Anderson's lottery idea should be supported

Democratic gubernatorial candidate D.G. Anderson should be lauded for his proposal for a statewide lottery to fund Hawaii's educational system.

For years the state of Florida has successfully done this very same thing. Florida's educational lottery even pays for all of the teachers' salaries.

It is time for the silent majority in favor of gaming to take a stand and vote for Anderson. He is a well-respected businessman and politician who has worked as the city's managing director under former Mayor Frank Fasi.

The sugar and pineapple industry in Hawaii is now defunct. The military presence in Hawaii has been downsized. Tourism has been in a prolonged slump. A lottery and gambling will definitely give our economy a boost by attracting more people to our shores.

Steven T.K. Burke

Negative comments insulted candidate

I am disappointed that James Choy's Aug. 14 letter regarding the lieutenant governor's race made negative comments about candidate Dalton Tanonaka.

Tanonaka's integrity and high moral character prevent him from responding in any negative way to the letter.

Regarding the issues, Tanonaka's reputation in the international community allows him to bring back economic opportunities to the people of Hawaii. He has worked and will continue to work toward expanding these economic opportunities for the benefit of our state.

Jennifer L. Li
Communications Director
Dalton for Hawaii Campaign

Hirono's detractors don't play fair

As a volunteer in Mazie Hirono's campaign for governor, I know that she firmly advocates the strictest adherence to every rule. That is why it was so discouraging to read that others are playing an Internet hoax and sending her messages to other candidates and even a pornographic site.

Hirono is scrupulous in telling her canvassers to attach her campaign materials to voters' door knobs, yet in some neighborhoods people are coming along afterwards and taking the materials and littering the neighborhoods in an attempt to smear her.

Democrats are pledged to have a fair campaign. Can the Republicans pledge the same?

Nancy Bey Little

When will governor analyze Democrats?

I am waiting for Governor Cayetano's analysis of the plans of other candidates for office.

Where is his analysis of D.G. Anderson's plan for a Hawaii gas authority that would mysteriously reduce the price of gas on Oahu by 40 cents a gallon? How about Anderson's plan for a "Pineapple Lottery" that would somehow raise $30 million to go directly to schools.

While he's at it, how about an analysis of Vicky Cayetano's elderly care plan that would charge every person in Hawaii $10 a month for life, then pay back $2,100 a month for 12 months when nursing homes currently charge more than $4,000 a month for care.

Unfortunately, the governor cannot analyze the plans of Ed Case and Mazie Hirono because their plans are to stick with the status quo and hope things get better.

Erm Gartley

Democratic rule hasn't reduced crime

A Honolulu Star-Bulletin story dated Aug. 9. quoted Hawaii's senior Sen. Dan Inouye as saying, "Democrats have been anti-crime party."

Aw, come on! What does he mean by anti-crime party?

Look how fast our cities and their crime rates have grown since we became the state in 1959. Look at the overcrowded prisons, homelessness, bank robberies, murders, domestic violence, business closings, employee layoffs, strikes, high cost of living and low salaries. The Democrats have never stopped crime from rising during 40 years of party control.

Being a good friend of many Democrats and Republicans, I hate to see all dirty tricks, slaps, criticisms, or investigations of Republican candidates by the Democrats. This only causes people to lose their trust in our government.

Is that the Democrats' new type of anti-crime party? Why do they focus only on Linda Lingle? Why not check out other candidates, even their own,?

Francine Kenyon

Ed Case tells us the hard truth

Ed Case is the only candidate who is guaranteed to tell us what is really going on.

We are all too eager to hear what we want to hear, and to kill the messenger who brings bad news. But these are difficult times, and we must listen to the candidates' ideas on how to live within our budget and stimulate the economy.

Case has detailed how he would trim the budget, and we don't like it. As a last resort, if we have to lay off people in government, then we must. Saying this does not make him popular with the unions.

He says we must examine the core functions of government and let go of the things that can be done better and cheaper by the private sector.

Other candidates give us pie in the sky and we listen because that is what we want to hear.

Let's get a person into government who is not afraid to buck the pressures and intelligently guide us through the difficult times ahead.

