DAN AKAKA

HAWAI'I VOTERS WANT SENATOR WITH ALOHA

Ed Case continues to obsessively harp about Sen. Akaka not wanting to debate him. It's nauseating.

When I watch C-SPAN and see our congressional delegation speaking on the floor, I don't care how good they are as debaters. I care about their stance on issues that are important to me and my fellow residents here in Hawai'i.

Hawai'i voters don't care who the best debater is. The bottom line is we want someone representing us who speaks from the heart and is full of aloha. There is only one candidate that fits that description: it's the incumbent, Sen. Dan Akaka.

MASS TRANSIT

TRAFFIC PROBLEMS CAN DELAY BUS SCHEDULES

Rico Leffanta is correct that TheBus Routes A and B are each scheduled at 15-minute intervals.

All motorists on O'ahu — including bus drivers — are well aware of the traffic problems and delays caused by congestion, accidents and construction. That is why Mayor Mufi Hannemann is pursuing an alternative mode of transportation to provide commuters with choices.

Mr. Leffanta should know that if built, a mass transit system would not be subject to the traffic delays that cars and buses encounter daily on existing streets.

HEAT EXHAUSTION

FRONT-PAGE ARTICLE ON WIE WAS TOO MUCH

The world is on the brink of a nuclear war, the government runs a record budget deficit, and yet your front-page article (Saturday, July 15) is about a 16-year-old school girl who becomes exhausted from walking on a golf course. There are hundreds of women in Hawai'i who run marathons, swim and bike long distances, or paddle from island to island, all the while working full-time jobs and raising families.

And they do it for the love of the sport, without the benefit of a multimillion-dollar contract. Michelle Wie does have a pretty face, but you don't have to show it day after day. Please give us a break.

NATATORIUM

SUPPORT-BEAM CRACKS FOUND NON-STRUCTURAL

This is in response to John Corboy's letter regarding the Natatorium restrooms (July 12). The city previously spent approximately $4 million to restore the land portion of the Natatorium including the bleacher structure and the entry arch and the restrooms.

The work was completed in 2000 and the restrooms subsequently opened to the public. However, in 2004, following reports of cracking/spalling of a support beam in the women's restroom along with further collapse of the pool deck, the restrooms were closed. The city commissioned two structural assessments. The reports concluded the bleacher and entry arch were sound and the observed cracking/spalling was non-structural.

The city repaired the damage and turned over the facility to the Department of Parks and Recreation. It's my understanding that the decision at that time - in 2004 - was to not reopen the restrooms. We are re-evaluating the situation. When Mayor Hannemann took office, he decided to not continue efforts to fully restore the Natatorium. The construction contract was cancelled, saving taxpayers over $5 million.

CONTEMPT OF COURT

IS A LAW NEEDED TO ALLOW THANKS TO DEITY?

You should not have to spend one minute (let alone six hours) in jail for thanking Jesus after you are found not guilty in a court case.

Circuit Court Judge Patrick Border should not have found Junior Stowers in contempt of court; he should have at least let Junior apologize on the spot and had that be the end of it.

Judges have a responsibility to maintain order in their courtrooms, but by the time Junior offered to apologize His Honor had that order. Maybe Hawai'i needs a law to allow "any person to express gratitude to one's deity upon discovering that he/she will not have to be incarcerated."

BORDER PATROL

NATIONAL GUARD SHOULD BE HERE, NOT ARIZONA

It's wrong to send thousands of Hawai'i National Guard to Arizona for border patrol duties during two hurricane seasons here. That job is the responsibility of the federal Border Patrol, Customs and Immigration, not Hawai'i state personnel.

Let's hope Hawai'i doesn't get smacked by a Category 5 hurricane and our National Guard is needed to pick up the pieces while they are 3,000 miles away doing someone else's job.

HOMELESS

LACK OF ALTERNATIVES WILL FUEL FIRE OF REVOLT

The governor and the mayor had better act fast about the homeless problem before it escalates into a major revolution.

With the high cost of housing, gas, food, drugs and property tax more people will be forced into a homeless position. When that happens you can be certain that a major revolution will occur. Imagine armed military personnel escorting tourists to their hotels. Well, that will never happen because there won't be any tourists to escort.

Vacating the homeless from the beaches without giving them alternative places to live is just fueling the fire of revolt. If the elected officials are not serious about the homeless issue a major revolution is coming.

ETHANOL

CONSUMERS HAVE RIGHT TO WAIVER INFORMATION

Mahalo to The Honolulu Advertiser for enlightening your readers on the state's latest conspiracy. I recently read Sean Hao's article, "Groups question ethanol waiver," and I am appalled that our state government would withhold such important information from consumers.

Tesoro's gasoline-rules waiver reveals our government's willingness to bend over backwards for big oil. Why no public hearing? Where is the openness that would allow me to make an informed decision? Auwe!

KUKUI GARDENS

AFFORDABLE HOUSING MUST BE FOR THE NEEDY

When you're selected for affordable housing, does this mean you can stay in affordable housing for generations? Is there any kind of time limit that forces these people into normal living circumstances?

I thought the purpose of affordable housing was to temporarily help people until they got themselves out of this situation and then make room for the next person who really needs affordable housing.

When I drive by Kukui Gardens, I notice a number of nice automobiles parked in their parking lot. I struggle to get by with my family of three and I drive an old, beat-up clunker, yet it is so nice to see that shiny 2006 Escalade and the other nice cars at the Kukui Gardens.

Seems to me that some of these people are actually doing quite well. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against affordable housing. In fact I believe we need more. But, when I see what looks like abuse of a system that is set up to help the truly needy, then my feelings of empathy go right out the door.

KAMEHAMEHA

PAUAHI INTENDED LARGESS FOR HAWAIIANS

Permit me to respond to the David Rosen letter (July 11), where he invents a case for discrimination at the Kamehameha Schools.

Arguments both for and against this contention have continued for years, ever since Kamehameha was transformed from a land-rich to cash-rich institution. It seems the richer the institution, the greater the pain felt by those who claim injury.

Perhaps this injury is an acceptable euphemism for avarice, a decidedly Western invention. From my perspective, Rosen doesn't argue for equality of educational opportunity, he argues for a cash gift to be bestowed upon those for whom it was not intended. Where else can you invest $2,000 a year to secure a $20,000 value? That is indeed a handsome return-on-investment. Were all island schools to offer such subsidies, I suspect that Kamehameha Schools would be left to the Hawaiians and the Rosens of this landscape would find other windmills to joust. Perhaps they should set their sights on Santa Claus, who has the extremely bad manners of rewarding rich kids more lavishly than poor kids at Christmas. Now that's a real travesty and worthy of legal redress.

In the meanwhile, our particular Santa, Princess Bernice Pauahi, should be left to do her good works among those she intended to be beneficiaries of her largess. Both Pauahi and her school enjoy the love, respect and aloha of most Islanders. It is long-standing and appreciated. I Mua Kamehameha