ELECTIONS

CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. 3 A WINNER FOR ALL

The voters face some tough choices on Nov. 7. One vote, however, should be easy. Charter Amendment 3 is one of those rare win-win questions that deserve a resounding yes vote. No. 3 won't raise your taxes. No. 3 will help to preserve the natural beauty of the 'aina. No. 3 will provide funding to assist the homeless and build affordable housing. This amendment works in so many ways and I encourage all voters to vote Yes on 3.

GET PARTISAN POLITICS OUT OF THE LEGISLATURE

In response to Mr. Steven Arashiro's letter (Oct. 26), his dissatisfaction with the Lingle administration is misplaced. Mr. Arashiro complains the Lingle administration has done nothing for our state and that he is still in the "same old rat race," Further, his friends are subject to working two or three jobs "just to stay afloat."

I suspect Mr. Arashiro's friends have been working two or three jobs long before Gov. Lingle took office. It is unfair to blame Gov. Lingle for many of the things that Mr. Arashiro complains of. Most of the blame should be focused on our elected representatives. The Democrats control the state House and Senate; they control all of the laws and most of the money.

Just how much cooperation can a Republican governor receive from a Democrat-controlled House and Senate? Voting for Randy Iwase will not end "the same old rat race." Having a non-partisan legislative body that works with the governor for the good of the people would be a good start to ending that rat race.

IWASE OFFERS BREAK FROM FAILED BUSH IDEAS

Democrats understand that the past four years have been a recession for the middle class. While unemployment is down, the quality of jobs has not improved. Moreover, when adjusted for inflation, middle-class families actually make $2,000 less than they did in 2001.

It is time to win back the economy for the people of Hawai'i and elect Democrats on Nov. 7. With Randy Iwase as governor, Hawai'i will no longer suffer from support for failed Bush fiscal policies.

With Democrats in the Legislature and Randy Iwase as governor, plans to support our growing homeless population by addressing the causes of homelessness — namely poor salaries, rising healthcare costs and virtually no affordable housing in Hawai'i — will be funded and implemented within his first term.

Randy Iwase believes that keeping Hawai'i's inmates (not to mention the $49 million annually) in Hawai'i is a good thing for the rehabilitation of inmates, for the families of inmates, and for the state's economic well being.

On Nov. 7 we have the opportunity to settle for more of less, or elect Randy Iwase, who will do more with less.

TRAFFIC MESS

LANE CLOSURES A PAIN

I have been through one-mile and less than one-mile lane closure alerts. Neither works, but the farther the lane closure warning, the more drivers tend to travel on the fast merging lane only to cut in right at the point of merge. This creates road rage and frustration for drivers who patiently wait in the through-lanes much longer because of the cut-ins at the top.

I have yet to see through-lane traffic go faster than those who need to merge no matter where alert cones are placed. At least not in Kailua or any state that I've driven in.

Moral: If you're in a rush, stay in the merging lane and a poor soul will gladly let you in.

ECONOMIC BENEFIT

STRYKER BRIGADE NEEDED FOR MILITARY

Halting Stryker training as reported Oct. 24 riles many of us of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Didn't Sen. Inouye argue long and hard to bring the Stryker Brigade here, not only for strategic but economic reasons as well? Why didn't Earthjustice voice its opposition then?

Further, aren't these the same training areas that have been used by the military since WWII and before? Training areas that tanks and tracked armored personnel carriers traveled over for years? So what makes Stryker wheeled vehicles — which are far more environmentally friendly than even those monster civilian trucks on our roads — undesirable?

Regarding sacred cultural sites, what makes these training areas sacred while golf courses and rubbish dumps are not? And made sacred by what god? Didn't Kamehameha II abolish the Hawaiian religion and its gods in 1819?

Our soldiers are here because those we elected brought them here. The concerned training areas are not virgin terrain. Those filing the lawsuit are denying our soldiers, many of them Hawai'i's sons and daughters, the training they'll need to survive in combat. How unconscionable!

