[ OUR OPINION ]
Diplomacy can work
for U.S. in Iraq questUNANIMOUS approval in the United Nations of a resolution on Iraq is an encouraging turnaround from the standoff prior to the U.S. attack on Baghdad. The resolution gives legitimacy to an interim Iraqi government that is scheduled to claim sovereignty on June 30. American-led troops will remain in "partnership" with Iraqi security forces, and continued U.S. authority will be needed to assure a stable, diverse nation.
THE ISSUE
The U.N. Security Council had unanimously endorsed the transfer of sovereignty to a new government in Iraq at the end of this month.
The resolution, approved by a 15-0 vote of the U.N. Security Council, describes "a federal, democratic, pluralist and unified Iraq in which there is full respect for political and human rights." That will take time, while violence can be expected to continue.
The resolution calls for election no later than next January to choose a transitional national assembly to adopt a constitution that would fashion direct elections for a full-term government by the end of next year. The interim government should be given a seat at the U.N. and will have a greater opportunity than the U.S.-appointed Governing Council to gain recognition from fellow Arab states.
The Bush administration is being criticized for bowing to pressure from the Shiite Muslims, who represent a majority in Iraq, to omit a reference in the resolution to the temporary constitution, which assured autonomy to Kurdish Sunni Muslims within Iraq. Columnist William Safire suggests on the opposite page that President Bush was desperate to gain the Security Council approval of the resolution in time for this week's meeting of the G-8 industrialized states.
The Kurds, who represent about 20 percent of the Iraqi people, have had such autonomy since 1991, protected from Saddam Hussein by American war planes in a no-flight zone over the Kurdish districts of northern Iraq. The temporary constitution gave those Kurdish districts federal status and the power to veto the permanent constitution.
Kurdish leaders have threatened to end their participation in a new Iraqi government and deny Iraqi government representative from entering the Kurdistan region if the Kurds are denied auto-nomy. American diplomats have more work to do, gaining agreement from the U.N. and the new Iraqi government that the Kurds' wish for autonomy within a federal Iraq will be honored.
BACK TO TOP |
Share fortune with
those who have lessFORECASTS for strong growth stirs optimism that Hawaii's economy will soon climb from years of stagnation. Flourishing housing sales and construction, driven in part by lower mortgage rates, paint a rosy picture, but beneath that sanguinity lies a darker detail -- that many residents who earn lower incomes can't afford to buy homes.
THE ISSUE
A program that matches savings of low-income families so they can buy homes, pay for higher ed or create businesses needs helping hands.
Much of the attention on homelessness focuses on the destitute who wander from park to shoreline, chased from temporary quarters by authorities responding to public complaints. While this remains a grave problem, the struggles of the working poor are often overlooked.
That's why a program that helps low-income families build their assets is so important. The Individual Development Account program matches savings of people whose earnings fall at or below 20 percent of a median-income threshold so that they can buy their first home, start a business or pay for higher education. The aim is to stabilize a family's finances so people don't end up homeless or on welfare rolls, which, in turn, benefits the larger community.
The recent sales boom in Hawaii real estate has seen prices jump to record levels with median prices for single-family homes on Oahu at more than $430,000 while condominiums increased to $205,000. Prices on Maui, Kauai and Hawaii island also have seen steep rises.
As rental units have become increasingly short in supply, allowing owners to raise rates according to demand, low-income residents feel the squeeze. They aren't earning more and higher housing costs make it all the more likely that they can't put aside any cash for a down payment.
The Hawaii IDA Fund, backed by state and local governments and a range of nonprofit groups, needs to raise $1 million to continue the program. Legislation that allows donors a 50 percent state tax credit will expire at year's end so contributions, which are also deductible on federal tax returns, should be made soon. The $1 million could help as many as 500 families in Hawaii, which has the second lowest homeownership rate in the nation.
University of Hawaii economists see mounting prosperity for the state with a broad base of solid growth -- more jobs, higher incomes and increasing tourism revenues. Contributions for IDA will assure that more of us will share the wealth.
