Go-go attitude infuses new UH leader

At the nonstop rate that his smiling face appears on your front pages and within, ringing its way into stories about our town and knocking on everybody's ideas, perhaps as a compliment to his seemingly indefatigable energies you could be calling the new University of Hawaii president "Evan Doorbelle"?

Ben H. Tamashiro

Kauhi may not get what he deserves

It seems that the fate of murderer Samson Kauhi (Star-Bulletin, Aug. 7) rests with the decision the attorney general's office will render pending the request made by the Paroling Authority Chairman Al Beaver.

Due to legal blunders, this twice-convicted drug addict-murderer could be released on parole in only eight years! Where's the justice for the victims and the families? How safe are our streets and neighborhoods from repeat offenders such as Kauhi?

Cookie Ayabe

Hearings are needed on revised Akaka Bill

As a native Hawaiian as defined in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920, I disagree with your editorial, "Time is ripe to move on Akaka Bill," Star-Bulletin, July 25.

Under the guise of promoting Hawaiian sovereignty, S746 would, in fact, divest native Hawaiians currently recognized under the Hawaiian Homes act.

S746 is not the same bill that was heard last August. It is an entirely different bill altogether.

Rather than pushing through a rush-job for the sake of passing any bill at any cost as your editorial suggests, I maintain that prudent deliberation by Congress may only follow a full and fair hearing on the current bill.

The failure by our Democratic Party congressional delegation to hold such hearings on the current bill, effectively denies those opposing the bill to make the record and to state the reasons we are in opposition to the bill.

This denial of the fundamental right to be heard strikes at the very heart of the constitutional process, whereby those with the most to lose by a prospective alteration of their substantive rights under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 will have absolutely no say as to whether such rights are to be diminished at all.

Emmett E. Lee Loy

Negative comments don't improve Hawaii

What is Haunani-Kay Trask's problem? I was sadden by her telling the Canadian people to stay home. With these remarks, she only gives Hawaii and the Hawaiian people a bad name. It's rude and disrespectful. If she says she loves Hawaii she cannot let her personal agenda interfere with the truth. Using the words, "We don't want you," only shows her personal agenda.

If you don't like what you see, saying bad things is not going to change anything. It only shows what kind of human being you are. If you want to make things better get involved with the people and don't push your personal agenda.

Help your community and help your ohana. We all must make Hawaii a better place to live for our children. But don't be disrespectful or rude to make a point. We all must work together as a family to insure brighter futures for our children.

Alan Kim
Aiea

[QUOTABLES] "They are calling us mad scientists; we're not. If the process is not successful, we will discontinue our efforts." Dr. Panayiotis Michael Zavos, Kentucky-based doctor who plans to proceed with efforts to clone human beings. "We can expect late abortions, dead children, and surviving but abnormal children." Dr. Ian Wilmut, Scottish scientist who created the sheep Dolly, the first successful animal cloning, on what to expect if three doctors go ahead with plans to clone human beings. "I think they will fail, but one of the problems about the fact that they do it all in private is that we won't hear about the failures." Dr. Alan Colman, Director of PPL Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that collaborated in the creation of Dolly, the first cloned sheep, speaking on the dangers of human cloning.

New oil production in Alaska is necessary

The Star-Bulletin's Aug. 3 editorial opposing development of additional oil resources from the Alaskan refuge runs counter to the future energy needs of Hawaii. We are the only state totally dependent on oil for electrical energy. We cannot operate gas and coal generators as other states can. And we cannot buy electricity from other states.

The critics of Waahila Ridge will have a long wait before additional sources such as solar panels, hydrogen fuel cells or wind turbines are developed for mass use. Coal, gas and oil will be around for a long time.

In the New York Times July 22 magazine, Jeff Goodell describes the mining of coal from Virginia mountain tops: the coal/soil mixture is removed layer-by-layer with huge equipment, gouging out 100-ton bites of earth which is then washed to recover the coal. True, the landscape will never be the same, but powerful politics operate here.

In U.S. News and World Report on Aug. 6, Marianne Lavelle describes the federal role in re-routing electric transmission lines and towers through southwestern Virginia, private property and federal lands to grids along the East Coast. And now the U.S. House has given approval to explore the Alaskan refuge for gas and oil.

What can we do for our economic engine? Do we wait until other energy sources become available? How are we going to supply energy for the new University of Hawaii Medical School, the new stadium, the new college, the new aquarium, the new zoo? Nuclear energy? Forget it. The Bush administration won't touch it.

I believe Waahila Ridge is an energy conservation project. No new source of energy is required. HECO's plan is to install replacement poles and lines to provide back-up power to East Honolulu.

Leonard K. Chun

Novel is too racy for family paper

Do rape scenes belong on the same page as the funnies? I was enjoying Don Chapman's serialized novel until he decided to throw in a passage about a woman being abused.

If the Star-Bulletin has to publish such stuff, please put it somewhere in the back of the paper where our kids won't see it. Better yet, leave it out altogether and keep the Star-Bulletin a family paper.

J.B. Friday
Hilo, Hawaii

Presidential perks are very nice

Wow, what a life! George W. Bush works an exhausting seven months and takes a paid month off.

We must all be doing something wrong, huh?

Robert "Rabbett" Abbett
Kailua

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