Young visitors to isles gain much experience

As a visitor to the islands, I was stunned at John Radcliffe's comment in Sunday's Insight section: "Hawaii's not much of a place for families now. If you want to take your family someplace, take them to Vegas. There's a lot more stuff for kids to do." And what will that teach them? To enjoy mindless games in artificial atmospheres?

I brought my sons here when they were children, and I'm looking forward to providing the same experience for my grandchildren: the ocean, nature, wonderful hikes, walks and runs, grand diversity both of people and scenery, free concerts in the parks and on the beaches, great arts and crafts exhibits with interesting food booths, and many cultural opportunities. Need I go on?

What's really at stake is Hawaii's future if gambling supporters have their way -- like they did in my state.

Diane Fjelstad
Chetek, Wis.

Gambling critics use selective arguments

The arguments expressed recently by opponents of legalizing gambling are blatant hypocrisy.

Gambling, they say, would contribute to increased poverty, addictive behavior, domestic violence and a decline in the moral fabric of our great state.

I agree. However, aren't these the same problems faced by many more alcohol users and families? If anti-gambling groups are so concerned with these societal ills, why not advocate a return to prohibition?

Recent howls of protest have also been directed at a possible increase in the alcohol tax by critics fearing economic repercussions. Let me get this straight. Sales of a highly addictive substance affecting millions more must be maintained for economic reasons, but the evil force of gambling must be avoided at all costs?

Dan Morin

[Quotables] "Hopefully, that prevents other people from dying." David Yoshikawa Son of Harriet Yoshikawa, pictured, on the installation of traffic signals and turn lanes at the intersection of Leilehua Golf Course Road and Kamehameha Highway. Harriet Yoshikawa died on Aug. 2, 2001, in a traffic accident at the intersection. The crash still is under investigation. She was the seventh person to die there during a three-year period. -- "Please forgive me for killing your mother." Saturnino Millon Kalihi man convicted of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his wife, Erlinda, apologizing to their six children at his sentencing. Millon was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in the March 2000 slaying.

Military unselfishly helps public schools

Our state administration, legislators and the citizens of Hawaii should hang their heads for making it necessary to have our military guests and dependents voluntarily make improvements to our public schools.

Additionally, members of the military unselfishly volunteer to tutor students ("Schools get a boost from military mentors," Feb. 3). With proper planning and budgeting, the state could have made the repairs years ago.

I offer my most gracious thanks to those wonderful volunteers. I hope that people stop to realize how much the miliary members and dependents give to Hawaii before they criticize their presence.

Bernard Judson
Kapolei

Bush budget aimed at wrong targets

So President Bush wants another $50 billion on top of the $325 billion military budget, plus a boost to Homeland Security to $32 billion.

This is absurd. Behind this are Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, war relics from the Reagan years.

Meanwhile, our schools deteriorate and teachers are underpaid. Bush wants a 45 percent pay raise for our men and women in uniform, but try to get a 10 percent raise for our teachers.

In his State of the Union address, Bush gave notice to the "Evil Axis," which should go over worldwide like a lead balloon. The United States will become a global pariah if this Republican team picks fights with every country that doesn't look like us or do what we say.

Sure, the terrorists are out there, but if they want to live in Afghanistan or Pakistan, I say, "God bless 'em." Spend some of that $400 billion strengthening our borders, not traipsing 8,000 miles overseas to blow up caves, looking for some nut who probably has died from ill health, or will soon.

Paul D'Argent

Too many bills, too little time for scrutiny

Five years ago, on behalf of the Libertarian Party, I testified against the bill on the traffic cameras. Despite efforts to kill the bill, the state Legislature passed it the following year.

It is gratifying to see people now supporting the position our party outlined and fought for, but how did our system fail to begin with?

There are more than 2,000 bills proposed during every legislative session. Many of them are not available to the public before the hearings start. Hearings can occur on short notice and may go on for hours. The public has too little chance to consider them. Individual legislators are under intense pressure to keep up with the volume of legislation coming through their offices. Power falls to committee chairpersons and paid lobbyists, often to the public's detriment.

I suggest there be a one-week recess between the last day for bills to be introduced and the first day of committee hearings. This would give the public and the Legislature a better chance to review all that is going on and make better decisions than the one that was made on traffic cameras.

Tracy Ryan

Agriculture in Hawaii alive and well

A recent editorial ("Curtain opens on legislative season," Star-Bulletin, Jan. 18) declared that Hawaii "agriculture is all but dead." Far from it: Diversified agriculture is one of the most rapidly growing industries in the state.

There is a myth that Hawaii's agriculture is dying, because of the visible decline of the plantations. The value of diversified agriculture (crops other than sugar and pineapple) has more than doubled during the past 20 years.

For several years during the economic downturn of the late 1990s, diversified agriculture was the only industry in Hawaii that was actually growing. Hawaii is the only state in which the number of farms is increasing and the average age of farmers is decreasing. Agriculture and value-added products in Hawaii contribute $2.4 billion to the state's economy and employ 38,000 people.

Incidentally, did you know that Hawaii is No. 1 in the nation for production of ginger root, bananas, guava, macadamia nuts and papayas?

Andrew Hashimoto
Dean, College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources
University of Hawaii

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