STRIKING WORKERS

EVERYONE DESERVES MEDICAL BENEFITS

How sad that Neal Ikeda's letter (Dec. 27) was written by Scrooge.

Who else would equate "they can't have the right to make it difficult for customers and businesses" with the employees who are standing up for the medical benefits of themselves and their families?

Could the letter reflect those with medical benefits and not care if others have the same benefits? It is unbelievable that anyone in the Aloha State would not want medical benefits for everyone. This situation reminds me of the little crippled boy, Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol."

The tale was written in 1843. Yet today in 2007, some people's hearts feel it is too "difficult" to support those workers who stand up for themselves. Myself, I applaud the Teamsters in their efforts to keep medical benefits.

GRANTS-IN-AID

FAITH IN THE SYSTEM IS BLIND FAITH INDEED

Thank you, Rob Perez, for slaying the dragon. Last year was the first that my charity submitted a GIA (grants-in-aid) request, and everyone in the "know" told me that I had to go door to door in the Capitol to lobby for this.

Unwilling to stretch the IRS' interpretation on affecting legislation as a 501(c)(3), I had to put faith in the system. After reading your article, I realize how blind my faith was. What is particularly discouraging is that key lawmakers told me that repeat GIA requests would not be honored in order to make room for first-time requests. Based on your report and the number of repeat recipients, that was a lie.

PROCESS FOR GRANTS AWARDS IS OUTRAGEOUS

Rob Perez's spotlight on nonprofit grant funding from the state Legislature was illuminating.

No guidelines. No criteria. No transparency. No priorities. No accountability.

One legislator makes all the decisions and reaps a harvest of political contributions.

Outrageous in the extreme!

SUPERFERRY

SERVICE LEAVES THIS PASSENGER STRANDED

I can't believe how high and dry the Superferry has left us. I have been stranded on Maui for three days. They say that Superferry officials are contacting people about cancellations. I have yet to be contacted once by any Superferry officials.

I finally had to purchase a round-trip airline ticket just to get back to O'ahu, leaving my truck and belongings in Maui. I'm out an extra $438 because of hotel and airfare. I can't even express how very disappointed with the lack of accommodations and communications the Superferry has shown.

POLITICS

SWITCHING PARTIES WON'T EASE FRUSTRATION

One of your readers expressed dismay that one reason two of our legislators switched parties recently is that "it is difficult to get things accomplished as a member of the minority party."

It is worth pointing out that just switching parties won't insure these lawmakers any newfound clout. They must be aligned with those Democrats that control the power within the legislative body. There are in fact many Democrats who share the frustration of their Republican colleagues because they are not aligned with that group that holds the power.

What we should all find most alarming is the way funding for capital improvement projects (CIP) is distributed more generously to those affiliated with the power machine. To take it further, should you be an enemy of the power machine, you've just ensured that the community you represent receives mere table scraps, if even that.

Your reader seemed most concerned that bills submitted by minority legislators would go overlooked and wouldn't have a chance, thereby robbing us of a great idea or innovation. In the first few weeks of the session, all these potential bills crafted by all the legislators are floating around for all to see. If there are any great ideas, they easily can be "borrowed" by a legislator who knows they have the influence to make it happen.

It is uncanny how many bills have such coincidental similarities in wording. It's a good thing we aren't dealing with lyrics here, there would be a ton of lawsuits.

So don't worry, great ideas won't get overlooked; what is mostly at stake is who takes credit for it. These powerful people can then go to their constituents and plead a strong case on why they should be elected. See, democracy really works!

MILITARY

APPRECIATION FOR A PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR

To the citizens of the great city of Honolulu, we say aloha and thank you. Walt Mycka, a Pearl Harbor survivor, came to Hawai'i at the requests of his shipmates of the battleship USS Maryland to place a wreath at the 65th commemoration at the USS Arizona Memorial. Walt fell seriously ill the morning of Dec, 7, 2006 and died at Straub Hospital on Dec. 29, 2006.

He and our family were helped in so many ways during this time by the wonderful Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i. Jessica Lani Rich, president, and husband Rick Texier worked to make a difficult time bearable.