Edward Furukawa

Lingle plan can simplify government

As a solar contractor, I'm familiar with the difficulty of obtaining permits for solar and renewable energy sources on all the Islands.

By far, Maui is the best place to do this type of work because Linda Lingle streamlined the permitting process. I believe her when she says she will eliminate the corruption in our government.

Hawaii needs new leadership. I'm rallying all those in the solar industry to support Lingle. I know she is in favor of supporting solar and renewables and has proved it on Maui.

Paul Lucas

Only faces will change if Linda Lingle wins

As an observer of the recent GOP candidate road-show so aptly written up by contributing editor John Flanagan ("Talk Story," Star-Bulletin, Aug. 8), I noted his mention of Linda Lingle's "Agenda for a New Beginning."

A major plank in this agenda calls for taking politics and cronyism out of the government. But Lingle has stacked the deck against John Carroll, her opponent in the primary election, by manipulating the local party organization to her advantage. During her tenure as chairwoman, she was able to disenfranchise dissenting Republicans who do not favor her candidacy for governor.

In spite of these roadblocks, Carroll has had the courage to offer himself as a Republican gubernatorial candidate to those of us who want an alternative to Lingle.

If the Lingle campaign is a preview of a Lingle administration, we can expect business as usual, just with different players.

Mike Peters

Republican ethics attacks getting old

How typical that Republicans presume to preach about ethics and cronyism and every misdeed the Democrats have paid for in the last decade, but cry foul when anyone brings up Linda Lingle's nepotism problems as Maui's mayor.

This holier-than-thou attitude is wearing very thin.

Pat Daly

Good sense, not signs, will save lives

Daniel Dick didn't need signs to warn him of the danger at hand when he defied nature at the Halona Blowhole. What he needed, and clearly lacked, was a healthy respect for and fear of the powerful forces of the surging ocean on that rocky shore.

I'm sorry he died. The loss of such a young person whose life is just beginning is a source of great sorrow for his family and for his community. But didn't someone ever tell him that nature lives by its own rules; that its power unleashed cannot be matched by mere mortals?

Although I didn't know him, I know lots of young folk like him. They're the ones who jump off bridges despite signs that say jumping is not allowed. They put the pedal to the metal, driving their souped-up cars at raceway speeds on island roadways. Most of them live to tell the story. Some don't. Daniel Dick didn't.

The accident is not the state's fault, nor is the city to blame. If someone or something must be blamed, blame it on youthful bravado.

Robin Makapagal

Elvis' first fans still shake, rattle 'n' roll

If I'm dead, why didn't someone tell me. I was watching and reveling over the short television trip through Graceland, Elvis' Memphis home. Then this young woman, who was identified as the curator of Graceland and looks as if she eats lots of Elvis' favorite peanut butter and banana sandwich, said something like this: "Since the first generation of Elvis' fans are no longer around ..."

Perhaps she goes across the street and sniffs the gas tanks of the Lisa Maria airplane, then again, perhaps she is just totally out of touch or can't add.

One thing is certain, she should turn herself over to someone responsible before she buries the lot of us.

Besides, she doesn't seem to know that Elvis is alive and living on Molokai.

Arnold Van Fossen

Lease-to-fee bill distorts law's intent

I emphatically oppose City Council Bill 53. Its stated purpose to clarify "the Council's intent regarding the 50 percent minimum threshold of unit owner-occupants necessary to qualify a condominium development for leasehold conversions" is a gross distortion of facts.

The bill is a flawed attempt to paper over the Hawaii Supreme Court's decision in Coon vs. City & County of Honolulu. In that case, the court held that the law was clear in requiring at least 25 owner-occupants or owners of at least 50 percent of the units to apply for leasehold-to-fee conversion. The threshold requirement comes directly out of the Land Reform Act, upon which this Council has repeatedly stated the ordinance is based.

Bill 53 would fundamentally change the intent of the law. It would unfairly allow the Department of Community Services to continue the improper and illegal practice of selecting those buildings, which have the lowest owner-occupants for conversion. It is contrary to the legislative record made by the Council in enacting the law. It also is contrary to what the Council repeatedly represented to the federal courts when it argued that its constitutionality should be upheld because it "is exactly like the Land Reform Act."