TURTLE BAY

CITY OFFICIALS MUST STOP OUTDATED PLAN

The time has come for the mayor and City Council to acknowledge that 20 years ago the council blundered. A compromise with the developer should be sought. Single-family homes, rather than hotels and condos, would reduce the impact of developing this property.

It is the duty of our elected officials to listen to the voters, make appropriate decisions and defend, or modify their decisions as circumstances change. The developer's job is to maximize return for their investors, so a change in plan could lead to the city paying damages in a lawsuit. However, permanent damage to our marine resources and traffic gridlock requiring new roads and bridges would cost far more.

The existing hotel's seaward expansion shows no concern for the ocean environment and no respect for the beachgoing public. This new construction, so close to the ocean, shows what will happen to the rest of this coastline unless the mayor and council act.

DISCRIMINATION?

KAWAMOTO PLAN WON'T VIOLATE HOUSING LAWS

I'm 100 percent for Gensiro Kawamoto's plans call for Native Hawaiians.

However, Cynthia Thomas, an attorney and project manager for the Legal Aid Society of Hawai'i's fair housing enforcement program, said requiring that renters be Native Hawaiian would almost certainly violate federal and state housing discrimination laws. And she also said "it would be similar to a white owner only wanting to rent to whites." I agree with that statement.

But he is Japanese and wants to rent to Native Hawaiians. He's not a Japanese who wants to rent only to Japanese. So I do not think it is discrimination for Mr. Gensiro Kawamoto's plans.

Get the picture?

FLIGHT DELAYS

RESIDENTS SEE NO ALOHA AFTER QUAKE, EITHER

I am a little upset by a letter to the editor, "No aloha shown for tourist after quake" (Oct. 24).

I commute between Kona and Honolulu and on that "earthquake Sunday" I ended up at Keahole Airport waiting eight hours to board a flight back to Honolulu to try to be with my family.

In light of the morning's events, I expected flights to be delayed. However, only trans-Pacific passengers with tickets to the Mainland were placed on outbound flights while local interisland commuters were asked to leave the gated area.

People who say that "no aloha" was shared with visitors need to realize that too often residents' needs are compromised to ensure our "guests" have a memorable vacation.

Yes, tourists were inconvenienced by flight delays and with no immediate services in their hotels, but many local people were suffering, emotionally stressed, just trying to get back home to their families. Where is the "aloha" there?

PUBLIC SAFETY RISK

SHARK-FEEDING BAN SEEN AS VICTORY FOR HALE'IWA

The decision by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council to ban shark feeding in Hawai'i is a huge victory for the people of Hale'iwa.

In one of the largest turnouts of a public meeting in recent years, a standing-room-only crowd of almost 300 people jammed Hale'iwa Elementary School cafeteria to express their objections to the shark boat operations out of Hale'iwa Harbor.

There have been mounting public concerns from fishermen, surfers, swimmers and scuba divers about potential risks of shark attacks and increased shark sightings near the shore lines, due to shark feeding by the shark boats.

Since 2001, the commercial shark viewing operations began providing and promoting viewing of sharks off Hale'iwa. However, to keep the sharks near the shark cage for viewing, tour operators often introduce chum (fish parts) into the water.

Since the state of Hawai'i prohibits the feeding of sharks for commercial purposes in state waters from zero to three miles from shore, the commercial shark tour operations have relocated into federal waters, which is beyond the three-mile limit.

The overwhelming majority of the people at the meeting objected to the shark boats' operation. The Surf Rider Foundation testified for a total ban on shark boats, while George Downing from Save Our Surf wants to immediately terminate the present permits for the shark tour operations.

It was further reported that there are now four shark boats operating out of Hale'iwa Harbor, and it was believed that two more boats would be coming, unless the state DLNR denies the request for permits to use the harbor.

The council's action validates the concerns expressed by the people present at the meeting, that the commercial shark boat tour operations are not wanted in Hale'iwa.