Bainum should find issues and plans

I was disappointed to hear mayoral candidate Duke Bainum's response to the news that his opponent, Mufi Hannemann, has received the endorsement of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers. On TV, Duke expressed his disappointment in the labor union representing the police, who are "suppose to uphold the law," then accused Hannemann of breaking the law.

Bainum knows very well that illegal contributions have been illegal on the part of donors and not Mufi. It also was inappropriate to accuse our fine men and women of the Honolulu Police Department of not upholding the law. This was a low blow and dirty campaign tactic.

Bainum should dump his consultants or whoever is telling him to use this negative campaigning. Hannemann has been running ads based on issues and his specific plans to make Honolulu better. I hope Duke will stop the mud-slinging and focus on issues.

Craig Y. Watase
President
Mark Development Inc.
Honolulu

No-shows leave car buffs in the dust

I was disappointed with the auto show held earlier this month at the Hawaii Convention Center. I specifically went to the show to look at Daimler-Chrysler's new 300C and Dodge Magnum with the HEMI engine.

Both were not there, even though the show's advertisements stated they would be there. When I asked about them at the show I was told, "They didn't make it."

It would seem to me that if these models were out on the mainland, why couldn't they be made available for a large event such as the car show? This is not the first time that I have been disappointed by cars that were supposed to be here but weren't. I was given the same "they didn't make it" answer back then, too.

This will most likely be the last local car show that I will attend because there is no sense in going to look at cars that I'm interested in, only to be informed that "they didn't make it."

I think next year I'll attend the more inclusive, winter Minnesota Sportsman's Show (boats, RVs, camping, hunting, fishing, snowmobiles, cars, trucks, motor homes) at the Minneapolis Convention Center rather than be suckered again by "no shows" here. At least there, the wife and I can go play in a winter wonderland before and after the Sportsman's Show.

Vernon Okamura
Honolulu

New names would fit Bush and Cheney

I was talking to some people a few days ago who suggested that President Bush ought to change his nickname, "Dubya," to "Doubtya." Also, they thought the No. 2 man could befittingly assume the same moniker with a post-fix of II, thus, "Doubtya II."

Tetsuji Ono
Hilo, Hawaii

Sept. 11 attacks were Clinton's fault

Everyone seems to forget one thing about the attacks against America: They could have been prevented by President Clinton.

The Saudis offered Osama bin Laden to us long before the attacks of Sept. 11 happened. However, in his infinite wisdom, Clinton rejected their turning bin Laden over to us because we had "no reason" to seize him.

Apparently Clinton forgot about the World Trade Center bombing from 1993 where terrorists took a van loaded with explosives into the basement and detonated it. The attack at that time was attributed to al-Qaida terrorists.

Does anyone deny that we could have cut the head off the beast? He would not be directing the insurgents against us from some cave somewhere, and we probably wouldn't have had to endure the effects of 9/11.

Harold Roberts
Waianae

Only domestic airlines should fly our troops

In last Saturday's business section was a small article stating that the Bush administration will seek from Congress the permission to give contracts to fly our troops to foreign airlines. Since World War II this country has relied upon its airlines to fly both people and cargo that could not be handled by our armed forces within its capacity. The war in Iraq is no exception. The military has found it cheaper to have a civil reserve aircraft fleet than to have an excess of planes and people during peacetime.

Our national air transportation industry has been in the dumps, in no small measure due to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by al-Qaida -- attacks that can be laid, in some measure, on the government's doorstep. This same group now wants to have our men, women and supplies entrusted to foreign carriers? Our tax monies will now fill the coffers of ... who? Gulf Air? Saudi Air? Air India? Air Pakistan? Perhaps Iran Air? Maybe, in building Iraq in our own image, Air Iraq?

Jim Sorensen
Honolulu