Political finger-pointing is petty and destructive

MIKE ABE'S column "Something is wrong and it's the GOP's fault" ("Gathering Place," Star-Bulletin, Nov. 29) screams for a response. He's so far off base, he's not even in the ballpark. Blaming the GOP for problems created by 40 years of a one-party system -- the Democratic Party -- is too ridiculous! Our Republican governor has served only part of her first term in office and our state Legislature is still run by the Democratic Party.

Most of our governor's "New Beginning" has been thwarted by the Democratic Legislature shutting her down at every opportunity and then trying to enact legislation to dilute her and her cabinet's ability to do their jobs. Something was wrong way before Governor Lingle was elected by the people of Hawaii because change was wanted and needed.

Being able to afford a home has long been out of reach of most local people; rent, food and medical care have always been expensive. The Republican Party has tried in the past to eliminate the excise tax on food and medicine; the Democrats have never allowed it to come to a vote. Perhaps if it had been their idea it would have passed.

Developers have long been allowed to build on Hawaii's prime land -- money talks. Education and schools have always been a low priority of our Democratic leaders; thus Hawaii's reputation for a poor education system. Our governor's efforts to change this have been met with disdain by the Democratic Legislature, which has enacted watered-down changes or, worse, no changes at all.

The price of gas has always been higher in Hawaii than the national average and those refineries have been here a long time. Only time will tell if the gas cap enacted by the Democratic Legislature will work. Electricity has always been higher here than on the mainland. Perhaps this is because Hawaiian Electric is a stockholder-owned corporation expecting profits and not a "public utility" as on the mainland. Yes, we do need alternate energy sources.

Progress and its destruction of our aina began many years before we had a Republican governor. Since my arrival in 1958, most families in Hawaii have needed two wage earners, some working more than one job, to afford to live in Hawaii Nei.

Sorry, Mr. Abe, but we need to maintain economic momentum to pay for all the entitlement programs put in place by the Democratic Legislature. Taking responsibility for one's life and actions used to be the norm -- such as having children only when you can adequately care for them and getting an education so you can be a productive member of society. The free market must be profit-driven to employ and pay people and their benefits. No profit, no healthy business, no jobs! Hawaii's corporations have always been strong supporters of local charities and activities. Oh, and government should be as small as possible, which does not mean weaker, just more efficient.

Please keep government open and effective. The Legislature and the citizens of Hawaii need to have common sense and be concerned for each other. I believe the citizens of Hawaii need to have common sense and be concerned for each other. I believe the citizens are doing their part.

No one wants war (I lost my father in World War II), but terrorists attacked this country and we cannot be weak in responding. Perhaps if former President Clinton had responded with strength during his terms in office to the first bombing of the World Trade Center, the attack on the U.S.S. Cole and the attacks on our embassies, 9/11 could have been avoided.

"A New Beginning" cannot be successful until Democrats get over the fact that the people of Hawaii wanted a change and elected someone to make changes a reality. Finally, I believe that all the people of Hawaii, not just Abe and his party members, want a Hawaii defined by a "moral 'pono' economy" and "'true aloha' communities." Not only Democrats, but all the people of Hawaii are bound together and guided by a sense of "we-ness." Our aloha spirit embodies this.

---