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Danger stalks visitors to Waikiki

I've been to Waikiki the past few years; staying at the hotels and walking at night on Kuhio and Kalakaua avenues, just having a good time away from home. But recently it's been an adventure.

My other half is not comfortable anymore walking the streets away from the hotels at night. We seem to see a lot of homeless people asking for change or looking in garbage cans. Thugs walk the sidewalks looking for trouble. You can tell the type just by the way they block the sidewalks walking five or six side by side and not letting you go through.

This past week I was jogging in Kapiolani Park at about 8 p.m. and saw a bunch of guys chasing a local Asian guy around the park wanting to beat him up.

During all this time, not once have I seen police officers walking the beat or going through the park at night. Are they undercover, or do they just park their vehicles on the sidewalk and enjoy the view?

Can you imagine the tourists who visit here not knowing the trouble they might encounter at night? You play the game of luck, you may have great time here or you may never come here again.

Candidate's bill taxes agriculture

I read your endorsement of Duke Bainum for Honolulu mayor and found it interesting you felt he will balance tourism with other industries. Specifically you mentioned agriculture. The candidate's Bill 10 seemed like a way to get rid of a lot of our farmers by exorbitant taxes. Where's agriculture then?

Hawaii boat owners need 'silver lining,' too

Oh, by all means the state should cater to the non-resident owners of "gleaming" mega-yachts like the 155-foot "Silver Lining" as proposed by Star-Bulletin columnist Ray Pendleton in his latest let's-privatize-the-Ala Wai screeds published Sept. 25. Pendleton has been grinding this tiresome privatization axe for years.

Ala Wai berthing for just one gigantic "swan," as Pendleton describes "Silver Lining," would displace a minimum of four of what he seems to consider ugly-duckling boats used by locals rather than wealthy, hedonistic world cruisers stopping off here to down a few Mai Tais.

Hopefully there will be a silver lining for Hawaii boaters during the coming legislative session when we make a strong case for the necessary non-taxpayer-supplied funding for urgently needed harbor repairs, renovations and upgrades.

Take our democracy back by voting Kerry

Conservative commentator Pat Buchanan has written a book, "How the Right Wing Got It Wrong." He states that if President Bush is re-elected the United States will have a financial meltdown. We wouldn't have a country any longer.

I consider the war against Iraq illegal. I do not support Bush's plan to spread democracy to other countries. One cannot export democracy. The United States has lost its own democracy. I find our present society very unpleasant. I urge Americans to vote for Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry so that we can get back our democracy, which was lost in the 2000 election debacle.

Bush is right leader for these tough times

Maureen Dowd's Sept. 20 column "War president has no clothes," is typical New York Times liberal spin. The following counters some of her views.

1. The men and women serving in our military are honorable volunteers who love and believe in serving our country to keep it free. There is no draft.

2. Al-Qaida struck America because President Clinton did nothing when al-Qaida first struck America in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

3. President Clinton let Osama Bin Laden get away. Since 9/11, the Bush administration led a global counteroffensive that deprived al-Qaida of its sanctuary in Afghanistan and captured or killed 75 percent of its top leadership.

4. President Bush has signed papers to release all of his military records. Kerry will not sign papers to release his records. (Dan Rather of CBS admits using forged papers in his "60 Minutes" news report regarding President Bush's service.)

Despite the biased reports in the major news media, President Bush's poll numbers are above John Kerry's. Bush is the only man for the presidency at such a time as this.

Removing feeding tube isn't a merciful death

This is in response to a Sept. 20 letter by Tetsuji Ono of Hilo concerning the Terri Schiavo case. Schiavo isn't in a classic coma. When asked to open her eyes and look into a camera, she responded and leaned into the camera.

If Michael Schiavo prevails in court, Terri's feeding tubes will be removed. She will slowly die of starvation. We, as Americans, do not treat mass murderers or dogs to die like this. Shame on anyone who thinks this is alright.

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[ BRAINSTORM! ] Planting an idea The first and last thing visitors see as they encounter Hawaii -- other than security personnel instructing them to take off their shoes -- is the elevated freeway by Honolulu's airport. Accordingly, when it was built, it was designed to be attractive, including a meandering garden running down the center of the lower level, and, up top, set between the elevated concourses, large planter boxes. The idea was to plant wonderful hanging gardens that would delight visitor and resident alike, and for a while, they did. But the state Department of Transportation is focused these days on potholes, not on making the roads look pretty. The elevated gardens have become choked with weeds and debris. So fire up those brain cells. What other use could these midair garden plots be used for? Thematic displays? Lei stands? Minimum-security prisons? Foosball diamonds? Storage for giant downtown Christmas ornaments? Headquarters for our newly reduced National Guard? A place for all the dirt from Castle Junction? Instead of offshore gambling, elevated gambling? Send us your ideas about what should be done with these highly visible, weed-racked lots. E-mail your ideas and solutions -- please include your name and address -- by Oct. 20 to: brainstorm@starbulletin.com Or fax to: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson 529-4750 Or mail them to: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson Star-Bulletin 500 Ala Moana 7 Waterfront Plaza Suite 210 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813