Nuclear plants would boost isle supply

It is time to consider using nuclear power for electricity generation on Oahu. For more than 40 years we have been living with nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines with nuclear warheads aboard; why should we not desire some benefit from this risk we all live with? Congress has earmarked $20 billion for any state willing to use nuclear power, 20 percent of the mainland's electricity generation comes from nuclear power, why not here? I would suggest a power barge, with three power plants, the same ones used on aircraft carriers. They are well-proven power plants with well-trained technicians to operate them.

Reykjavik, Iceland, is using geothermal electricity to produce hydrogen from electrolysis units to fuel its city bus fleet. The same could be done with nuclear power. Is this not akin to "turning swords into plowshares"?

Anti-drug programs provide needed help

Your Feb. 27 editorial about anti-drug programs needing credibility struck a troubling chord with me. As a Hawaiian resident, mother and businesswoman, I am confronted daily with the ravages of substance abuse. It goes without saying that programs need credibility ... so do newspapers.

The criticism you leveled at the Narconon program is that it points out that drugs are poisons, can store in fat tissue and can strip the body of nutrients. The dictionary defines drugs as poisons and anyone seeing the effects of alcohol, much less "ice" on a human being, can clearly see that a hangover of either is a body depleted of nutrients.

Even the heads of large drug companies like Pfizer realize the danger of drug advertising being so broadly spread and pointed out in a recent Fortune magazine article that their drug advertising has given the impression that all drugs are safe when in fact, no drug is safe.

We have watched for years the problem get worse. We need help. Let's encourage Narconon and others in this fight. We need all the help we can get!

Fans happy to go crazy for Clay Aiken

I just read about how quickly the Feb. 25 edition of the Star-Bulletin ran out because of the article on Clay Aiken. I can only sit back and laugh.

People just don't know how strong a fanbase Clay has. They don't see the overloaded phone lines and crashed Web sites when tickets go on sale for a Clay concert, or the fans standing in very long lines, in very cold weather, for very many hours to get a book signed by Clay or to just get a glimpse of him at a radio or TV station. They never know that his fans can get him to the top of a best-selling CD list, even without his songs having much airplay.

They never know that Clay fans will collect all Clay memorabilia they can get their hands on and will swoop in, en masse, to eagerly purchase then hug their newly acquired items. They have "Clayshrines" where every magazine and newspaper article, CD, picture, T-shirt and the rest of the Clayfanalia are safely stored.

I'm one of the members of ClayHui Hawaii, a Hawaii Clay Aiken fan group, and I confess, I am a part of this crazy, enthusiastic and wonderful fanbase. Crazy and proud.

Aaaah, life is good being a Clay fan because I get it.

Where would Bush find $1 trillion?

I listened to President Bush's comments regarding Social Security with a great deal of interest, but when I listened to the various responses, my interest wanted.

The president did not say how he would fund private accounts, the linchpin of his proposal, and he did not say how the $1 trillion or more his proposal needs will be raised; it's like buying a pig in a poke. If there are no new taxes, no tax increases and no benefit cuts, then the government will have to borrow. More government borrowing means higher interest rates and slower economic growth.

Social Security has a problem but it is not in crisis. It remains the litmus test for assured retirement income, as well as survivor benefits and disability. Personal accounts can and should be used in conjunction with Social Security but not taken out of the Social Security Trust Fund.