Track events will ruin Wahine soccer field

Help! The recently reconditioned, well-manicured, lush, real grass soccer practice field at the University of Hawaii-Manoa campus is being readied for destruction. Plans are in progress to dig track and field events into the complex. It is ludicrous, after thousands of dollars and manpower spent on this field, to destroy it with javelin, discus, pole vaulting and shot puts.

This field is essentially our home field. We are waiting for bleachers and lights to be installed. The Wahine have been using the Waipio Peninsula Complex but it is in no way the home advantage of the Manoa facility. We are pleading to our boosters and supporters in the private and public sector to rescue us. I understand that the bulldozer is being readied.

Walt and Wanda Miyashiro
UH Rainbow Wahine Soccer booster club co-chairpersons

Police must act quickly in traumatic situations

I was deeply offended by Charles Memminger's recent "Honolulu Lite" column on police shootings (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 14). Our officers are committed to protecting lives; to suggest that officer-involved shootings resemble executions in any way is an affront to the men and women of the Honolulu Police Department who risk their lives every day.

Police officers are trained professionals who must respond to difficult, tense incidents on a daily basis. Rarely do they use their weapons. When they do, it is because lives -- often innocent lives -- are being threatened.

If the suspect in this case had not fired his shotgun at our officers and members of the public, our officers would not have returned fire. The suspect had ample opportunity to surrender once his vehicle was disabled. He chose to continue firing at officers who were trying to move innocent people, who were in the line of fire, to safety.

Police shootings are traumatic, not only for the suspect's and victim's families, but for our officers and their families, as well. The decision to fire at a suspect is not an easy one and is reached only after alternatives have been exhausted. The job of a police officer is tough enough without being portrayed as an "executioner."

Mr. Memminger, an apology on your part would be appropriate and welcomed.

Lee D. Donohue
Chief of Police
Honolulu Police Department

Bond proposal won't serve public good

Your editorial "HSTA off the mark on bond proposal" (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 12) wrongly characterizes our organization with "skewing information" about question No. 2 of the proposed constitutional amendments.

There is no propaganda here. The state -- and our schools -- will lose revenue if ballot question No. 2 passes. The state's Office of Elections itself says: "Tax revenues to the state will be reduced by the value of the income tax exemption."

Also, the bond proposal favors the bigger private schools. Again, the state's Office of Elections makes our point for us: "Instead of providing a tax-exempt financing opportunity to small, financially strapped private education institutions, this measure will probably be of greater benefit to large, affluent and financially well-to-do institutions."

In other words, because a private school floats a bond it does not necessarily mean investors will purchase it. Smart investors will want a bond from institutions with ample assets and a stable student population to back the bond. Ironically, these are the schools that would have the least use for the bonds.

We are not against private schools, but the fact is that 80 percent of Hawaii's children attend public schools. We need to keep the focus on public schools because they serve the public good.

Hawaii's public school teachers ask every voter to vote "no" on ballot question No. 2.

Karen Ginoza
President
Hawaii State Teachers Association

If they don't serve the public, vote them out

The problem we have here in Hawaii is that we let our elected officials feel too comfortable in their positions. They no longer serve the constituency; they serve the almighty dollar and whoever is holding it. It doesn't matter which party has the power. They all become exposed to temptation once they get it.

We need to send a message that we don't care what party they are in -- if they serve the public they have our vote and if not, then we vote them and their party out. This is the only way to get their attention.

Thomas Jefferson believed that government is there to level the playing field between the rich and the poor. I firmly believe this. When big organizations can manipulate our government to the point of voter apathy, it is no longer a democracy. Everyone should make the extra effort to take back the reins of our government and show up to vote.

Rodney Evans

Dems use gas prices as election leverage

Once again, Governor Cayetano's dysfunctional Democrats are about to lose an election. Solution: Find their favorite whipping boy -- Chevron Oil Co.

Four years ago, faced with the same scenario, the governor had the attorney general file a lawsuit against the oil companies charging them with collusion. Big headlines based on reckless and unproven charges. Result: Cayetano squeaked by and won re-election.

After three years, the judge was about to throw out the case. The oil companies agreed to settle for about what their legal costs would have been if the case went to trial. Now, with the probable loss of the governor's office to Linda Lingle, Cayetano plays to the grandstands and wants to sue Chevron based on the opinion of two University of Hawaii professors. (This may be the only time he has supported anything at UH.) Objective: Win the election.

Hopefully, the next governor and attorney general will be more concerned with the economy, government efficiency and job growth than petty politics and business harassment.

Bill Green
President
Kahala Shell Auto Care, Inc.

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