Kucinich was mouse that roared in Hawaii

I find it amusing that your Feb. 22nd editorial ("Absentee candidates court isle Democrats") termed Dennis Kucinich "a gadfly who refuses to quit despite overwhelming rejection in all states."

Well, now with his amazing second-place showing in Hawaii (30 percent), having collected more delegates than in all the elections so far, maybe he proved to be more like a "mouse that roared."

Eva Uran
Honolulu

Campgrounds are great but hard to arrange

Our family just spent two glorious weeks in Oahu. Expecting it to be overly commercial, we planned to fly to another island. But two weeks just wasn't enough to properly explore Oahu. We were truly enchanted and will be back next year.

We brought our tent with us and camped in Malaekahana and Waimanalo. I know, it would be better if we spent our Canadian dollars in Waikiki, but that's not our style or our income bracket. The campgrounds were fabulous and affordable.

It was difficult to figure out your park system before we left Vancouver. We couldn't book a site on line. If it hadn't been for Friends of Malaekahana, which accepts telephone booking, we wouldn't have left Canada. The satellite city hall was difficult to get to. The lineup was huge, the staff unhelpful and the campground descriptions pathetic.

Of course, we ended up at the wrong Waimanalo, next to a highway and some scary people.

But Canadians would be thrilled to know that camping is affordable in Hawaii. Winter is the slow season for your campgrounds. Well, it's the cold season for us. It seems like a natural fit to me. Many of us would pay a fee for better security and convenience.

Eric Neighbour
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada

Health insurance needs an overhaul

Many employees are unhappy with their health benefits as employers struggle to remain competitive. Employer-based insurance resulted from wage controls during the economic constraints of World War II. Since employers could not raise wages, they gave workers health insurance. Employers often use insurance as a recruiting and retention tool during worker shortages. Unfortunately, employees now regard health benefits as a "given" and may get locked into their jobs, especially if they or a family member has a chronic illness.

Employer-based health insurance also puts businesses at a disadvantage. One reason foreign corporations have lower production costs is because their employees' health insurance is paid for outside the corporation. Universal health insurance would level the playing field for business.

The United States needs to seriously consider such a plan. We are the only industrialized nation that does not have universal health coverage. In spite of spending 50 to 200 percent more for health care than other countries, the World Health Organization ranks the United States 37th in overall health system performance! We are also the only developed country where an illness or injury can lead to personal bank-ruptcy. That's scary!

Randall Sexton, RN
Kapolei

Most Hawaiians are upstanding citizens

Regarding the Feb. 4 letter "Accused car thief also a victim of past wrongs": Not all Hawaiians are of chiefly lineage. Not all Hawaiians steal automobiles. Not all Hawaiians ingest crystal meth. Most of us walk a path of righteousness. Most carry a love of the aina and ohana. Most respect the sacrifice and dangers that public officials incur daily.

Most. But obviously, not all.

Mark Marciel
Honolulu

With cameras in place, drivers will slow down

Target speeders where it hurts most -- high fines! Germany successfully places stationary radar-camera-boxes at crucial roadside locations. These boxes take photos of the driver and record the license plate number and the speed. These boxes are randomly activated. Everyone knows their locations and slows down.

Dieter Thate
Honolulu

Lingle's trip to Iraq showed compassion

I am touched by several families and friends who have family members serving in Iraq.

It is the duty of our governor to look after the welfare of all Hawaii residents and to gain a compassionate understanding of their circumstances, whether they are soldiers stationed here, or Hawaii residents serving overseas. I sincerely believe Governor Lingle's trip to Iraq was not a public-relations junket and not motivated by politics. It very simply was the right thing to do when the opportunity arose.

Barry Markowitz
Hauula