PARTY POLITICS

NEW MEMBERS GOOD CHANGE FOR DEMOCRATS

I agree with Jerry Burris in his analysis ("Democrats still have a way to go," May 28), but I disagree with his conclusion. Burris criticizes the new party members for not being cohesive. I applaud them for it.

The new people seem to be conscientious and independent. While they had a list of candidates provided by the Obama campaign, many of the new pro-Obama members listened to the candidates and the issues. They voted based on what they thought was in the best interest of the party. For example, as the third candidate for national committeewoman, among my supporters were both ardent Obama and Clinton supporters.

Further, the new members should not be criticized for failing to speak with one voice on the Constitutional Convention. Party veterans are split on this issue.

I think we are in the midst of a grassroots revolution where the party members use the recommendations of unions, caucuses, campaigns, etc., as input rather than direction.

I welcome the new party members who are putting the demos back into democracy and feel we need to move in the direction set by the new party members.

AIRLINES

LOGICAL TO CHARGE PASSENGERS BY POUND

Linda Kaiser's solution to charge passengers based on total weight (Letters, May 27) makes perfect sense.

If you're tiny and pack lightly, you pay less. If you're not tiny and bring tons of stuff with you, you pay more.

Whether your baggage is checked or not, you and you baggage are charged per pound.

Everyone is held accountable for what it costs to transport their bodies and their belongings.

Who could dispute this logic?

TRANSIT

BEING PRO-RAIL MEANS BEING PRO-COMMUNITY

In my opinion, the anti-rail people are being selfish. Our tax dollars are spent on things that improve the quality of life for everyone, even if it is indirectly.

For example, our taxes pay for making sidewalks accessible to people in wheelchairs. This is an improvement that most of us don't use, but we all pay for it through our taxes since it helps others in our community. Only people with a selfish attitude would protest and ask why should they pay for improved access for disabled persons because they themselves don't use those improvements.

It seems like many anti-rail people live in places such as Kailua or Hawai'i Kai and can afford to have cars as their mode of transportation, yet they fail to see that although the proposed rail routes do not serve their areas, the rail system will actually improve the quality of life for our whole island community. Think of the gridlock when there is an accident on the freeway. In the future, we will drive into a Honolulu that is less congested than it would be without a rail system.

With oil prices soaring, people will turn to alternatives such as using the rail system, in addition to walking, bicycling and taking the bus.

When the anti-rail groups say they don't want rail, they need to be reminded that the world doesn't revolve around them.

Community is the key concept in this discussion about our island transportation. To me, if you're pro-rail, you're pro-community.

KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS

SCHOLAR PROGRAM IS A POWERFUL RESOURCE

As a follow-up to the wonderful letter from Betty White of Sacred Hearts Academy (May 27), I'd like to remark from a grateful family's point of view regarding the Kamehameha Schools Pauahi Keiki Scholar program.

This program, which began by assisting Native Hawaiian children to go to quality preschools and now promises to expand through kindergarten and beyond at private schools, is truly an innovative and powerful resource. It is a gift to families longing to provide their children the best education possible — while respecting the families' individual preferences on the type of school.

The program is set up with guidelines that require parents to take an active role in their child's learning through workshops and volunteering at their child's school.

It was the vision and generosity of Pauahi herself that inspired a program like this to be more than a dream; kudos to KS for the commitment to this new path of sharing her great legacy. Everyone benefits when children get quality education from the start.

PKS has made a significant contribution in seeing that happen for Hawaiian keiki. I hope other organizations will follow this lead and create opportunities like this to become available to all children.

HEALTH

WONDERS IF LEVELING OFF OF CHILD OBESITY HERE

A Page One article on May 28 dealt with childhood obesity and how it seems to be leveling off nationally.

I wonder how we are doing in Hawai'i, especially after I read another article in the same paper that a popular local drive-in has created a new "super-sized plate lunch" in celebration of the chain's opening of their first restaurant outside the United States. The new creation is advertised as, "a three-pound dish with three scoops of rice, two scoops of macaroni salad, BBQ beef and a choice of BBQ chicken or chicken katsu."

I'm not a dietary expert, but I'll make a wild guess that no one will be eating themselves skinny on this choice.

I'll also make another wild guess that Hawai'i isn't following the national trend with respect to childhood obesity either; that is sad.

ANHEUSER-BUSCH

FIRM INVESTS IN EFFORTS TO FIGHT TEEN DRINKING

The image created to accompany a May 25 article ("Party danger for class of 2008") features a photo of a Bud Light bottle. Using this graphic gives the impression Anheuser-Busch condones underage drinking. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

Since 1982, Anheuser-Busch and our nationwide family of 600 wholesalers, including Anheuser-Busch Sales of Hawaii, have invested more than $675 million in community-based programs and advertising campaigns to help promote responsibility and prevent alcohol abuse, including underage drinking. These programs complement many of the worthy efforts the article outlined.

Our "Prevent, Don't Provide" program reminds adults not to provide alcohol at teen parties and our "Family Talk" program provides guidance on talking with teens about not drinking. On the college front, just last year Anheuser-Busch pledged $240,000 to the University of Hawai'i-Manoa to help continue the university's social norms program, which is helping reduce high-risk drinking among UH students.

We hope that in the future your paper will be careful not to demonize a well-respected brand like Bud Light, made by a company that does more than any other when it comes to fighting underage drinking. It does a disservice to your readers and your newspaper's integrity.