Hawaii's on right track with high-tech

I want to congratulate the Star-Bulletin on an excellent May 27 article on Hawaii's high-tech potential. There is no question in my mind that Hawaii has great potential for increased investment and thus increased employment in this sector. As I travel to Northern California, Seattle, Northern Virginia and to key economic power-house cities in Asia, I am now more and more frequently asked about Hawaii as a serious place to do business, especially high-tech business.

Credit should be given to Governor Cayetano for leading the charge, to the Legislature for passing high-tech investment incentive tax programs, the High-Tech Trade Association and other business organizations and most definitely, to the individuals who are actually doing the investing here.

I believe that Hawaii can and will prosper as we become more business friendly and that high-tech investment and employment will become an important economic pillar complimenting tourism, the U.S. military, health care, education, marine research and astronomy.

Robert G. Lees
Secretary General
Pacific Basin Economic Council

No blue skies ahead for isle economy

Regarding the May 27 story "Isles' tech potential high:" Hawaii ranks low on housing affordability; low on qualified job candidates; lower than low on public education from kindergarten to the university. Housing is basic; and education is too.

How many of these "Thumbs Up" Hawaii stories do we have to endure before you admit "the emperor has no clothes?" Let's stop trying to be the next "something." Let's start soliciting ideas from the bottom up; let's stop pandering to myths perpetuated by the desire to report positive economic news.

Bank of Hawaii is a good barometer of our state. Why did not one newspaper in Hawaii dare speculate that the new CEO was here to make Bankoh an attractive mergers and acquisitions candidate? Group think -- blindly following suspect leadership while keeping our mouths shut -- is alive and well in our Honolulu.

As more and more Hawaii companies are forced by share-holders to hire turn-around leadership, our Hawaii will be changed forever.

Our economy hit bottom in 1999, made a six-month run at recovery in the first half of 2000, and is now clearly on a path for new lows in the next 12 months. Hey, so is the rest of the country; but at least they had an unprecedented 10-year boom to come down from.

Steve Lenzi

[Quotables] "I can't replace Les. I can't be like Les. I just hope I can add to the program." Pat Murphy, Arizona State baseball coach, on the prospect of replacing the University of Hawaii's legendary baseball coach Les Murakami. Murphy is still considering the UH offer. "There's a lot of parking lots, a lot of cars parked in shopping areas. Also, it's really accessible by freeway -- you zip in, steal a car and zip out." Mark Victor, Pearl City police lieutenant, on the latest crime statistics that show the highest concentration of auto theft is in the Waipahu-Pearl City area.

Will Democrats like getting money back?

The very nature of politics is partisan. As a rule Democrats want to tax more so they, the politicians, can educate and care for your kids, "help" the economy, provide social services and infrastructure.

Republicans want to tax less so that government provides the basics and individual citizens can have the freedom, resources and responsibility to take care of themselves. Good politics is a balance between the two divergent interests. Hawaii is by every measure severely out if balance.

Under Republican leadership the federal government is rebating the "overpayment" of taxes to every taxpayer and cutting future taxes. I wonder how many Democrats who are against tax cuts are going to send their $300 to $600 rebate checks back to government?
Sen. Fred Hemmings
R-25th District
(Kailua-Waimanalo)

Clifton is more than qualified for judgeship

The Democrats are hypocritical to oppose the nomination of Richard Clifton to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a graduate of Yale Law School and Princeton University and a former law clerk to Judge Herbert Choy. He is widely regarded as one of the best attorneys in Hawaii. Clifton's personal character and sincere dedication to the law give him a well-deserved reputation as one of the best lawyers in America.

In contrast, Governor Cayetano named former state senator Rey Graulty to the Circuit Court even though Graulty lacked a distinguished academic record, had no substantial trial experience and at the time of his nomination had not practiced law in years.

Similarly, Cayetano appointed Earl Anzai as attorney general even though Anzai was not an active member of the Hawaii bar and, like Graulty, had not practiced law in years.

Unlike Richard Clifton, the only distinguishing characteristic of Governor Cayetano's judicial appointments of Graulty and Anzai appears to be their loyalty to the Democratic Party.

Indeed, when it comes to judicial appointments, all that appears to matter to Hawaii Democrats is partisanship and the "good old boy" network.

Douglas Hee

Don't put gambling on the ballot

Shame on our governor for pushing legalized gambling and challenging state House Republicans to "put up or shut up!" He wants the issue placed on the ballot in the next election as an amendment.

Bad as it is, we'd still have people voting for it who don't understand all the debilitating ramifications of gambling. They should peruse the May 27 Star-Bulletin editorial for enlightenment.

I'm just grateful that our Legislature did not approve legalized gambling for Hawaii in any shape or form. Many of my friends go to Las Vegas, and they don't care for legalization here either.

We voted for our legislators to represent all of us for our well-being and betterment. They will surely come up with other ways to generate needed revenue. I still say Rep. Ed Case should be our next governor.

L.G. Crockett
Ewa Beach

Harris uses our money to polish his image

Mayor Jeremy Harris' fiasco at Hanauma Bay is nothing more than just another attempt by Harris to buy votes with our own taxpayer money. Harris has dramatically expanded the city's capital improvement budget and, in the tradition of Hawaii Democrats like John Waihee, he plans to pass on the bill to the next mayor.

Harris' city improvements and "vision plan" looks good for TV and certainly help boost his candidacy for governor. But in reality, Harris is building a house of cards on a foundation of debt that is ready to collapse once he leaves office for the governor's mansion.

Don't be fooled by the slick Harris public relations machine; it is doing nothing more than trying to bribe us all with our own tax money.

Cindy Oshiro

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