Republicans can balance political power

If Larry Solomon (Letters, July 30) can't understand that a very large and inefficient state government induces Hawaii's problems, he is obviously blinded by his political bias.

Sen. Sam Slom is right when he says we can make state government efficient and productive. We can help reduce the number of people in unemployment lines by returning control of the economy to the businesses and working men and women of Hawaii, not state government.

We can "right size" state government without laying off one employee through attrition.

To Solomon and others who subscribe to the Democrat monopoly in Hawaii, I say the proof is in the performance. If nothing else, Hawaii's government needs political balance and that means electing Republicans.

Sen. Fred Hemmings
R, Kailua-Waimanalo

TV news director was not a 'loser'

I disagree with your categorizing Wally Zimmerman, former news director at KHON and KITV, as a "loser" in Sunday's Hawaii Inc. section.

Yes, he has now been released by two television stations (and one general manager). But he's still not a loser. During his tenure as news director at KHON, he helped build the base for what became, and still is, the No. 1 television news in Hawaii. He always treated his employees -- some of whom now write for the Star-Bulletin -- with respect, and never forgot the responsibilities of professional journalism. He carried these same values to KITV, currently Hawaii's No. 2 television news.

While the exact reasons for his being let go are not public knowledge, to categorize Wally Zimmerman as a "loser" is to not see the bigger picture.

Roy Kimura

BEI isn't affected by sale involving Brewer

There has been a lot of coverage on the sale of several assets of C. Brewer lately, which has caused some concern and confusion on the part of vendors and employees of BEI (Brewer Environmental Industries).

Not mentioned in any of the articles is that BEI is unaffected by the sale. BEI is a company owned by C. Brewer stockholders, which was spun off as a separate LLC two years ago. This is just to affirm that BEI is alive and well, and operating in numerous areas including stevedoring, trucking, freight-forwarding, lab testing, industrial chemicals, fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, metal building construction, environmental remediation and power generation for the Hilo area. BEI employs 350 people and just recognized its 111th anniversary and plans to be around for another 111 years.

Stephen W. Knox
CEO and president, BEI

[QUOTABLES] "I have mixed emotions. The 'Kam' is a big and wonderful part of my life." Howard Grover, Member of the original crew of the USS Kamehameha, last of the Benjamin Franklin-class nuclear submarines commissioned in 1965 and deactivated this week in a ceremony at Pearl Harbor. "It was the worst trip of my life. I feel like my last name." Lisa Moody, Waianae resident who was a passenger aboard an American Trans Air flight from New York to Honolulu that was delayed several times and finally arrived a day and a half late Wednesday. "Why should I have to sue to make sure the beaches are public?" Sandra Barker, Maui wedding coordinator, who won a settlement in her lawsuit against the state for attempting to regulate marriage ceremonies on public beaches.

U.S. could learn from Israel on solar energy

It was interesting to learn that because the law requires solar water heaters, 85 percent of households in Israel have them, lightening the country's overall energy burden.

The Cox News service reported stated that less than 1 percent of households in the United States have solar water heaters. William Beckman, director of the Solar Energy Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin, was quoted as saying that if Americans started heating only 50 percent of their water with solar energy, it would reduce American greenhouse gas emissions significantly, equivalent to increasing the fuel-mileage efficiency of America's cars by 15 percent.

President Bush has no concept of conservation or alternate energy sources. His desire is to build more power plants and drill for more gas and oil in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico and possibly your front yard.

In Israel, about 20 companies employing 4,000 make the solar systems and sell them for $300 to $1,000. If the United States passed a similar law requiring solar water heaters, a new industry creating new jobs would result and help cut energy costs. Such a law should include a large tax rebate for installing solar water heaters.

Tom Sebas

Akaka, Inouye should oppose refuge drilling

The Star-Bulletin's editorial ("Inouye, Akaka face tough decisions," Aug. 3) rightly urges Hawaii's senators to oppose oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. You point out that, instead of drilling more, "responsible energy policies should include conservation and renewable energy policies."

I greatly admire our senators, which makes this blatant pandering to narrow interests very painful. Their stance also gives power to our president whose energy policy consists of playing footsie with his global-warming oil industry buddies.

Favoring drilling is all the more tragic because Hawaii will have so much to offer the world when we focus on high-efficiency equipment that's head and shoulders above all that's gone before. Micro-generators can supply our resorts with all the electricity and hot water they need for a fraction of the current oil use and cost. New concentrating solar collectors can produce enough heat to likewise supply all the electricity and hot water needs of hotels, hospitals and apartment buildings. Nationally, just switching everyone to new refrigerators would negate the need for numerous Alaskan refuge oil fields.

We've got everything we need to dramatically reduce energy use while improving comfort and quality in our lives. Drilling in our last pristine wilderness is special-interest insanity.

Howard C. Wiig

Akaka bill denies native Hawaiian lands

On Jan. 16, 1893, the United States violated its own constitution in its pursuance of conspiring to overthrow the government of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

The sole purpose of the Akaka bill for federal recognition for kanaka maoli as Native Americans is just another continuance of America's greed for world control.

The passage of the bill will prove once more that the United States remains the No. 1 violator of the human rights of aboriginal people seeking title of their homelands all over the world.

The Hawaiian archipelago is the kanaka maoli homeland. Never in the history of our people have kanaka maoli agreed to relinquish the aboriginal title to Hawaii.

The Hawaiian archipelago is not for sale. Long live the kanaka maoli and their homeland, Hawaii.

Richard Pomaikaiokalani Kinney
Hawaiian Political Action Council of Hawaii

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