The state Supreme Court has already held that a mandatory conversion scheme would not be constitutional if it permitted only the conversion of minimal number of units, which is precisely what Bill 53 authorizes.

Richard S. Kim
Kaneohe

Pledge of Allegiance can be touching

We have two grandsons who were born in Hawaii and I would like to relay a small story about one of them -- Tony Senio, age 7.

We were walking in a subdivision where we lived and went past the model home. Tony always walked between Grandma and Grandpa. As we passed the model home I noticed that Tony was not with us. I turned to see where he was and what I saw gave me chicken skin. You see, I am a Vietnam veteran and this child made me grow up fast. Here stood my little Hawaiian grandson in front of the American flag saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

I don't know how many times have I walked past this same flag, but that is one walk-by that I will never forget. Maybe this sounds a little old-fashioned, but it sure made me feel good.

Bob Griffin
Las Vegas

Kamehameha essay explained dilemma

The Star-Bulletin's publication of the 1997 essay, "Broken Trust," played a significant role in the removal of the former five trustees of the Bishop Estate. Now comes Professor Randall W. Roth, one of the five authors of "Broken Trust" with his essay, "Her Will Be Done" in the July 28 issue, his analysis of the will of Princess Pauahi Bishop that created the Kamehameha Schools, its involvement in the Rice vs. Cayetano case, the tax-exempt status of Bob Jones University, the admission policy of the Kamehameha Schools and the IRS.

This is a superb essay on the Kamehameha Schools. Kudos to the Star-Bulletin for publishing it.

How Tim Chang

Ag board's defense of quarantine is absurd

My wife and I are have been frequent visitors to the islands for the last 16 years. We would love to live in Hawaii but we have two members of our family who would have to go into the animal-quarantine system because the members of the Board of Agriculture seem to think they know more about animals and rabies than all the veterinarians in all the states of the union.

Every dog we have owned has been to the vet's office more times than I have been to my doctor's office. They receive every vaccination required by most states and even some not required.

I realize that Hawaii cannot simply take the word of pet owners about the medical records of their animals, but surely the official records that a veterinarian must keep by state law should be sufficient to prove the good health of an animal. That and a number tatooed in the pet's ear should be all that is required to bring an animal to Hawaii.

As frustrating as it is for animal owners, the stand that the Board of Agriculture has taken has to be not only frustrating for veterinarians but highly insulting. The board should tell us the real reason behind its stance, or would it rather have us think it's just plain ignorance?

Richard Broyles
Fort Mill, S.C.

Bush protects his corporate pals

I am distressed by the selective prosecution of some CEOs while continuing the cover-up of Ken Lay, the long-time intimate and sponsor of George W. Bush. There can be no clearer demonstration of the incapacity of the Bush administration to clean-up the dreary economic situation. Unfortunately, restoration of investor confidence may depend on a true clean-up.

Robert B. Buchele

Kissing the pope's ring an age-old practice

I have to disagree with Charles Memminger's column (Honolulu Lite, Star-Bulletin, Aug. 5) on kissing the pope's ring.

Why should Mexican President Vicente Fox be lowering himself if he follows that age-old practice? Archaic though it be, that's how people greet popes. Every country all over the world has its own ways and cultural niceties, such as curtsying to the queen, bowing to the emperor, leaving shoes outside in a Japanese house, kneeling down when the sacrament passes by and, yes, kissing the pope's ring.

Why should such practices be ridiculed and not followed just because we Americans don't do those things?

If an American feels so strongly against it, shouldn't the solution be not to greet the pope, not to go see the queen, not to enter a Japanese house or a church? The trouble is we Americans always want to have things both ways. That's probably why we are so loved all over the world.

Hana G. Trinidad

Varied columns elicits both raves and rants

Thanks for including a wide spectrum of opinions on your op-ed pages. I particularly enjoy Maureen Dowd's "Passing Parade" and Molly Ivins' "Molly's World." They combine fact-based commentary with a wonderful sense of humor that always makes me chuckle.

While I don't always agree with some of your columnists, they all contribute to an important breadth of opinion. Keep up the good work.

Marita Nelson

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