Abercrombie should lay off City Council

Neither the Legislature nor the City Council should allow Rep. Neil Abercrombie to stampede them into a decision regarding a tax increase that will affect the residents of this county forever. Yes, I said forever. First we will have to pay for it, and then we will have to subsidize it, just as we subsidize the bus.

Both the Legislature and the City Council should take as much time as they wish to come to whatever their decision will be. They should not have a gun held to their heads to force them into a decision.

Let Abercrombie take care of the Washington, D.C., end of the deal. Let the officials elected to take care of local matters take care of this end of the deal without undue pressure from our congressional delegation.

President flip-flops for Terri Schiavo

I find it curious that while George W. Bush, as governor of Texas, ignored thousands of appeals for clemency, including, among others, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Pope Paul II and one of his own daughters, and insisted on putting Karla Faye Tucker to death in 1998, he now is ignoring the stated wishes of the individual involved, the only person who has legal standing in the case, her husband, and the laws of the state of Florida and is intervening to try to keep poor Terri Schiavo alive! What's up with this flip-flopper?

God lets us choose to live or die

Episcopal Bishop John Spong has said: "Saving a life is one thing. Postponing death is quite another."

God gave us free will, so obviously we have the inherent right to choose. I will choose a quick, clean death, rather than years of a vegetative existence.

Rest in peace, Terri Schiavo.

Something's amiss with the royal band

I am observing the morale of the Royal Hawaiian Band. Musically the band is not up to par.

Some band members do not look happy. I noticed this as they marched in the Honolulu Festival Parade earlier this month. I was applauding as they marched, only to be met by sullen expressions.

Crowd attendance for their performances at the Ala Moana Center Court is low, as well as at the bandstand at the palace ground's performances.

I don't get that "old" feeling. No pizzazz. Something is not right.

Model mogul ignores vacation-rental law

In a press release titled "Travolta estate on Oahu sold," model-turned-mogul, Kathy Ireland is lauded for "building her design brand into a $1-billion-a-year empire."

The announcement, picked up by several of Hawaii's TV, radio and print media, goes on to explain that mogul Ireland is planning to turn the residence into a "Hawaii-themed corporate retreat center" that will be rented out as a "vacation villa."

Certainly Ireland's high-priced corporate attorneys and the real estate broker of this transaction have informed her that transient vacation rentals are illegal unless properly permitted.

I'm looking forward to a future high-profile media story explaining how the Department of Planning and Permitting is making an example of Ireland by severely fining her for flouting the law against illegal transient accommodation rentals.

A story about how the Board of Realtors is censuring their members who continue to promote the sale, and facilitation of the rental of these illegal operations, will also be welcomed by those victimized by the continuation of this residential neighborhood cancer.

While they are at it, perhaps we can enhance the state revenue by fining the other 10,000 illegal operations (the absentee owners in particular) ruining the residential neighborhoods of our state.