Residents understand
problems with casinosThe issue: Despite setbacks,
casino interests continue to lobby
for legalized gambling.PROPONENTS of legalized casino gambling in Hawaii have every reason to feel desperate. Specific bills that would allow them to operate in Ko Olina or in Waikiki and Ko Olina were unanimously rejected by a state House committee on Sunday, and a public-opinion poll shows Hawaii residents resoundingly agree with their representatives.
Even so, casino forces are not about to call it quits. They maintain that 25,000 names on a petition show that their cause has popular support. Actually, most Hawaii residents recognize the harm that casinos could bring in social problems and the damage to Hawaii's image as a family vacation destination.
A poll taken by the Star-Bulletin and KITV-4 indicates that nearly half of state residents oppose legalizing any form of gambling in Hawaii. Even most of those who lean in favor of legalized gambling do not want casinos in the state.
Precisely, when asked their opinions about "legalizing some form of gambling in the state," 47 percent they were against it, while 24 percent said they would support some form of gambling and an additional 25 percent said they might be in favor. However, only 20 percent would consider legalizing land-based casinos or all forms of gambling; the others who were prone to legalize some form of gambling would limit it to lotteries or ship-board casinos.
The desperation of gambling proponents has resulted in talking from both sides of the mouth. Lobbyists for a Bahamas-based resort-casino company and a Detroit casino group give assurance that nobody would travel all the way to Hawaii for the purpose of gambling. Hawaii, they insist, would not become a "gambling destination" even if casinos were allowed. Carol Tsai, a local partner with the Detroit group, argues that casinos would bring "more tourists" to the state. Which is it?
The lobbyists probably have it right. Casinos are not likely to draw more tourists to Hawaii. Such gambling venues operate on the mainland, most prominently Las Vegas, Atlantic City and on riverboats (or casinos masquerading as riverboats) along the Mississippi River. Casinos on Oahu would more likely become magnets for island residents who cannot afford gambling trips to Las Vegas -- the very people whose income level makes them most vulnerable to social problems associated with gambling.
The opposing sides on the issue disagree about whether the cost of those problems -- in both monetary and societal terms -- exceeds the possible tax revenue collected from casinos. Until that issue is resolved, Hawaii's safe bet is to stay gambling-free.
Take Paradise Park,
add ecosystem centerThe issue: The University of Hawaii
proposes a research facility at the
defunct tourist attraction.The University of Hawaii's plan to buy the former Paradise Park site and surrounding land for an ecosystem center makes good sense. The proposal would pull together private-public partnerships to serve students, faculty and researchers and could spur economic development in the state. If the proposition is an indication of the enterprises president Evan Dobelle is embracing, the university's future looks bright.
The university has signed a purchase agreement to acquire 150 acres in the back of Manoa Valley. The land includes the 47.5-acre Paradise Park, a tourist attraction that displayed birds and tropical plants until it closed in 1994 for lack of business.
A bill being considered by the state Legislature would establish the Pacific Ecosystem Science Center where UH, federal and state land management and research agencies and private conservation groups could work together.
The center would take advantage of Hawaii's unusual environmental character to study endangered plants and animals, evolutionary biology, conservation and archaeology. Medical research to examine links between ecosystems and disease, such as dengue fever, would be included.
Data emerging from the various programs could stimulate new business and products to broaden the state's economy. The center could develop methods to eliminate pests such as fruit flies that threaten crops in Hawaii and on the mainland, a potentially lucrative endeavor. Moreover, it would help the state address environmental hazards, such as miconia and other invasive species.
The site's proximity to UH's Manoa campus is a good fit for researchers. At present, they must travel to the North Shore or Windward Oahu for field work. The area's biology and geology would provide a living laboratory for students and faculty. The adjacent Lyon Arboretum further enhances the setting.
The center is the kind of venture through which the university can excel. It integrates varied academic disciplines and focuses on research suited to and needed in Hawaii. Lawmakers should approve the bill for its creation.
The idea for the center was conceived before Dobelle's arrival. That the new president and his team are taking up on it suggests they are listening to the university's rank and file, as Dobelle has promised. Let's hope there's more to come.
Published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press.Don Kendall, Publisher
Frank Bridgewater, managing editor 529-4791; fbridgewater@starbulletin.com
Michael Rovner, assistant managing editor 529-4768; mrovner@starbulletin.com
Lucy Young-Oda, assistant managing editor 529-4762; lyoungoda@starbulletin.comRichard Halloran, editorial page director, 529-4790; rhalloran@starbulletin.com
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin (USPS 249460) is published daily by
John Flanagan, contributing editor 294-3533; jflanagan@starbulletin.com
Oahu Publications at 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.
Periodicals postage paid at Honolulu, Hawaii. Postmaster: Send address changes to
Star-Bulletin, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802.
