Ground zero in Hawaii is Waikiki

I invite Hawaii's elected officials to visit Waikiki, Hawaii's "ground zero." You cannot understand the devastation until you have been there. We have more than 6,000 victims with more being added to the list each day. Just check the state unemployment filings.

Please talk to the workers in Waikiki -- those who still have jobs -- and ask them about the co-workers who are no longer with them. Visit the offices of some of the bigger names in the tourism industry and ask them about the people that have been laid off. You will be shocked to find out that employees who have worked for these companies for more than 10 years are on the list. See the empty stores, hotel lobbies and beaches. Things are worse than what is being portrayed in the media.

What is the city and the state doing for the people who are now unemployed or soon will be? How about streamlining the unemployment filing process to get benefits to applicants faster?

Health insurance should also be quickly made available to those who lost those benefits. How about a temporary income tax relief for companies in the industry.

The state government has to move faster and more effectively. I hope everyone realize that we are in a state of emergency. Let the people of Hawaii know what is being done.

Glenda Santiago

Airlines need to give better service

How I love your state. After my vacation there recently, I can't wait to return.

However, I hope your state takes part of the $20 million it plans to use for the tourism campaign and persuades the airlines to provide better service.

The need for added security calls for more help from the airlines, not less. For example, I spent way too much of my vacation waiting to pass through an extremely long security line. I am not critical of the process or of the fine people who man these checkpoints. I am extremely critical of the airport and airlines who provided only two checkpoints for tons of passengers. They have always treated their passengers like this.

People do not wish to pay for expensive vacations only to spend two of their days in the airport.

Stephen Austin
Bakersfield, Calif.

Jesse should go to Afghanistan and stay

I would certainly sleep a lot better knowing that the Rev. Jesse Jackson invited himself to Afghanistan for a photo op to mediate a settlement in the war on terrorism, despite the fact that the United States as a rule will not negotiate with terrorists.

Hopefully, he would find that he likes it there and stay permanently.

Bob Towle

U.S. response to terror should follow the law

Although I am angered and saddened at the tragedy that occurred in Washington and New York City, I think we should clearly act according to law to obtain the criminals responsible for this terrible pain spread through the people of the world.

My brother lives near both New York and the Pentagon. Should anything have happened to him, I too -- blindly and in pain -- would wish war, destruction and demise on the people who did it. But that wouldn't bring him back.

We need to stay focused and determined. We need to back off on nuclear warfare, for it will mean no future for our children and generations thereafter.

Do we really want our children to suffer? To suffer more than they already have? Who are we to decide their future?

When Nostradamus prophesied a fourth anti-christ and a third World War, he said destruction and clouds of nuclear fallout and bio-chemicals will cover the Earth and all over the world the people, plants and everything we hold dear will die.

End it now, and give our children a reason to live ...

'Anela 'O Maunakea-Lopez

[QUOTABLES] "Americans know their government is doing everything it can. We're on full alert in America." President Bush Urging Americans to start traveling again and resume normal activities after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on New York and Washington, D.C. "I support all efforts to eradicate coqui frogs ... They're very prolific." Bambi D'Olier Waialae Iki resident, saying she likes to hear the coqui chirp when she visits her native Puerto Rico, but supports efforts to rid Hawaii of increasing numbers of the noisy frogs.

Thanks for review in printed edition

I would like to thank the Star-Bulletin for publishing a review (Sept. 29) of the "Odd Couple" starring Joe Moore and Pat Sajak in the print edition.

It is refreshing to know that your editors understand that readers who buy a hard copy of the newspaper do not want to or are not able to use the Web as their primary news source.

Your competitor referred its readers to their Web page if they wanted to read their review.

It is behavior of this sort that justifies the community's successful fight to "Save the Star Bulletin." Honolulu's news-reading public and advertisers must continue their support and patronage of the Star-Bulletin.

Lynne Matusow

To appreciate Hawaii, get out of the car

Hawaii is one of the beautiful places on Earth, yet we all spend so much time sitting in our cars.

Everyday thousands of kamaaina sit in traffic for hours, trying to get to work and school, wasting gallons and gallons of fuel, emitting harmful pollutants into our atmosphere and missing out on Hawaii's natural beauty.

We should all try walking or biking to the places we need to go, or at least car pooling. We might just find we enjoy the fresh air, the gorgeous views and the peace of mind.

Being stuck inside a car is not what paradise is all about. Instead, make the choice to avoid the traffic and contribute to a cleaner, more pleasant Hawaii.

Matt Snow

Owner of biting dogs is irresponsible

How to describe the owner of the dogs that bite three elderly neighbors on Noelani Street in Pearl City? Irresponsible? Lacking common sense?

I can understand an isolated incident of a dog biting someone. I can even understand a second incident, but to have three incidents within months is just plain wrong.

A. Noguchi

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