Reader response
to 'Price of Paradise'True cost of gambling might not be financial
There is an interesting implication to the subject of Sunday's "Price of Paradise" ("Should Hawaii chance 'em?" Star-Bulletin, Nov. 17). Should we be deciding issues such as gambling based on their economic impact? Should the only consideration of the negative impacts of gambling be the financial cost of those impacts?I suggest that instead of focusing on the dollars involved, we should instead start with basic principles and see whether or not gambling -- or any other issue -- is consistent with those principles.
Nobu Nakamoto
Aiea
Column helps revive Hawaiian language
E ka Lunahooponopono, Aloha Oe:Ua oluolu o loko i ka ike ia ana o na moolelo ma ka olelo kumu o ka aina, oia hoi o Kauakukalahale, ma na aoao o ka oukou nupepa. He mea nui keia no ke ola o ka leo Hawaii a no na hanauna hou e hoao nei e hoola i ka olelo a me ka nohona Hawaii. I loko no o ka'u lawe e ana i ka Alavataisa, e lawe mai ana no hoi wau i ka Hoku-Buletina ma ka Lapule, ma muli o keia mea hou makamae. Ke haawi aku nei wau i ko'u mahalo oiaio ia oukou.
me ka naau piha i ka hauoli,
Noenoe Silva
(Translation) Dear Editor,I am very happy to see the column Kauakukalahale in the heritage language of this land on the pages of your Sunday paper. This is a very important step you have taken for the life of the Hawaiian language and for the new generations who are striving to revive the language and the Hawaiian culture. I am now a subscriber to the Sunday Star-Bulletin because of this wonderful column. I extend my sincere gratitude to you.
Noenoe K. Silva
'Approval voting' best for special election
How many readers realize that in the Nov. 30 special election, with 38 candidates, it is theoretically possible for one candidate to win with only 3 percent of the vote? (See www.state.hi.us/elections/ballot.html)If no candidate is outstandingly popular, the winner will likely receive far fewer than half the votes. This is a misapplication of the democratic process -- electing a candidate for whom the vast majority of voters did not vote.
A far better method would be "approval voting," a procedure in which each voter can vote for (or approve of) as many candidates as he wants. Each candidate approved of receives one vote, and the candidate with the most votes wins.
Approval voting has much to recommend it. It is easily adaptable to current voting machines; the winner is approved of by the most voters; it helps to elect the strongest candidate; it gives proper due to minority candidates; and it is already in use by many governing bodies.
John M. Flanigan
Kaneohe
Dobelle, Lingle will get along for good of UH
Enough already! University of Hawaii President Evan Dobelle has a constitutional right to endorse anyone he chooses, and Linda Lingle has the option to respond any way she chooses. Too many lop-sided zealots are using this unimportant incident (she won, didn't she?) as their political soapbox.We are extremely fortunate to have Dobelle running our university, and everyone hopes Lingle will be a great governor. Both are highly intelligent people who, I am sure, will work together for the good of the university and the state.
Now, good citizens, find something important to be upset about, such as traffic gridlock or medical insurance hikes.
Jimmy Borges
Airport signs send you in the wrong direction
Reading Charles Memminger's Nov. 15 column about the "Veteran's (sic) Highway" reminded me about the dismaying new airport signage.The bright yellow background enhances contrast, but the lettering is mostly smaller and less legible than it was before, so signs are more difficult to read from a distance.
Additionally, if you are picking friends up, don't look for the familiar "Arrivals" sign. You'll now find them only if you follow signs to "Bag Claim."
And if you wish to drop someone off, look no more for the familiar "Departures." You must now follow signs to "Ticketing," as if they don't already have tickets! And if you do need a ticket, you must go to "Parking," since you can't park at "Ticketing."
These costly but confusing new signs, representing a big step backward in communication, are typical of many state activities that often seem to reflect the fumbling of amateurs.
John M. Corboy
Mililani
Rodrigues' verdict shows party weakness
Gary Rodrigues' conviction in federal court on more than 100 felony counts for fundamentally fleecing his union to enrich himself, corrupt his daughter and feather the bed of his mistress' family, is just one more reason so many disaffected Democrats abandoned ship and voted Republican this time around.No wonder the current administration is in such a hurry to build a new prison. They'll need one just to house miscreant party members!
Would someone tell me how such a corrupt individual gets preferential appointment to the Judicial Selection Commission to wield such power and influence over appointments to the bench?
The "good" has pretty much gone from the "good ol' boys."
Steve Lane
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The Price of Paradise appears each week in the Sunday Insight section. The mission of POP is to contribute lively and informed dialog about public issues, particularly those having to do with our pocketbooks. Reader responses appear later in the week. If you have thoughts to share about today's POP articles, please send them, with your name and daytime phone number, to pop@starbulletin.com, or write to Price of Paradise, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana, Honolulu, HI 96813.
John Flanagan
Contributing Editor
The Star-Bulletin welcomes letters that are crisp and to the point (150 to 200 words). The Star-Bulletin reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and length. Please direct comments to the issues; personal attacks will not be published. Letters must be signed and include a daytime telephone number. How to write us
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