WAI'ANAE COAST

AUWE ON CLOSURE OF MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM

The state Department of Health Adult Mental Health Division's mission, vision and core values and guiding principles read like a make-believe fairy tale in light of the current decision to close Hale Na'au Pono's Community-Based Case Management program, which serves more than 350 citizens with serious mental illness on the Wai'anae Coast.

How does the current decision of DOH to close Hale Na'au Pono's CBCM program "support the recovery of adults with severe mental illness?" How does the decision "value teamwork and the endeavor to build partnerships, consumer and community participation?" How does the decision "celebrate diversity and treat all people with fairness, respect and compassion?" How does the decision show "we learn from each other and acknowledge that there are many ways of knowing?" How does the decision support "informed self-directed recovery as a foundation on which all mental services are provided?" How does the decision provide consumers a space in which they can become "an integral component of the service system design throughout AMHD?"

Auwe on the Department of Health to support a statewide policy that takes away desperately needed programs from independent mental health service providers. Auwe on the Department of Health to not want to pay fair compensation for services delivered to Wai'anae consumers.

Auntie Frenchy DeSoto is correct, "Wai'anae always gets the short end of the stick."

Auwe on the Department of Health for not listening to consumers of Hale Na'au Pono, who have shouted, "Don't take our Community Mental Health Center program away from us."

DOH needs to stop minimizing the decision to close a major provider of mental health services on the Wai'anae Coast.

LANGUAGE CLASS

ALL ISLE HIGH SCHOOLS SHOULD OFFER HAWAIIAN

The Hawaiian language is an official language of the State of Hawai'i. And while the Hawaiian language was once on the verge of extinction, it has grown in speakers and popularity throughout Hawai'i for many years now.

Yet the Hawaiian language is not taught in many of Hawai'i's high schools today. As a requirement for graduation, students need to take a foreign language.

Most schools offer classes in French and Spanish. But before any school offers a French class, it should offer a Hawaiian class. Before any school offers a Spanish class, it should offer a Hawaiian class. Many students in the public schools would like to learn the Hawaiian language, but do not have the opportunity to do so.

Yet this is Hawai'i. Why would we not have Hawaiian language classes available in every high school? This would be much more valuable to the children and the people of Hawai'i than French and Spanish.

This would help to preserve and perpetuate the Hawaiian culture, not only for the people of Hawai'i, but also for those who visit Hawai'i.

It is the right thing to do.

RAIL

JUST SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN OPPOSITION

Grassroot Institute President Jamie Story's June 9 letter attacking Honolulu's rail transit system underscored the incestuous nature of the organized opposition to this important action.

The story invoked a "study" by Panos Prevedouros to dispute a significant new report by the Brookings Institution that found that many cities with rail transit systems have lower carbon emissions.

While the story duly noted that Prevedouros is a professor at the University of Hawai'i, it failed to mention that he is also the president of the Hawaii Highway Users Alliance, an organization of taxi and tour bus operators, car dealers, road work contractors and other auto-based special interest groups.

Prevedouros is also a key member of Honolulutraffic.com, a group that includes many of the same people and promotes the same agenda as the Hawaii Highway Users Alliance.

And who is the driving force behind this group? It's perennial mass-transit opponent Cliff Slater, who has led much of the pro-freeway lobbying for the past two decades. Slater is also a board member of — you guessed it — the Grassroot Institute, as is Charlie's Taxi President Dale Evans, who is also a very vocal member of the aforementioned organizations.

It is time to cut through the shibai and understand that a small number of people, with interlocking memberships in groups formed to promote narrow agendas, are trying to drum up opposition to mass transit for their own selfish reasons.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

SEX-ED PROGRAMS CUT TEEN PREGNANCY RISK

The article "Virginity pledges work for some" (Page A12, June 13) failed to mention a few facts about sexual activity among teens.

Ninety-eight percent of Americans become sexually active before marriage. Half of high school seniors have already had sexual intercourse.

One out of four adolescent girls will acquire a sexually transmitted infection during her teens.

Comprehensive sex-education programs support abstinence as the best and safest choice. They also recognize that many young people do not practice abstinence and need to know how to protect themselves.

Comprehensive reproductive health programs reduce the risk of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. These programs do not increase the likelihood that teens will have sex.

DEROGATORY TERM

PROTEST OVER TAM'S REMARK IS UNNECESSARY

Maria Villa and those who claim to be the Hispanic community do not speak for this Hispanic. I am sure that I am not the only one who refuses to be included in the protest against Councilman Rod Tam.

Councilman Tam publicly and humbly apologized for using a derogatory title to refer to Mexican immigrants.

The members of the Hispanic community are escalating the scandal by their unnecessary protest.

We wish not to be included in this protest by this "Hispanic Community" which does not represent many of the Hispanics in the state.

ECO-BATTLE

BUG TO SLOW PLANT'S GROWTH IS A BAD IDEA

I don't know where our governments come up with these experts, but to declare the strawberry guava as an invasive species is really a joke ("Bugs readied for eco-battle," May 11).

Strawberry guava is a fruit that can be eaten or made into different consumer products. If you want to see an invasive species, take a look at the number of African tulip trees that continue to multiply all along the Hana Highway from Kailua all the way to Hana and in Hana.

On top of that, the plan is to bring in a bug that will slow the growth of the strawberry guava. Is that how the wiliwili got it? By a bug that got brought in?

Every bug has the potential of being harmful in other ways. What was the mongoose brought in for? Is it doing what it was intended to do?

How many experts have come and gone? How about that big "cat" in Olinda. Must have been a vegetarian cat. No meat carcasses were found. The experts cashed in though!

Was there a split somewhere? Experts from outside coming here to tell us what we need and don't need. Does that mean all the people we have here know nothing about our Islands' needs?

PRESIDENTIAL RACE

OBAMA WILL WORK FOR GREATER TAXING FAIRNESS

In response to Larry Symons' "challenge" in his June 11 letter ("Obama plan will cause an economic disaster"), I urge him to go to mybarackobama.com and click on "issues."

He will find that Sen. Obama's policy is to get rid of the big oil company tax breaks, raise the taxes of those who hide their profits in overseas banks and lower the taxes for the middle- and lower-income groups.

The richest man in America, Warren Buffett, who pays less tax than his secretary, would like to pay more in taxes. Sen. Obama will work to change the tax structure for greater fairness to struggling Americans.

Sen. Obama also wants to simplify the tax forms. If Mr. Symons still has doubts, he can google "Barack Obama tax" to read what political advisers, historians and economists have said about Barack Obama's tax policy.

I watch the news on programs with a liberal bias because I feel comfortable with what I hear. I can tell by his choice of words that Mr. Symons watches or listens to the other station.

Many news programs are really just entertainment, so we are fortunate that we have the Internet, where we can read what a candidate has said and how the experts have responded in newspapers, journals, magazines and TV news.