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Clean Elections laws offer fairness, not fear

Boo! It's not even Halloween and Garret Hashimoto of the Hawaii Christian Coalition is trying to scare us into believing Clean Election laws are going to destroy our families, dismantle democracy, run government broke and force the religious to sin.

The fact is Clean Election laws are crafted and backed by people who believe in a level playing field in the political arena and who are tired of the corrosive influence of money and special interests in politics. Of course, this challenges the status quo, and perhaps the Christian right has a lot to lose if the status quo candidates it has so generously backed at local and national levels lose their footing. Personally, I'd rather see politics based on competing ideas as opposed to competing dollars.

By the way, the Web site for Hashimoto's group uses the tag line "Let's take Hawaii back!" I had no idea they were part of the native Hawaiian sovereignty movement.

Merrie Monarch spreads Hilo's charm

How fortunate we displaced Hiloans are. Lacking co-signers to purchase a road trip home, the Merrie Monarch Festival transports us home via TV to immerse ourselves, not only in the preparation, performance and celebration of hula, but in Hilo's people, places and lifestyle. We get to see what's new in Mamo Street open-market produce, KTA poki, hula-watching get-ups, etc. We wait in anticipation to see if Pele or Hilo Electric knocks the show off the air.

To be afforded this Brigadoon-like experience annually, to have rustic, idyllic Hilo emerge out of TV's ether and Big Island mist is surely to experience paradise.

To think what started as a volunteer mom and pop (actually Auntie Dorothy and Uncle George) operation has retained its charm, lasted so long, grown so much, remained low key and true to its setting and been handled so well by TV is the stuff of which legends are made.

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State workers should earn their pay raises

Regarding the recent average 5 percent pay increase across the board for state government workers (Star-Bulletin, April 16), I'd like to share this:

Virtually no one receives a 5 percent annual pay increase in the private sector. Most of us in large companies earn MERIT increases that average 2.5-3 percent at the most. And this is for a satisfactory, solid performance and even a superior rating. A 5 percent increase would be earned by a "distinguished" or "exceeds all expectations" rating.

Are all the state workers distinguished, outstanding and exceeding expectations? I don't think so!

Solution needed now for housing crisis

I would like to commend state Rep. Scott Nishimoto for his column (Insight section, April 24) concerning the Hawaii housing crisis. This crisis can be seen by the number of homeless families living in the parks today. Many of these homeless are working, but cannot find affordable housing.

This problem needs a solution. According to the Honolulu Board of Realtors' Web site, the median sales price in Honolulu last year was $460,000. The monthly mortgage payment for a 30-year loan with today's interest rate of 5.25 percent is $2,540. That is twice the amount Scott says is affordable using his 30 percent rule (which is a very good one).

With a median tourism-industry income of $9.52 an hour, how many hours will it take to pay this mortgage? Approximately 266 hours.

How many additional hours of work will it take to cover the taxes, food, insurance and schooling for the keiki? How many working individuals will it take to care for one household?

Thank you, Scott, for your article and sense of urgency about this crisis. Something needs to be done soon. The families in Hawaii will no longer be able to afford the quality of life that their parents had. Most are working two jobs now.

These unaffordable prices are dangerous and will create a bleak future.

Online paper keeps ex-residents in touch

We enjoy reading the Star-Bulletin first thing in the morning with our coffee. It is so informative and refreshing to see the happy local events and "Whatever happened to."

I retired from TheoDavies Euromotors and my wife from American Security Bank and resided in Kaimuki before "retiring" to our retail nursery in Hemet, Calif. Your Web site keeps us connected to the islands and makes us never forget how wonderful a place Hawaii is. It will remain in our hearts forever.

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Outdoor Circle approves of mayor's plan for Kuhio trees

An April 20 letter from several city department directors about the safety and infrastructure threats caused by newly planted trees on Kuhio Avenue has contributed to the flow of misinformation on this hotly debated subject. With so much public debate on this matter, The Outdoor Circle feels it is important that everyone knows the facts of the situation, as well as how the city's final plan for resolving matter evolved.

As part of our mission is to protect and preserve Hawaii's visual environment, for many decades we have been deeply involved with Honolulu tree issues, both as a resource and a watchful critic. Before The Outdoor Circle was approached by the city on this issue, we sent a certified arborist and landscape architect to conduct a thorough review of the project. While hundreds of new trees along Kuhio are clearly a welcome addition, our experts found that the project itself was flawed. Too many trees were planted too close to each other or to fixed objects, to allow them to mature. A small number of the trees also created safety concerns for firefighters and threatened sewer or water lines.

When the city asked The Outdoor Circle to become involved, we insisted that key city officials walk with us to examine each individual tree from Kapahulu to the Ewa end of Waikiki. As a result of the input we provided on that tour, the city is incorporating nearly all of our recommendations into its plans.

We went into this process expecting to find the city administration determined to dismantle this Jeremy Harris-inspired project. Instead, we found Mayor Hannemann was eager for an independent review of the plans and eager to accept our suggestions. In the end, all but four of the trees will be saved and replanted elsewhere on the island -- not turned into wood chips as some feared. Our involvement has guaranteed that the overwhelming majority of the trees planted on Kuhio Avenue will remain and will have a much better chance to survive.

We commend the Hannemann administration for resisting the temptation to take a chain saw to this and other Harris projects. As the organization that has stood up for the beauty of our islands for nearly a hundred years, the Hannemann administration knows that The Outdoor Circle will not "go along" just to "get along." We are grateful for the opportunity to assist the city on these types of issues, but have told the mayor that we will never back away from protecting the beauty of our islands for political or any other reasons. In the meantime, we're pleased to learn that our new mayor had the vision and leadership skills to balance competing needs and make decisions that are in the best interest of our island home.

How to write us The Star-Bulletin welcomes letters that are crisp and to the point (150 to 200 words). The Star-Bulletin reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and length. Please direct comments to the issues; personal attacks will not be published. Letters must be signed and include a daytime telephone number. Letter form: Online form, click here E-mail: letters@starbulletin.com Fax: (808) 529-4750 Mail: Letters to the Editor, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana, Suite 210, Honolulu, HI 96813