File claim against Superferry now

A June 17 Star-Bulletin article (”;Abandon ships”;) advised that the “;Bankrupt Hawaii Superferry seeks court approval to abandon its two vessels.”; As a former Department of Defense comptroller, I believe it is clearly in the public interest for Gov. Linda Lingle and the state government to move quickly to recover the $40 million in expenses for state harbor improvements made to accommodate the Hawaii Superferry before the opportunity to make a claim against the value of these vessels is lost.

Otherwise, we state taxpayers will be left with this useless and unrecoverable expense at a time when we can least afford it. The Hawaii Superferry effort in court may be an effort to transfer their only two remaining valuable assets before a state claim can be made. Accordingly, we need our governor to act!

Loss of pay cuts into the good life

Being in the employ of the state of Hawaii, I was a bit dismayed by Gov. Linda Lingle's recent decision to furlough me and my peers. It makes me wonder how real the economic stimulus idealism of our current president really is.

In one month, I will not only face a 14-18 percent cut in pay, but I am also going to have to pay an additional $150 to $180 a month for my health insurance coverage. I hope most of our fellow citizens know that as state workers, we still pay a good portion of our medical coverage.

I can only imagine how nice it must be to be the president of the United States or the governor of Hawaii and still go out and wine and dine and have a good time, while the rest of us are struggling to keep our homes.

God bless the citizens of America and Hawaii because we really do need Jesus's grace and mercy right now.

Where has all the music gone?

We were there as tourists, in Hawaii, and couldn't help notice that you had cut off your nose, more than likely to spite your face. Yeah, the very thing you want—good business, good profits, you had cut off.

We made our first visit to Hawaii in 1954 and every year since. It was the beauty of your islands that captivated us, but most of all your musical culture. Of all the music of the world, there is none so lovely, so healing and so joyful as Hawaii's music. And now, when times are tough and tourists are more choosy about how they spend their dollars, you've done the very thing that will make us turn away.

If it's the beauty of the palm trees and the ocean we are looking for, we'll head for California or Mexico. Why would we pay the extra dollars to fly to Hawaii only to hear the rackety rock of mainland music?

The Royal Hawaiian, the Sheraton Moana and the Halekulani hotels in Waikiki could always be counted on in the past to have a house band during early evening hours that would feature vocalists and a dancer backed by players of bass, ukulele or guitar, and the priceless sound of the islands—the steel guitar. I can't believe it's not happening anymore! To us on the mainland, that sweet steel guitar music has always meant “;Hawaii.”; Now, it's all vocals, vocals and more vocals, backed by rhythm instruments only. How sad!

If we go to Mexico we'll hear their great rhythmic Latino songs. If we go to Spain we'll hear the priceless Fandango. If we go to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, we'll hear the same music they're playing nowadays in Hawaii. Why spend so much money to fly there? Moose Jaw's cheaper.