INOUYE COMMENT

OBAMA'S CONNECTION TO HAWAI'I VERY REAL

In Derrick DePledge's article dated Feb. 16 on Sen. Barack Obama's local ties, I find Sen. Daniel Inouye's play of the Punahou School card a bit twisted.

Inouye, who is endorsing Sen. Hillary Clinton, attempts to dilute Obama's life experiences as a local teen based on enrollment in a specific school, one that is "not for the impoverished."

He questions whether Barack's life plan was set while a student there. Inouye maps Obama's formative years in high school to a period of cultural disenfranchisement that retarded his assimilation to the host culture.

I submit to Mr. Inouye that he has crossed the line with his reference to the particulars of a high school education that he can only speculate on.

Because of scholarships, the student population at Obama's high school is rich in its ethnic and socioeconomic diversity — the essence of a true "cultural experience."

Would the senator care to advise us all about where Hawai'i's youth should or should not attain their education based on "cultural connection?" I would hope not.

The dots for Obama's success as a leader who understands Hawai'i are connected to Hawai'i, and Mr. Inouye cannot erase them.

MANY PUNAHOU STUDENTS RELY ON AID

"(Barack Obama) went to school in Hawai'i but he went to Punahou, and that was not a school for the impoverished." Excuse me, Sen. Inouye?

I, my family and my friends are utterly offended by your comments made in the recent article about Barack Obama regarding Punahou School.

The clear message you sent is that Obama does not really know Hawai'i because he grew up at Punahou, an elitist bubble, separate from the rest of the community, specifically the "impoverished."

When was the last time you looked over the financial situations of Punahou students' families? There are hundreds of students who rely on Punahou's financial aid, and parents who work two jobs to give them the best education possible.

And after all that hard work, they are told that they are not truly a part of the state. I am ashamed of this ignorant portrayal.

SCHOOL HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING LOCAL

It's one thing when a radio personality says that the color of your eyes determines whether you're local enough, but to have a respected U.S. senator implicitly state some of the same rationale is quite another.

Granted, I know Sen. Daniel Inouye badly wants Sen. Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic nominee for president. But he disparages Sen. Barack Obama and all the hard-working local parents who send their kids to private schools, by saying that "he went to school in Hawai'i, but he went to Punahou," thus implying that he can't possibly know what it means to be a real "local."

Has the senator lived in Washington for so long that he doesn't remember that many parents of our fine state struggle to work two jobs to send their kids to private schools, to make sure they are getting the opportunity to live up to their educational and yes, life-changing potential?

Being for Sen. Clinton is one thing, but to suggest that growing up and going to school in Hawai'i, regardless of whether it was a private or public school, would not impact Sen. Obama in some substantial way is simply petty politics that I hope everyone sees through.

ALUMS STAND TALL ON THEIR PUNAHOU ROOTS

There are two questions unique to Hawai'i when meeting someone new: "Where did you go to school?" and "what's your nationality?"

What does Sen. Daniel Inouye find hard to believe when Barack Obama gives proper credit to the school from which he comes?

Is Dan slipping into the old habit of "Punahou bashing?"

The roots of Punahou are as strong as the lauhala tree and water spring upon which it was built, as in its emblem.

Can any kama'aina deny the added community pressure of "going to Punahou?" Dan remembers the doubleheader Thanksgiving football games at the old stadium when three schools would gang up against Punahou.

Nevertheless, if Nainoa Thompson and Barack Obama can stand tall upon their roots of Punahou to show the world their foundation of integrity is impeccable, the rest of us can keep dodging "the low blows" and cheer them on.

Since Barack was born in Hawai'i, I wonder if he knows his nationality? Since he was a professor of constitutional law, I suppose he does know that lawfully makes him Hawaiian, under laws of the Kingdom of Hawai'i, upon which we all stand.

PUNAHOU STUDENTS ARE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE

"Punahou maintains a long-standing commitment to provide need-based financial aid. A family's financial status does not influence admission decisions." This statement is right off the Punahou Web site, and it conforms to my experience of the student body as a community of talented people from all walks of life.

I graduated in 1971. Punahou set my life plan in place. I had been so transformed by my education at Punahou, I wanted to bring a Punahou education to everyone. I became a fairly "impoverished" teacher. For many years now, I have been teaching in a small college in the heart of Oakland.

My students often can't afford books and many of them are functionally illiterate owing to their tenure in a terrible K-12 public system. In these conditions, I draw on my love of learning and my deep regard for the transformative powers of education — habits of mind and spirit inspired and nurtured by Punahou.

KUNIA

INTERSECTION CHANGE WILL EASE TRAFFIC FLOW

The traffic flow near Kunia Shopping Center and the 76 gas station needs to be fixed.

Cars that come down the hill from Wal-Mart need to wait for all the cars that go straight up the hill. Sometimes, only one car will get to go for every green light.

Just change the left lane to left turn only, and it'll work a lot smoother.

LEEWARD COAST

INFRASTRUCTURE MUST GET MORE ATTENTION

The governor's proposal to intervene and stop development of the Turtle Bay Resort and surrounding acreage makes no sense when compared to our plight along the Leeward Coast.

The governor has stated that the North Shore does not have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate an influx of 3,500 units.

Let's put that into perspective. On my side of town, we are getting 60,000 more units, a slew of commercial and industrial parks, a new university and everything else in between.

When the Estate of James Campbell put some 1,600 acres of prime agricultural land on the selling block in 'Ewa, where was the governor to make the same plea on our behalf? When the Navy sold 499 acres in Kalaeloa at only $60,000 per acre recently, where was the governor on that deal?

No new expressways are being planned for us along the Leeward Coast. If the governor wants to be consistent, then absolutely no further development should transpire on the Leeward Coast until the carrying capacity of our roads has been substantially increased. Why the double standard?

FARM BUREAU

CITY HAS DONE MUCH TO HELP SUPPORT FARMERS

As a follow up to the article, "Council looks at ag preservation" (Feb. 11), I appreciate the support both Mayor Mufi Hannemann's administration and the City Council have given to farmers and ranchers on O'ahu.

I cannot remember the last time so much has been done by the city in such a short period of time. Here are just some of the actions taken within the past few years enacted by the mayor and the council: