Is Karamatsu calling constituents ignorant?

I was absolutely stunned at the condescending arrogance of my elected Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu and the statement he made about “;civil unions”; on the evening news the other night. He said, “;Times have changed and the momentum has changed a lot. I think people are more aware and educated.”; Basically what he's saying is that 70 percent of the people (me included) who voted on the traditional marriage constitutional amendment in 1998 are uneducated, unenlightened fools.

Rep. Karamatsu, I very reluctantly voted for you, because of your DUI conviction. But I figured I'd give you a second chance. Now I regret it, because quite frankly you do not reflect my values or the values of the vast majority of people in this state. I'm letting you know now that I will actively work against your re-election in 2010 if you choose to run for the House, or any other political office you plan to run for in the future. You are an embarrassment to the people who elected you.

Keep religious bigotry out of Hawaii politics

Poor Lt. Gov. James “;Duke”; Aiona. One can only pity his ambition to run for governor when he feels it is perfectly acceptable to discriminate against minorities in Hawaii. His latest escapade was against civil unions for Hawaii's gay and lesbian community. According to a Sunday Star-Bulletin editorial, Aiona believes we should “;deny civil rights to a group of law-abiding Hawaii residents.”;

This guy just doesn't get it. Discrimination is wrong and religious beliefs have no place in Hawaii politics when you want to represent all of Hawaii's citizens. To add insult to injury, he is telling the world that Hawaii does not welcome gay and lesbian tourists and their dollars. They represent 5 percent of the population but when you add in their families and friends, you're talking about 15 percent of potential tourists who will spend their money elsewhere. Why would anyone travel to a destination where those in charge make it known that certain visitors are not welcome?

Aiona cries that the tourists aren't coming but he can't see the forest because the trees are in the way. And he wants to be governor? I don't think so ... not by a long shot.

Hey, Neil, take a walk on the wild side

Rep. Neil Abercrombie has been a good shepherd of the environment for many years. I'm hoping that he will support the Omnibus Public Land Management Act and join his constituents in taking a walk on the wild side. This landmark legislation would protect 2 million acres of wilderness. Such areas, and other protected land, benefit rural economies by increasing property values, providing new opportunities for recreation and tourism and creating wonderful places for people to live and work.

Can we continue to protect such areas? With Abercrombie's help, yes we can!

Abstinence-only needs more consideration

Our Legislature is hearing bills to defund the optional abstinence-only programs offered in schools. These would-be censors offered testimony packed with misinformation.

For example, an oft-cited Johns Hopkins report compared abstinence pledgers to nonpledgers. The researcher neglected to mention that the pledge-takers abstained from sex four years longer than the control group: age 21 versus 17 for nonpledgers.

Dr. Stan Weed, a leading researcher on youth behavior, examined more than 100 different abstinence programs, collecting data from nearly 500,000 adolescents and interviewing more than 2,000 teens. He testified before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that abstinence education can cut in half the rates of teen sexual activity, and that abstinence education classes do not deter sexually active teens from using condoms. His conclusion: “;When measured using comparable criteria, comprehensive sexuality education strategies (risk reduction) show little evidence for success at achieving the crucial outcomes of consistent condom use, reduced pregnancy, and STD rates.”;

The Department of Health testified that abstinence-only audiences have access to other state-funded programs for comprehensive sex education. Why are these bills being pushed?

Forget electric cars - do it like the Jetsons

Everyone seems excited about electric cars. Electric cars have been around for years at country clubs and on golf courses. It would be wonderful for electric cars to be capable of reaching the speeds of their gas-guzzling counterparts.

Electric cars are not the answer to crowded roads on an overpopulated planet. It's time to be creative and really move into the 21st century. We need an easy-to-drive vehicle that is capable of flying. I would be for a Big Four auto bailout if a flying, solar-powered electric-mobile was in the immediate stimulus plan.

Imagine a flying, solar-powered, rechargeable electric automobile, just like the one in the old Jetsons cartoon of the 60s!

We have the technology, electric cars would be wonderful, but they would not stop bumper-to-bumper traffic. It's time for the Jetsons, solar-powered, flying automobile to become reality!