We gratefully remember both the service our Uncle Walt performed for our country and what the Visitor Aloha Society did for us.

ROAD REPAIR

TAXPAYERS DESERVE BETTER, SAFER STREETS

A. Yamasaki's letter about road repair (Dec. 27) was fairly accurate, however, she did not go into the short sightedness of this city policy. Why reconstruct and pave the correct way when you can patch and leave for another day? Exactly why are so many roads left in appalling, barely drivable condition?

Take what is arguably the most traveled boulevard in Honolulu, Kapi'olani. Did you notice that the best stretch of this road is fronting the new Nordstrom store, where a private contractor has repaved the lane in conjunction with having to redo the curbs and sidewalk? This is an example of proper road repair. Patching potholes with what is termed in the industry as "cold patch" is really just a Band-Aid for a bleeding artery.

With the amount of road work that needs to be done and the lack of obvious road repair equipment out there, things are not going to get better fast. The city opens up itself — which means us, the taxpayer, — to tremendous liability and damage claims by doing such a poor and negligent job. Time to get on it, guys. We deserve to have better and safer streets. Taxes here are not cheap, just the road repairs.

SOCIAL ISSUES

EDUCATING OUR YOUTH SHOULD BEGIN AT HOME

With so much discussion about social problems regarding youth, with some pointing fingers here and there, there seems to be a missed target. I wish to direct my comments to the target that most don't address: the home.

A wise man said, "As we train a new generation, so will the world be in a few years. If you are worried about the future, then look to the upbringing of your children."

Education begins at home. Parents are children's first teachers from ABCs, 123s, and everything in-between, even sexuality. When children come to the world, whether planned or unplanned, they are the result of someone's choice. The result of that choice cannot be reversed or become the government's, although they are there to help.

The home should be where children learn that they cannot choose the consequence of a bad choice and that doing what is right takes them to a happy, fruitful, and productive life.

The home should be where children learn to control feelings, passions and appetites and taught that waiting until marriage to have sex and children is not only right, but much more fulfilling, even when this type of teaching is not a popular stance.

In most cases, children who are making a positive contribution to the world today are the sweet fruits of yesterday's good rearing. The effect of a good home with a responsible parent or parents will be a great force for good for many generations to come.

HOMELESS

HOMELESS DESERVE A SAFE AND SECURE PLACE

As with any other homeless eviction in Honolulu, the government cannot morally evict the homeless from anywhere unless it can move them to a safe and sanitary place. Otherwise the homeless problem is just being moved to another park or neighborhood.

Unfortunately a disproportion of the homeless population (and prison population) are native Hawaiians. Is this how we should treat our host culture representatives? Is it pono?

MASS TRANSIT

CITY TRANSIT SYSTEM DESPERATELY NEEDED

I've been noticing you've published a few-more-than-usual letters about the condition of our roads. Maybe they're a result of the spate of bad weather we've had, but I've also noticed that all the letters curiously seem to link road conditions with a dig at the city's mass transit project. Coincidence? I think not.

This is a not-too-subtle attempt by opponents of O'ahu's mass transit project to somehow connect roads and rail, their faulty premise being that if the roads can't be maintained, then we can't possibly afford a rail system. Their argument is spurious.

The city is spending tens of millions of dollars on our roads. Beretania and Ke'eaumoku streets are being repaved. King Street in the McCully-Mo'ili'ili area was repaved. Countless other streets have been fixed, while potholes have been filled.

But I know that there's only so much repaving work that can be done at any given time because our overheated construction industry puts competing demands on contractors, manpower, and asphalt and concrete. Besides, many of the main thoroughfares on O'ahu, including freeways, are under the jurisdiction of the state government, not the city.

As for the mass transit system, it's something we desperately need. The condition of our roads tells us that there are simply too many cars, trucks, and buses using our congested roads. A rail system will help reduce that wear and tear.

Mayor Hannemann has demonstrated that he's got the integrity, guts and determination to do what's right for us — and that tells me we're on the right track.

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