Two deserve thanks for redistricting fix

All of us on Maui owe a big debt to Fred Rohlfing and Madge Schaefer for stopping the reapportionment plan proposed originally.

Because of their courage and persistence, the new plan avoids lumping parts of Maui with Kauai or the Big Island, and our three Senate districts will represent areas that are logical geographically and join areas with common economic and social interests.

Well done, Fred and Madge.

Sally Raisbeck

City Council was wrong to reject smoking ban

Three City Council members who voted against a measure that would have banned smoking in Oahu restaurants, and two others who abstained from voting, all missed a great opportunity to give some financial relief to Waikiki restaurants suffering because of the terrorist war and the cutback in the number of flights to Hawaii.

They chose to turn away 75 percent of visiting adult Americans and 70 percent of visiting adult Japanese, who do not smoke and who might dine in otherwise fine eateries if they didn't have to put up with the smell of cigarette smoke and the risk of disease or death from the exposure.

The errant Council members also showed no concern for the health of the thousands of restaurant employees forced to work in these dangerous conditions. And don't try to tell us that those employees who are concerned with their health can go work elsewhere. Where would they go?

Four Council members -- Andy Mirikitani, John DeSoto, Rene Mansho and Romy Cachola -- missed most of the hearing and did not hear the testimony, including results of new surveys concerning what Japanese visitors want. This is representing the people?

Keith Haugen

Trask spoke truth about U.S. policy

What Haunani-Kay Trask has said (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 18), shocking as it is, points to the dark side of U.S. foreign policy. The recent surge of patriotism is inadvertently fueling a fire to purge introspection by concerned people. What's worse?

Her criticism is more real to peoples, cultures and nations that have been marginalized or destroyed as a result of U.S. policy than to Americans committed to supporting their envied lifestyle.

Are those governments in the coalition against terrorism merely parroting rhetoric as a means of promoting their economies? Are they defending themselves or both?

For Hawaiians to say that Trask doesn't speak for us is an understatement; we are beyond being marginalized, we have been assimilated. There are few today who have a heart for what our ancestors lived for, the freedom and dignity of our nation. Virtually all resisted illegal annexation-occupation and mourned the criminal humiliation of Liliuokalani as our governance and lands were taken.

Michael Locey
Anahola, Hawaii

[Quotables] "They just don't want the governor to have these powers because they just don't like him. (But) this is not an issue of whether we like the man or not. This is an issue of, what are we going to do?" Colleen Hanabusa Hawaii Senate vice president, on the comments she has heard from people who are against a bill giving Governor Cayetano sweeping emergency powers to contend with the economic crisis facing Hawaii "Look up at that scoreboard. This is huge what we just did. We just beat the 18th-ranked team in the country. We never gave up." Travis Laboy University of Hawaii defensive end, after the Warriors' 38-34 victory Friday night over Fresno State

If Haunani-Kay married Osama ...?

In a Taliban marriage, does the bride take the husband's name, or does the husband take the bride's name? For example, would we say Haunani-Kay bin Laden? Or would we say Osama bin Trask? Just wondering.

Donald G. Micco

Let hope, courage prevail during crisis

Even without the terrorist threat of being blown up in hijacked planes or being contaminated by deadly germs or poisons, we all face the daily prospect of unexpected death by accident, illness or crime. We're born, we live, we die. The inflexible, undeniable rule is always one death per customer, no refunds.

It has always been so and it will always be so. We might live to old age and die peacefully in bed or we might die young in an act of terrorist violence. Our government may be able to stop most, but not all, acts of terror. It cannot guarantee our safety, but we cannot live in caves with guns, pepper spray and pit bulls. We have to go on with our lives and embrace the uncertainties of life as well as the ambiguities of death.

Since September 11, all of us fear a premature death at the hands of terrorists, but in reality, most of us will live normal lives and die of old age. These times call for hope in the face of despair, faith in the face of doubt and courage in the face of fear. In the final act of this horrible drama, we must believe that love will triumph over hate and good will ultimately conquer evil.

R.C. Cabral

Governor's record on education is great

Richard Bacher's recent letter claiming education has not been a priority for the governor was off base. Governor Cayetano has shielded education from the steep budget cuts experienced by other departments during the economic downturn. Lower and higher education now account for 51 percent of the state's budget.

Under Governor Cayetano teacher salaries will have increased by about 34 percent, or nearly $10,000 since 1997 -- a growth rate enjoyed by few other professions.

Hawaii teachers will soon start at $34,294 per school year. This is more than many who serve the public year-round, like police officers ($31,812) or firefighters ($31,092).

Hawaii ranks fourth in the entire nation for how much more teachers in our community now make than other workers -- $41,292 (Hawaii public school teachers) vs. $28,135 (all other professions in Hawaii).

In the past six years the state built more new schools than at any period in history -- including new classrooms, gyms, libraries and other facilities. Perhaps most important, accountability and professional development incentives have been made a cornerstone in our educational system, as opposed to a structure that is based strictly on seniority.

Jackie Kido
Director of Communications
Office of the Governor

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