GOLF

DEAN WILSON'S FANS SEND CONGRATULATIONS

On behalf of a bunch of local golfers who have been following your career, Dean Wilson, we offer our congratulations and well-dones.

To achieve your first PGA tour win with the International Championship is just great. We couldn't be happier for you and your family. We watched with great intensity and suspense and gave out a resounding cheer when you made that final putt. Later, we watched the interview with your parents and they were so proud of your accomplishment and perseverance.

We also admire and respect you for the the way you conducted yourself when playing with Annika Sorenstam at the Colonial. I'm sure she was and is very grateful for your strong and vocal support of her being there. You made us proud. You are a class act.

We wish you continued success for the rest of the year. We want you to know you have a lot of fans out there. You are our hero. Keep on making those putts, and we'll see you at the Mercedes Championship and Sony Open.

SENATE RACE

AKAKA REPRESENTS MISSION OF HAWAI'I

It appears to me that the big question for the voters of Hawai'i is: Do we need a warrior for our senator?

Many have alleged Senator Akaka is not a warrior since he does not roar. Representative Case wants us to believe he is better with words and more able to take on the issues with his debating skills and his "warriorism."

After the "cowboy" mentality we have experienced from the White House these past six years, I'm more inclined to appreciate a different approach. Maybe we've had it with "warriors."

I don't mean to imply that Senator Akaka cannot be strong and decisive. His record shows that he knows how to get things done. The senator's "rainbow" qualities render him the man of the hour! He is not a cowboy nor a warrior. He voted against the war with Iraq. He thinks before he speaks, and he truly represents the mission of Hawai'i.

MORE ASSERTIVE VOICE NEEDED IN CONGRESS

I've been a Democrat all my life and voted for Dan Akaka over the years. But, what has happened to the Democratic Party?

We have the head of the Democratic Party, Daniel Inouye, taking sides before the primary election.

Wasn't the primary to give the people a chance to choose among those who want to run for office? And what's this about Inouye and Dennis Kucinich campaigning for Akaka? Is it because Dan has lost his voice and needs others to speak for him?

The modified format for a debate on a public TV station gives me the impression that Dan has lost his mental agility and his handlers are trying to protect him. And what's this about Case being a "Democrat in name only?"

Let's send people to Congress who think through issues rather than just vote along party lines. Maybe that would get more done in Congress. Dan is a gracious person, full of aloha for everyone, but we need leadership and a more assertive voice in Congress. Remember, Time magazine called Akaka one of the worst senators in Congress.

DEMOCRATS OPTING FOR THE 'OLD BOY' NETWORK

When Ed Case announced his intent to run for Daniel Akaka's Senate seat, the Democratic Party leaders went into a furor and quickly denounced Mr. Case. Now, Senator Inouye is endorsing "his partner," Daniel Akaka.

How refreshing it would have been if the Democrats welcomed the opportunity to showcase the diversity within their party to the voters. Instead, they choose to keep the "old boy" network in place.

I will vote for the candidate and the party that encourages inclusion, not exclusion. I hope others will do the same.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY

SENATOR INOUYE WRONG TO BACK LIEBERMAN

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we don't stand up for what we believe. Granted this is a paraphrase that I'm using as a reflection of what Senator Inouye is doing when he supports former Democratic candidate Joseph Lieberman. It is against Democratic Party rules for a member of the party to support a non-Democratic candidate against the legally elected Democratic candidate.

I ask Senator Inouye to review his speech to the 2006 Hawai'i state Democratic delegates about returning to the Democratic principles and ideals.

Candidate Ned Lamont is a great American and Democrat who is brave enough to stand up for an ethical world. Lamont won't condone this illegal and immoral war, nor would he inspect our prisoner-of-war camps and ignore the torture that is bringing disgrace to our troops and our country. Neither will our beloved Daniel Akaka. Akaka won't change horses in the middle of a battle to become a DINO (Democrat in name only.)

If Senator Inouye truly supports Senator Akaka, he will back Senator Akaka and Ned Lamont along with a full investigation of the war crimes of the current administration.

It's sad that Mike McCartney is so far removed from democracy that he won't consider investigating Senator Inouye or Ed Case regarding problems with the "rules."

DISASTER PLANNING

PRIOR ADMINISTRATION PUT PROGRAM IN PLACE

I have no interest in embarrassing Mayor Mufi Hannemann, but the inaccurate information given him for his commentary ("City steps up its disaster planning effort," Aug. 14) must be corrected.

The mayor stated that when he took office, his administration identified shortcomings in the ability for police, fire and EMS to communicate with each other. That's incorrect. When the Department of Information Technology took over city communications in 2004, one of the first things I did was form a Public Safety Communications Interoperability Committee to address those already identified shortcomings.

This committee consisted of members of all first-responder agencies and formulated policies, procedures and identified technology so all first-responders could communicate. This committee still meets on a regular basis. With a draft plan, a successful exercise was held in the later part of 2004, and based on its success, the Fire Department began planning its move from its outdated analog radios (not 700 MHz) to the 800 MHz system. All of this before his administration came into office.

At the same time, we began an assessment of the city's communication towers. Money for their replacement or repair was placed into the following year's fiscal budget. All of this before his administration came into office.

The mayor's column leaves one thinking we did nothing when it fact we put into place many of the communication policies and programs that have now come to fruition.

BEACHES

MAYOR GRANDSTANDING ON CLEANUP EFFORTS

When Mayor Mufi Hannemann spoke to a crowd gathered at Poka'i Bay for the beach clean-up, he did so under a banner declaring his name in big bold letters across the top. Why do all of his initiatives have to have his name on it?

Mufi is doing a good thing by cleaning up the beaches on the Leeward Coast, but he should do it Hawaiian-style, with humility and grace and because it's the right thing for the people, not just so he can put his name on the banner. It's the citizens of Honolulu County, the community of Wai'anae, the people of the Leeward Coast who were there cleaning up the parks. Why not put their names up?

I think he's gone a little too far this time. No wonder people are starting to call him The Grandstander. If he could clean the beaches and take care of the homeless, instead of pushing them onto the state, then maybe he'd have something grand to stand on.

NEIGHBORHOOD BOARDS

LET'S WORK TO ACHIEVE DIVERSITY, CITY INPUT

In response to the Aug. 15 editorial on neighborhood noards and the need for a "tune-up," I could not agree more. As a member of the Waikiki board, our meetings frequently are used as forums for personal attacks, hearsay, urban legend and grandstanding.

Our neighborhoods are not served well when boards are remiss in their duties to advise and provide input to the City Council, do their homework on issues, talk with neighbors and businesses, and uphold sunshine provisions and ethics standards.

Let's work to achieve boards that are accessible, responsive, well-trained, well-informed and accountable. A long-term goal should be to foster involvement at our meetings by a truly representative cross-section of the community, an imperative goal for Waikiki, considering its wide range of diversity.