Obama seems to be ashamed of Hawaii

One thing was missing from Barack Obama's acceptance speech in Denver, the word "Hawaii." Hawaii wasn't even mentioned in his 10-minute biography video. Obama is clearly ashamed and doesn't want people to know he's from Hawaii.

Hawaii Democrats are Obama's most devoted followers, they practically convulse and foam at the mouth with excitement over the fact Obama was born and raised in Hawaii but Obama keeps covering up the fact he was born and raised in Hawaii and he treats Hawaii Democrats worse then dirt. During the campaign Obama only came to Hawaii once, and that was to vacation and when he did he gave his flock only a few minutes in a hot field but he gave wealthy elites who paid $2,000 hours of his time. And at the Democratic convention in Denver the Hawaii delegation was seated off to the side and way back, I can't think of a bigger insult.

Obama doesn't have aloha for Hawaii and Hawaii Democrats have beaten-wife syndrome, the worst case I have ever seen. They keep getting slapped in the face by Obama then they make excuses for him and go back. It's the most pathetic thing I have ever seen.

How can anyone still vote Republican?

I cannot remember when I have felt more inspired and hopeful about our country's future. I cannot imagine how anyone who is not a multimillionaire can even consider voting for John McCain and getting "more of the same." Barack Obama has served several terms in his state legislature, and yes, less than one in the U.S. Senate. But that is nearly the same length of experience as JFK. Unemployment is the highest in years, health care insurance at an all time low; outrageous tax breaks have been given to mega-corporations, and we're fighting a war paid for with borrowed money, in which too many lives have been lost for a lie.

McCain has voted 90 percent of the time with George W. and that says it all. This is the 21st century, how can we have a president who does not know how to use the Internet or remember how many houses he has? We need Obama, an everyman who grew up in a single mother household, with college loans, and who worked for everything he has.

I hope our youth and our seniors recognize this opportunity and vote. And I hope someone is looking into the voting machines, how they work and the Republicans who own them and stole the last two elections. Enough is enough!

McCain more an agent of change than Obama

A close look at John McCain's voting record shows he votes along party lines less than 90 percent of the time, which is by Congress' standards quite low. Thus, his maverick or independent status is justified. Barack Obama's party line votes are about 95 percent in a Congress with an approval rating of around 9 percent to 15 percent. Not sure who the agent for change is.

Palin's experience isn't necessarily relevant

Thomas Stuart's letter yesterday referred to the Republican's VP choice having "amassed more executive experience as an elected office holder" presumably as a positive circumstance.

Perhaps it is - but not necessarily. Spiro Agnew was a two-year governor of Maryland when Richard Nixon tapped him as the Republican VP in the 1968 presidential election and he became the only VP in history forced to resign because of criminal charges.

As as another example: the Alaska state government employs some 24,000 employees. The state of Hawaii Department of Education also has about the same number employees and, although not an elected executive, the superintendent,as well as the department, have been the frequent subject of scathing criticism for ineptitude by Mr. Stuart in other letters to the editor he has written. This also seems to imply that being the executive of a state organization of this size is not necessarily beneficial even in Stuart's own eyes.

Activists should leave telescopes alone

I'm frankly not surprised and equally frustrated that the usual suspects (e.g Hawaiian activists) are going to be pulling all stops to block the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope for Mauna Kea.

They've falsely stated that some of the current telescopes are defunct and that the military has connections to the telescopes on Mauna Kea. What is even more frustrating is the fact these activists are taking shortsighted view of Hawaii's future. Do these activists want Hawaii to continue to dangerously rely on unsustainable and cyclical industries such as tourism, construction and real estate? Which have had a far more damaging environmental impact on Hawaii than the telescopes on Mauna Kea. Despite the latter fact, it seems like they want to keep the status quo in place. Especially since they've never brought forward any alternatives to diversify Hawaii's economy. Instead they evangelize the politics of no.

Hawaii County and the state of Hawaii need to strongly support diversifying our economy away from being so dependent on tourism, construction, military and real estate. The expansion of the telescopes on Mauna Kea excellent way to do that. It has brought good high-paying jobs and creates a high technology base here. Thus the TMT proposal has my firm support.