KAUA'I

UNFINISHED BATHROOMS NEAR OCEAN A DEBACLE

Regarding the story about Kaua'i County's failure to get permits for bathrooms a few feet from the ocean along the so-called Great Bike Path: The Council members should also look at the two unfinished bathrooms.

This is an inexcusable debacle: putting bathrooms a few feet from the ocean, with no water connections and no pumps and discharge lines to raise the waste above sea-level to an appropriate septic system or connection to a major local sewer line!

Of course, the thousands who have been using the beach park at Kealia over the past several years would not be surprised. They have tolerated two porta-potties for years by simply learning not to use them, because they are seldom pumped out. One must wonder how clean and sanitary the ocean water at Kealia Beach might be when hundreds of people a day probably use the ocean itself as their comfort station.

It would appear that a few heads should roll, followed by a thorough house cleaning in the county government of Kaua'i.

ELECTION 2006

DO YOUR HOMEWORK, CHECK ON CANDIDATES

It's sad to see so many households with Internet access, yet people not using it to find out what candidates stand for.

Many people vote according to the political ads they see on TV and in the newspaper, or hear on the radio. It's not difficult to check whether elected officials are representing the majority of voters in Hawai'i.

How many parents would want their underage daughter to be given an abortion without their knowledge? Or taken to another state where an abortion can be done without their knowledge? Senate bill S.403 would have made it illegal to do these things without parental notification. Sens. Dan Akaka and Daniel Inouye voted against it. It fell short by two votes.

This is an encouragement that we do our homework and check out the legislation these guys are voting for or against, and see how it stacks up to what you want them to do.

Do your homework first, then vote intelligently.

MAZIE HIRONO A GOOD CHOICE FOR CONGRESS

For most of my career as an attorney, I and my law office represented homeowner associations throughout the state of Hawai'i. While doing so, I had the opportunity to testify in the Hawai'i Legislature for a number of years about the enactment of such laws.

Mazie Hirono and Neil Abercrombie were in the legislative committees that handled those particular laws.Those two representatives were the very best of all the committee members before whom I testified.

Hirono is now running for Congress, and I can't imagine a better elected official. Many of the condominium associations were having a very hard time passing badly needed by-law amendments because the law required a vote by 75 percent of all members. Hirono was instrumental in having the needed vote reduced to 65 percent.

She was also instrumental in the passage of a large number of other critically needed laws that significantly benefited the citizens of Hawai'i. Her election to Congress would be a good choice.

LINGLE, HOGUE, THIELEN CAN COUNT ON THIS VOTE

Daniel Laraway (Letter, Oct. 4) suggests that Sen. Dan Akaka and Mazie Hirono deserve Hawai'i's vote for the sole reason that they are Democrats.

Well I'm sorry, Mr. Laraway, but as an individual who thinks independently, I will not vote for who you tell me to vote for, but rather whom I deem to be the best person for the job. Laraway describes state Sen. Bob Hogue as a nice guy and state Rep. Cynthia Thielen as a woman of strong and good character.

Although I disagree with Thielen on many issues, I respect the fact that she can think independently and stand up for what she believes in. Bob Hogue is a man with outstanding integrity and a passion for representing the people of Hawai'i in Washington. Along with Gov. Linda Lingle, Hogue and Thielen will be receiving my vote this November.

KAPOLEI

DHHL HAS WORKABLE PLAN FOR BENEFICIARIES

As a Native Hawaiian, I take offense, though I can understand Chris Cramer's view on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' plan to build a shopping mall at Kapolei rather than homes for Native Hawaiians (Letter, Oct. 4).

I appreciate his concern for Hawaiian beneficiaries, but if anyone should bring this effort forth in reminding DHHL about its "mission," then I would suggest that he get in touch with the Hawaiian homestead beneficiary group, Hui Ka Ko'o 'Aina Ho'o Pula Pula. It represents the more than 25,000 Hawaiians on the waiting list who are entitled to receive a homestead lot.

The current administration and staff of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands have done an outstanding job in fulfilling the mission of providing a workable plan that benefits not only the beneficiaries of the trust but works with surrounding areas to assure that the Hawaiian Homestead community plays a major role in bringing in commerce.

TAX CREDITS

STATE STEALING FROM POOR, GIVING TO RICH

Hawai'i Film Commissioner Donne Dawson's claim that she can't release information on which film and TV production companies received tax credits because of competitive reasons is shibai. She won't release the names because the state, through Act 88, is stealing from the poor and giving to the rich.

In years past, "Lost" received film production income tax credits. "Lost," produced by Touchstone Television, is a division of the Walt Disney Co., which In 2004 received $31 billion in revenues and had $1.7 billion in cash. Meanwhile, the average Hawai'i citizen struggles to keep up with the highest cost of living and the highest state taxes of all 50 states in the nation. Where's the tax credit for Hawai'i's local residents?

Perhaps the state could solve the homeless problem quicker if it would stop handing our money over to affluent Mainland organizations and allocate more funds to low-income housing.