ELECTION 2008

PALIN'S EXPERIENCE WILL FIT IN WELL ON TICKET

A Sept. 4 letter commented that the choice of Sarah Palin was akin to a jetliner flight attendant being stuck in the co-pilot seat with only a few student pilot lessons.

Having been a wife, mother, mayor and governor, Palin comes fully equipped with "lessons" on how to right the jetliner in case of an emergency.

The choice of a Democratic ticket would have a pilot who answered "present" during 130 flying lessons, rather than trying to learn those 130 lessons.

He hasn't gotten his pilot's license yet because he didn't participate in class and learn how to fly the jetliner.

If anyone is ill-equipped to pilot the jetliner, it would be Barack Obama.

I think that Sarah Palin's management experience will complement John McCain's Washington experience very nicely.

LINGLE IS NOT STANDING UP FOR MIDDLE CLASS

Gov. Linda Lingle, in her ever more transparent bid to please her Republican cohorts at the national level, has clearly demonstrated again just how out of touch the Republican party is with the needs and realities of average, middle-class Americans.

Her criticism of Sen. Obama's plan to adjust the tax structure so that families making less than $250,000 will get a tax break and families making more than $250,000 will contribute more in taxes demonstrates her need for an economic reality check.

Lingle said: "The fact is it's (Obama's tax plan) on very middle-class people when you combine their income together, it's a firefighter and a school teacher, it's a police officer and a marketing representative."

Gov. Lingle, I'm married to a school teacher and I personally know some police officers and I know for a fact that all the combining in the world won't raise their income level to anywhere near $250,000. So just who is Lingle standing up for so strongly on the national stage?

Certainly not the middle class as exists in the real world. Must be a new angle on "more of the same."

DID LINGLE REVEAL TRUE COLORS IN GOP SPEECH?

I used to feel sorry for Gov. Linda Lingle having to contend with an overwhelming Democratic majority in the Legislature.

However, after hearing her speak at the Republican convention, I'm beginning to be very thankful — despite the frequent dysfunction of the Hawai'i Democrats — for that check on her power.

To hear her celebrating Sarah Palin's socially conservative values and strict adherence to freetrade ideology certainly contrasted with what she says in front of local crowds and seemed very out of step with most Hawai'i residents.

I realize she was speaking to a partisan crowd and had to highlight certain important talking points, but in agreeing to do the bidding of her party did she also reveal her true colors?

I, for one, will think twice about voting for her again when she most likely runs for national office in 2010 or 2012, and I hope other local people listened to what she had to say and will remember that in the future.

PEOPLE'S VOICE

CONCON IS BEST WAY TO GET CHANGE IN THIS STATE

Thirty years is long enough to wait for a Constitutional Convention in Hawai'i. That's why it is so disappointing to see that the potential cost of a ConCon continues to grab the headlines instead of the solutions that could result from a people's convention.

We have faced the same fundamental problems year after year with no real solutions. Failing schools, an economy dependent on land development and tourism, and lack of government accountability and voter participation continue to plague our island home.

Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona's task force showed we can hold a ConCon with all the trimmings for under $10 million.

If it costs approximately $30 million a year for the Legislature to convene, and we've seen how little we actually get from that, $10 million seems like a reasonable price to let our citizens have their say.

Government had its chance. It's our turn now, and a Constitutional Convention is the best way we can bring about the kind of change so many of us need.

WINDWARD SIDE

SATELLITE CITY HALL DECISION POOR TIMING

In a decision most certainly driven by dollars and less by common sense, the city decided to close the Windward Mall Satellite City Hall on Aug. 29, thus driving people on the Windward side to crowd the few satellite city halls open on Aug. 30.

Of course, waiting until the end of the month to renew my car registration is a true act of procrastination, but I had a lot of company.

In true Hawaiian fashion, everyone took this with aloha and the overworked employees did their best to accommodate each person in a professional manner.

For an administration trying to get re-elected, this seems poor timing. Perhaps our city administrators should reexamine their thought process. Auwe.

TRAFFIC

DRIVERS: LET'S MAKE IT A SAFE SCHOOL YEAR

As the new school year is now in full swing, I would like to remind drivers to obey traffic laws. Please don't pass when school buses' red lights are flashing. Take extra care when you see a group of children waiting for buses. Let's have a good and safe school year.