Striking bus workers have already lost

No matter how the bus strike ends, the only real loser will be the bus workers. Even if they get a $1-an-hour raise, which they won't, they would never in their entire lives make up the lost wages of the last month.

Every day the strike goes on the union leadership is taking money out of members' pockets. By extending this strike the leadership is putting their union members in poverty.

I call on the union to end this strike, not because you are giving in, or showing weakness, but because it is for the good of the union members.

Joel Mark
Honolulu

Bus employees forget who pays them

The bus employees should be ashamed for interrupting the daily lives of the people who are responsible for their paychecks. While bus workers are demanding more money, businesses are losing money everyday. Let's add on the inconvenience of the students who can not attend school due to lack of transportation or the people who have lost their jobs or have been consistently late in arriving to work while the bus employees hold out for more money.

Why should tourists come to Oahu at all if they are just going to be trapped in Waikiki or trapped in traffic? How do the elderly shop without the help of the bus to get their groceries home? Don't the employees have a conscience?

Don't they realize that when they go back to work the public is going to let them have it (verbally) for all of the inconveniences they have suffered? Don't they know that they have lost our respect and that the public thinks they are being too greedy at our expense?

Samantha D'Ambrosio
Honolulu

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TheBus
Navigating Oahu's bus strike

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Church arson unites those against bias

The Gay Liberation Program of the American Friends Service Committee stands with the Rev. Vaughn Beckman and his congregation at the First Christian Church in this difficult time and express our dismay at the senseless act of arson that damaged the church last month.

The purpose of such a deplorable act was to instill fear and shame in the community. AFSC Hawaii calls for the opposite. Now is the time to stand up for justice and peace. Standing strong in solidarity with the larger community shows our strength and determination. We will not be silenced by fear.

Rev. Beckman has steadfastly taken a stand for peace, justice and equality in Hawaii. For the last year, he has been a member of the Area Program Committee for AFSC Hawaii. He is also a founding member of the Interfaith Alliance. We are proud of his willingness to stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians in the lawsuit against the city over the refusal to let gay and lesbian groups march in the Family Day Parade.

Although it is unclear whether the arson will be classified as a hate crime, AFSC Hawaii calls for a rigorous criminal and hate crimes investigation. However, we also caution against the belief that simply catching and punishing the perpetrator(s) can bring about justice. People who commit hate crimes are the products of belief systems and ideologies that denigrate and persecute certain groups.

We ask that city and state officials take a strong stand against discrimination, prejudice and violence, denounce such acts and step up to support the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and of all peoples.

Robin Nussbaum
Coordinator
Gay Liberation Program
American Friends Service Committee Hawaii

'Talk Story' sessions are about leadership

Sharon Ohata is correct in her Sept. 22 letter when she says "anyone can complain, but it takes a leader to act and bring both sides together." It seems Ohata is one of those complainers. For the second time in two months, she is making baseless complaints about the Lingle administration.

In her latest letter Ohata alleges that Governor Lingle's "Talk Story" meetings are "geared toward advertising her administration."

The "Talk Stories" do include a brief discussion of the Lingle administration's accomplishments and activities, because the governor is committed to keeping the public informed and involved in the government process. However, the governor and her department heads spend the bulk of the meetings (close to 90 minutes) answering questions from residents about key community and statewide issues, and listening to their concerns. Any follow-up response or action that is required is addressed by the administration in a timely manner.

Ohata also praised Rep. Ken Ito for calling a meeting about the Haiku Stairs. But she failed to mention that the state is working in partnership with the city and community to address concerns about neighborhood access to the stairs. In fact, the departments of Transportation, Hawaiian Home Lands and Land and Natural Resources all attended the meeting to outline how they are working collaboratively on this important community matter.

So yes, anyone can complain. But it takes leadership, as demonstrated by the Lingle administration, to bring the community together to address important matters.

Bob Awana
Chief of Staff
Office of the Governor

Addicts need treatment, not jail

I attended the meetings and listened to the rhetoric of fear about the "ice epidemic" and cannot help but wonder about what the legislative agenda will be when the dust settles for the 2004 sessions. I hope that "get tough" legislation is not the only thing that comes from this.

Locking up drug addicts by itself does not solve the drug problem. Treatment and prevention strategies are where money is desperately needed. You can lock them up and when they're released, these people are still drug addicted, only now they're better criminals because they've gone to criminal "graduate" school.

Also, don't make the mistake that the drug problem in this state is only ice. Alcohol and tobacco still kill more people than all other drugs combined!

Dave Endo
Waipahu