Inauguration offers marketing opportunity

I was stunned to read that the Hawaii Tourism Authority has not prepared to take advantage of the Barack Obama inauguration. The arguments that having a Hawaii-raised president is a rare opportunity are too obvious to repeat here.

I suggest that efforts focus not just on inauguration events themselves, but leverage the attention more broadly. Advertisements could be written on the theme: “;Come discover the thriving multicultural community that bred our next leader!”; During inauguration week the Washington, D.C., area will be populated with people who are attracted to Obama-related events and have the means and will to travel (as evidenced by their travel to D.C.). Therefore the D.C. market should be the first target for the ads. Then play them in major cities nationwide, to television audiences watching the inauguration events.

HSTA takes status quo over improvement

It seems preposterous to even imagine that the Hawaii State Teachers Association would be against improving the quality of public education. However, there are half a million reasons to believe so.

HSTA and its parent organization contributed $500,000 to oppose the Constitutional Convention. The money was given to a company that made slick TV ads with little content that overwhelmed the voices favoring a Con Con.

Proponents of a Con Con said that a constitutional amendment could improve public education by restructuring the school system. Individual schools and their communities could be given more of a say in how schools operate.

But HSTA didn't like that idea. What's worse is that HSTA didn't have an idea of its own to reform Hawaii's dismal public school system. It is clear that HSTA just wants to retain the status quo.

HSTA didn't even ask its teacher members for their opinions. The HSTA leadership made the decision to oppose Con Con without the input of its members.

It's another in a series of bad decisions by the HSTA leadership that sustains one of the worst public school systems in the nation while driving the reputation of teachers into the ground.

Don't praise senator for bringing home pork

To expect Sen. Dan Inouye to bring home bacon to Hawaii is a cynical and shallow interpretation of the Legislative branch as envisioned by our founding fathers. Like the executive and judicial branches, the Senate should represent the interests of all the people.

Some senators, especially in positions of power such as Appropriations Committee members, have set a sorry example of using their high office to earmark projects for their constituents rather than voting on the merits of expenditures. Most notorious recently have been: Robert Byrd (whom Inouye replaces), Ted Stevens and Inouye himself.

One way to curb this disgraceful wallowing in the muck is to impose term limits. Another is to elect senators of vision and integrity and ideals. It is moving in the wrong direction to perpetuate the kings of pork in their parochial, crass political games.

B&B bill cannibalizes affordable rentals

Housing costs are out of sight and the resulting number of homeless continues to rise on Oahu. Our City Council has an “;Affordable Housing”; committee to try to meet the pressing challenge.

At the same time, the Council is seriously considering legalizing visitor accommodations in residential areas (bed and breakfast homes). This move would take away possible affordable long-term rental space from residents to provide high-end, short-term rentals for visitors. B&Bs will not only cut the supply of potential housing for residents but also contribute to the continued escalation of housing costs,

B&Bs rent from about $100 to $300 a night. If a person can rent to visitors for a minimum of $3,000 a month, why would they rent it to a permanent resident for $500? And, to put it into perspective, to afford to pay $3,000 a month for housing, one, as a rule of thumb, should be earning about $144,000 a year. Sometimes, the wisdom behind Council actions escapes me.

HPD should target noise in heavy areas

I am a longtime biker and would like to suggest solution to the request by a reader for the HPD to ticket motorcycles that have been illegally modified so as to contribute to the city's noise pollution (Letters, Nov.8). It has the advantage of meeting HPD's concerns about having too few noise meters.

HPD should assign the number of officers that matches its inventory of meters to a main street frequented by illegally modified vehicles, such as Nimitz Highway during rush hour, and ticket them until the message gets across. This strategy could be employed by using one noise meter wielded by one officer who directs others to intercept and stop the offending vehicles. The officers can then move on to King Street, University Avenue and so on.

Alternatively, HPD can assign a noise meter to officers already staked out to ticket passing motorists in an effort to address other violations. This way, HPD can hardly claim that it has neither the equipment nor the manpower to enforce the law.

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