HPD too short-staffed to cover Waikiki events

The Honolulu Police Department is short more than 200 officers. But Mayor Harris' administration sees nothing wrong with spending more than $300,000 in unbudgeted funds on police protection for the Brunch and Sunset on the Beach programs in the last fiscal year and forcing HPD to foot costs for this year's programs "City events cost $1.5 million," Star-Bulletin, July 26).

In addition, the city administration pays for police protection at city events as a community service. Organizations sponsoring events that require additional police should hire special duty officers. If they are unwilling, the event should not be held.

The police budget should be dedicated to protecting the public, catching criminals, preventing crime, providing security relating to Sept. 11 and other normal police business. Chief Lee Donohue should be allowed to run his department and spend his funds on proper police activities, not the mayor's look-good, feel-good programs. Kudos to City Council members who persevered until they got the figures. May they now stop the misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Lynne Matusow

Lingle plan to audit state is great idea

To those who say we can't afford Linda Lingle's agenda, I say we can't afford not to implement it.

All we have to do is close the 300 special funds that state politicians use to hide where our tax money goes. Then we'll know how much money the state really has and reprioritize where it's being spent. I think we will be amazed how much more money we can find to spend on the schools, health care and the environment.

It is about time someone is willing to stop the wasteful spending and tell us exactly where our tax dollars are being spent. I can't wait to learn the truth about our state finances.

Brian Durham
Commander U.S. Coast Guard (Retired)
Makakilo

Governor's critique of Lingle was fair

I strongly disagree with Linda Lingle's attack on Ben Cayetano ("Lingle blasts gov's critique," Star-Bulletin, July 30). How can she say that Cayetano is worse than John Waihee? Waihee left this state in a financial mess. Cayetano has done a good job in correcting these problems.

As far as her criticism that Cayetano asked his staff to do "political work on state time" to respond to her agenda, again I disagree. He would not be doing his job if he just ignored her criticism. The Cayetano administration, with the exception of the Department of Transportation and Marilyn Kali, has done an above-average job. He has made significant progress in bringing about fiscal responsibility. It appears that Lingle may be trying to undo this fiscal responsibility, just as the Bush Dynasty has done.

She has said she feels that George Bush is doing a wonderful job. Well, I would hate for Hawaii to follow the examples of Florida under Jeb Bush or Texas under G.W. Bush and, most of all, America under Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft. Unless Lingle tells the Bushes to go to hell, I have no interest in voting for her. I will vote for Ed Case, or, if he doesn't make it, then the Natural Law or Libertarian Party candidate.

Peter Ehrhorn
Kailua

Campaigns should be publically funded

Richard Borreca's column last Sunday, on corruption in political campaigns, was more than timely. Borreca hit the nail on the head when he wrote that all campaign reform is watered down and rendered ineffective by the legislators. The only effective reform is to keep all private funds out of the campaign funding process -- in other words, total public funding of campaigns.

I wonder if those who object to using taxpayers' money to fund campaigns really don't understand that we are already paying for campaigns with tax breaks to contributors' businesses, costs passed on to the public in the construction budget, additional costs for products, relaxing of environmental regulations, time spent by public servants campaigning on the job with taxpayer money -- need I go on?

Many businesses are tired of the constant appeals for money, but they cannot disregard them without losing business with the state or county. Elected officials forestall throwing light on campaign procuring and spending by under-funding the watchdogs organizations -- Campaign Spending Commission, the Ethics Commission, Office of Information Practices.

Public funding means the publicly elected official is beholden only to the public.

Every year, the bills for public funding for campaigns are defeated in the Senate. Currently three states have implemented this reform successfully. Why is Hawaii so reluctant to give it a chance?

Grace Furukawa
Vice President
Hawaii Clean Election Coalition

Bush should heed warnings about Iraq

Pundits such as William Safire and national leaders, including Vice President Cheney, are setting the stage for a preemptive strike on Iraq against the advice of military leaders and the State Department. Without strong support from our allies, without a clear end game and with tensions running high around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, events in the region could easily spin out of control.

Why isn't President Bush listening to the people in his administration who have military and foreign affairs experience, such as his Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State Colin Powell?

In Afghanistan, the Northern Alliance provided the offensive. But in Iraq no equivalent indigenous force exists; Americans would suffer much heavier casualties. What's more, the loss of life might be in vain, since there is no viable successor to Saddam Hussein. In short, the Joint Chiefs of Staff think a war on Iraq is a bad idea. President Bush should listen to his generals when deciding how to deal with Saddam Hussein.

Brodie Lockard
Kailua

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