More memories made at C&K Vegas show

Cecilio & Kapono played in Las Vegas last Saturday and the show was definitely "no ka oi!"

Cee and Henry played their first hour or so as two guys with two guitars and one harmonica. No band, no back-up singers, no light show, no special effects, just C&K playing for a full house of people like me.

I thought about the intimate shows at the Waikiki Shell, sitting on the grass with a bento box, crackseed, kaki mochi and hundreds of happy people like me. Well, that's what C&K recreated here, only at a casino showroom in Nevada. They encouraged the audience to "hang loose," help the malahinis and sing the wonderful songs we can't and won't forget. A tight four-piece band joined the duo for the second half of the show, and again, more awesome memories. The ono smell of the leis, the kindness of kamaainas and locals alike, and the "close but not quite" feeling of being home was unforgettable.

Lopaka Gray
Las Vegas, Nev.

Sakamoto isn't soft on lawbreakers

The article in the Sept. 23 Star-Bulletin regarding Judge Karl Sakamoto gave the impression that Judge Sakamoto's last position prior to his judgeship was with the Public Defender's Office, and that his prior position with the Public Defender's, the service of his wife on an unpaid city board position related to the neighborhood boards and the judge's nondisclosure of his wife's unpaid position somehow made him soft on a lawbreaker. My personal knowledge of Sakamoto before his appointment to the Judiciary leads me to a contrary conclusion.

Before 1991 Sakamoto was with the Public Defender's Office. In 1991 he was with Burke, Sakai, McPheeters, Bordner & Gilardy, and from 1992 until his appointment to the Judiciary, he was a staff attorney with the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission. One of Sakamoto's jobs as a staff attorney was to prosecute violations of HRS, Chapter 378. I can attest that Sakamoto vigorously prosecuted said violations and was very tough on lawbreakers.

I believe Sakamoto's acceptance of a deferred acceptance of guilty ("D.A.G.") plea in the Michael Matsumoto case had nothing to do with his earlier position with the Public Defender's Office or his wife's appointment to an unpaid position with a city board. I believe he did not mention his wife's position because he thought it was unrelated and that he didn't need to mention it. I further believe the judge's acceptance of the D.A.G. plea was based on his belief that the defendant would rehabilitate himself if allowed to enter the plea, the main purpose why the Legislature created the 'D.A.G." plea in the first place.

Charles K.Y. Khim
Attorney at Law

Bus drivers already received their due

Bus drivers either don't read the newspaper or they fail to comprehend what they read; otherwise they would know they have already received their increase via the increased premiums to maintain their current benefits.

Everyone else knows that the substantial increase in medical insurance premiums means that employers will need to lay off some workers and/or increase employee contributions, and employees know they will either lose their jobs, their benefits, or end up paying much higher deductibles.

In the real world this means that a female bus driver can have her annual pap smear at no cost to her, plus she gets paid for the time off from work to visit the doctor.

For many other women, this may mean taking food out of their children's mouths or not paying the doctor and lab bills, since insurance plans available to working mothers either do not cover the expense or have high deductibles, which means the mother must pay the whole amount.

Since bus drivers obviously do not understand the simple mathematics of living in Hawaii today (especially on less than $40,000 per year), I suggest giving them the same medical, dental, vision and pension benefits as other working-class people over the next three years.

If nothing else, bus drivers will at least learn to be grateful for what they have received from taxpayers!

Rico Leffanta
Waikiki

Bus drivers can walk the line forever

I'm beginning to really enjoy this bus strike. I ride a motorcycle 90 percent of the time anyway, and its convenience is enhanced in heavy traffic. I just go around it (and park almost anywhere).

I find the prospect that the strike may be an act of suicide for TheBus also highly entertaining. First, by permanently diverting some of its riders to alternatives, reducing revenues. Then further reducing ridership and revenues by increased fares.

Bring on the jitneys!

George W. Mason
Honolulu

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TheBus
Navigating Oahu's bus strike

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Kiteboarding is under control on Maui

I viewed the Sept. 22 front-page cartoon, Corky's Hawaii -- depicting a kiteboarder attached to the nose of an airplane -- with amusement. Yes, I am one of many quirky kiteboarders on Maui and thought the lack of concern on the pilots' faces and the calm expression, "Hmm. We must be approaching Kahului Airport!" is truly indicative of the situation here.

Concern over the safety aspect of kites on the north shore has not been an issue for more than four years. The Hawaii Kiteboarding Association Maui has received numerous compliments from the Federal Aviation Administration and air traffic control tower staff for our successful efforts to enforce the "no kiteboarding" zone at the end of the runway.

So, we were quite surprised by the recent decision by the FAA to rescind the waiver because of safety concerns. Considering that HKA is the sole enforcement agency and has not been successful in getting signs approved for this sensitive area at the end of the runway, we believe that with proper signage, no violations would occur.

We encourage Mayor Arakawa's administration to continue a dialogue with the FAA and the tower staff to keep the sport on the north shore of Maui, one of the premier spots in the world for this activity.

Martin Kirk
President
Hawaii Kiteboarding Association Kahului, Maui