New minimums won't help smaller fish

The new minimum-size regulations for reef and shore fishes will not help to increase stocks ("Size matters," Star-Bulletin, June 12).

Remarks attributed to Alton Miyasaka (that the law would allow officers patrolling the beaches to immediately return the small fish to the ocean) are laughable to any marine biologist. Small fish go into fatal shock within a minute or two of being pulled ashore. Those that have been caught in gill nets are often dead in the water after a few minutes. Officers patrolling the beaches are not going to save them.

To bring back nearshore fish populations we need a ban on or drastic reduction of gill net use -- something the Department of Land and Natural Resources has never had the political guts to even propose.

John Culliney

Dem's own doings may put Lingle in power

With the withdrawal of Democratic front-runner Mayor Jeremy Harris from the gubernatorial race, Republican Linda Lingle has an excellent chance of being Hawaii's first female governor and the first Republican to hold the office in more than 40 years. Lt. Gov. Maize Hirono's flip-flopping from the governor's race to the mayor's race and back has hurt her credibility.

Former Republican and currently Democratic gubernatorial candidate D.G. "Andy" Anderson and fellow Democrat Ed Case do not have the support of the party's hierarchy, nor do they have the monies or grassroots organizations to derail Linda Lingle's juggernaut quest for the governorship.

The Democrats also have alienated members of several public sector unions. Because of lame duck Gov. Ben Cayetano's ongoing battle with the Hawaii State Teachers Association over pay raises and his calling for massive civil-service reforms, more than 93,000 civil-service retirees statewide took the hit with their medical coverage being cut back or facing inferior co-payment options, starting in July 2002.

The governor and the Democrat-controlled Legislature reneged on the state's promises to these retirees. The retirees, their extended ohana and friends vote. Considering that Cayetano won by a mere 5,000 votes in the last election, the Democrats will need a super candidate and effort to keep a Republican out of Washington Place.

Steven T.K. Burke
Pearl City

Hawaii law recognizes people's sex changes

Gerald Bohnet is correct when he states about Keala Chow that "He is not a she" (Letters, Star-Bulletin, June 11). However, Bohnet's statement that Chow "will never be a she" is incorrect, at least in the eyes of the state of Hawaii.

According to HRS 338-17.7(4)(B), Hawaii allows a person, after sexual reassignment surgery, to have his or her birth certificate changed to the appropriate designation. In this case, Chow would become female.

The Star-Bulletin has not "fallen prey to a disturbing trend in newspaper journalism," as Bohnet says, but rather -- at least in this case -- is reporting the social diversity and acceptability of Hawaii.

Sanford Okita

Price tag is too high for fiber-optic cable

I disagree with Hank Raymond's assessment that the Sandwich Isles fiber-optic system, which would link 20,000 Hawaiian Home Lands residents who are currently without telephone service, will be a good project ("Cable network builders should be commended," Letters, Star-Bulletin, June 12).

The 20,000 figure represents the number of people on the waiting list for homes that have not yet been built. By the time construction of all these homes is completed -- in 40 years -- fiber-optic technology will be obsolete.

Will this "rural fiber-optic development," as Raymond calls it, provide service to non-Hawaiians without service who live along the cable route? I would imagine "rural" means all rural residents and not just a select group, especially if federal funds are being used.

It seems to me that the $500 million cost of the project is out of balance with the expected benefits. But I don't expect that the Sandwich Isles Communications Corp. will reduce the scope of the project; the money is there and it's too enticing to ignore.

Bill Nelson
Haleiwa

Drug treatment works well in California

Bravo to Hawaii lawmakers and Gov. Cayetano for the passage of the drug-diversion measure ("Drug offender bill ready to sign," Star-Bulletin, June 8).

Here in California, a similar law, Proposition 36, was passed two years ago. Since then, the state has saved nearly $2 billion in incarceration costs and rehabilitated thousands of drug offenders.

Placing nonviolent drug users -- most of whom are arrested for smoking marijuana -- in jail alongside hard criminals makes no sense. Hawaii no doubt will enjoy the same benefits from this bill in the years to come.

Adam Wiggins
Pasadena, Calif.

Diamond Head will need more parking

I just heard from my surf buddies that there is a project on the boards to remove all makai parking along the Diamond Head cliffs to make room for a bike path.

Having been a bicyclist in this town, I look forward to any improvements to bike paths. I often see cyclists blocking traffic, as they must ride down the center of the road on the Waikiki-bound side since there is no shoulder (this apparently is the standard here in Hawaii).

This project should include making available plenty of additional parking at the beach trailhead for the many surfers, windsurfers and tourists who use the trail down to the beach. More than getting bicycles out of the car lanes, we need orderly traffic flow on those busy surfs-up weekends.

To have frustrated drivers looping around looking for parking spaces would be far more dangerous than the current situation. Please don't cause a new problem in trying to fix the other.

Daniel McMahon

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