he was already the editor of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, having come up through the ranks. But as a writer, I had a hard time thinking of him as a writer. Most writers don't think editors can write. It's a completely different job, more unrelated than most recognize.

Years later, after he "retired" and began to write a column, I realized that he WAS a very good writer. His column was one of the best in town, well-crafted and to the point. He researched thoroughly and he knew his subjects well.

Bud was to Honolulu what editors of small-town newspapers have always been. He was a man of great integrity, a man who others could look up to. He was a community leader, genuinely concerned with every problem that faced our town and our state.

And he was a good listener, equally interested in what others had to say. He looked at both sides before taking a position, knowing, I think, that his position was one of influence. Hawaii residents of all rank and station read his editorials, his columns, his opinions with more than just a passing interest. He helped shape the Hawaii we know today.

Bud and I didn't always agree, but I knew that his position was one that he thought was best for all Hawaii nei...for all mankind. And I respected him for that. Hawaii has lost a great leader.

This Bud was for everyone!

Keith Haugen

Elected officials deserve respect

While driving to work the other morning I listened to a talk show host ragging about state politicians. He said they are overpaid at $32,000 for 60 days of work and are ineffective, unresponsive, don't answer calls and so on.

OK, so maybe there are some people who validate this definition. But just imagine a want ad in the paper that reads:

"Give up your privacy. Get paid much less than you could make on the outside. Listen to whiners complain about every issue you can think of.

"Put up with kooks who threaten you and your family. Run a campaign for your job every two to four years. Go to boring meetings all day long. Eat on the run everyday.

"Be willing to stay at work until the wee hours without appearing tired for even a few seconds because that's when the news media will snap your photo. And remember that every mistake you make will be smeared on the front page."

Any takers?

Heidi Moseley

Eh, geev da keed one break, li' dat

I wen read Halloran's editorial and da manny lattas to da adita afta dat an feels I gotta put een my tree cents too. Any lolo can see dat da keed's languach was kapakahee but das no esscuse fo make fun of hees latta li'dat becauss da ideas was clea to most peoples (wedda dey talk een Pejun or da kine Keeng's Engleesh).

You geef da keed greef becauss he obvously no can write waal or perfek, but how U no dat he not wan matamaticle weezahd, bra? Da brudda wen write good ideas even doe hees gramma was not da bess. How many times I sees da aditas write in good languach but weet da ideas equal to wan beeg puka?

Planty bradda, planty! To parafraze da great filoseefor, Lucky Luck, (or was it Akuhead?), hu said wan long tiem ago, eef U no can say somting good about nobody, mo betta no say notting!

Hey bra, no get teen skeen, I jass joking!

Clayton Ching, M.D.
Pasadena, Calif

State must keep on track with tax cuts

Senate Bill 791, SC2 concerning the collection of additional state taxes, is being considered by the Hawaii Senate. This bill effectively authorizes a retroactive personal income tax increase for 2001 and repeals the income tax decrease now scheduled for 2002. It includes a proposed food-tax credit that is not clearly defined in the bill.

With the fragile state of the economy in Hawaii, the downturn in the mainland economy and the lack of an economic recovery in Japan, a tax increase is counterproductive.

The phased income tax decreases passed by the Legislature in 1998 have helped restore the business community's confidence in state government and have contributed to Hawaii's economic recovery. The proposed legislation will hurt this recovery and may put us back into the economic stagnation we have had for the past several years.

Our lawmakers should be looking for ways to reduce unnecessary spending to find the funds they need, not to increase revenue at the expense of the public and business.

Jerry Bangerter
Kailua

Pedophilia is mostly heterosexual crime

Michelle Malkin's March 22 commentary, "Media ignore teen's torture and death at hands of gays," was just as biased as she predicted someone like me would say.

I don't know where Malkin was two years ago, but I learned of the tragic death of young Jesse Dirkhising from various media sources. The media hardly ignored it as stories were carried in both major Honolulu newspapers.

Why did the media ignore last week's trial in Arkansas? I would venture that the outcome is, if the prosecutor's scenario is correct, pretty much cut and dried: Brown and Carpenter are going to get punished. It's not due to some conspiracy as Malkin suggests.

Malkin also fails to mention that more than 99 percent of pedophilia is committed in a heterosexual context, and the the perpetrator is known by the victim 97 percent of the time and that the overwhelming majority of attacks take place in the church, home, school or playground.

Her failure to include those statistics makes Malkin's commentary bigoted.

Pedophilia is an alarming problem. Why ignore the big picture if there's no bias involved?

Martin Rice
Kapaa, Kauai

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