Let Father Damien's spirit heal the sick

My husband and I just returned from a vacation to the islands of Molokai and Lanai. While there, we visited the Kalaupapa lookout. I thought, why can't we use some of blessed Damien's spirit and move all rehabilitating people there? It's isolated, safe and so peaceful. What better place to cleanse one's body, mind and spirit?

On an aside, while the government is deciding what to do with the newly acquired island of Kahoolawe, let's move all murderers and rapists to that island. Everyone can once again feel safe and practice our aloha way of life without fear.

Gas cap law might cost more than it saves

If I understand it correctly, the gas cap law will tie our prices in Hawaii to the cost of gas in other markets. This means that disasters in other markets could send gas prices in Hawaii through the roof. Then we'd have to wait for a gubernatorial decree or the passage of another bill in the Legislature to correct costs, a process that could take days or months while we all pay exorbitant prices.

In cases where Hawaii suffers a natural disaster, gas prices would remain in step with other markets. This means gas would remain cheap at a time of possibly low supply and high demand. In that case, we'd see a massive rush to the pumps as people tried to stock up on gas. That could lead to a situation where the supply of gasoline ran out in times of disaster.

Has our Legislature really thought this through? Is this the price we're willing to pay to save -- if we're lucky -- a couple of pennies at the pump?

Housing, conservation groups get it done

Great things happen when smart people come together and think outside the box -- for example, the coalition of groups involved in the affordable housing and conservation sector working hard to see the successful passage of the Omnibus Housing Bill and the Legacy Lands Bill. Hats off to each of you and the House and Senate leaders for holding hands on this one.

However, the real question at hand is whether our governor will support mediocrity, the status quo of affordable housing and conservation efforts by the state or can we count on her to step outside the box, too?

Bush lacks credibility with anti-pot campaign

According to a story in the May 5 Star-Bulletin, the Bush administration is going to launch an advertising campaign telling us all about the evils of marijuana. Undoubtedly, this will be paid for with our tax dollars. These are the same people who brought us the weapons of mass destruction and who told us that 125,000 Iraqi troops were being trained to take over after the Jan. 30 elections in Iraq.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I do not believe much of anything that comes out of Washington, D.C. The Bush administration cannot get its facts straight!

Republicans are trying to undo a great system

I want to express my deep appreciation to the people who have delivered magnificent addresses to try to save our precious country from destruction if the Republicans abolish our filibuster system. They include former Vice President Al Gore, Sen. Barbara Boxer, Sen. Harry Reid, Sen. Brian Doogan, Sen. Joseph Biden, Sen. James Roosevelt, Sen. Barack Obama and others.

The Founding Fathers realized that religion must not be in government, that people could become power mad to try to gain control of the government. I am appreciative of the Founding Fathers' diligence in creating a form of government that has been successful, until recently when some people in the Republican Party have been subverting our government.

We have lost our democracy. We now have a theocracy.

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