BAD COVERAGE

QUAKE IN SOUTH ASIA DESERVES MORE COVERAGE

As we woke yesterday morning to the terrible news that the death toll had risen to more than 20,000 people in the earthquake in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, The Advertiser did not even report the story on its front page.

While your commitment to local news, "Sex offenders registry updated," is laudable, let's try a little commitment to humanity. The news that a database has been updated, even a sex offender database, is a minor story compared to the loss of life in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan.

FOOD SAFETY

CITIZENS ARE CORRECT TO QUESTION IRRADIATOR

Citizens are rightfully concerned about the safety risks of living close to an irradiation facility ("Safety of airport irradiator questioned," Oct. 6). Just this year, the University of Hawai'i shut down its food irradiation facility because of security concerns and the potential for a "dirty bomb."

Safety aside, irradiated foods have not been readily accepted into our food system. Many consumers are wary of this technology. Irradiation doesn't just kill bacteria. It disrupts the chemical composition of food, depleting vitamins and creating new chemicals. Irradiation reduces vitamins A and C, for which papayas and mangos are prized.

Further, studies have found that a chemical created in irradiated food promotes tumor growth and can cause genetic damage to human cells.

Weak grocery store sales show that consumers aren't buying this technology. When we called 15 major national supermarket chains that once sold irradiated beef, all of them had stopped carrying the product.

The largest food irradiation company, SureBeam, went bankrupt in 2004, and Pennsylvania irradiator CFC Logistics shut its doors this April just 18 months after opening.

Irradiation is a Band-Aid, not a cure for our food safety problems. Consumers deserve better.

FEEDING HOMELESS

MAHALO FOR SUPPORT OF KAU KAU WAGON

I would like very much to thank The Advertiser staff, especially Mike Gordon, for caring enough to take the time to write the articles that made people aware about the plight of the Kau Kau wagon and its commitment to make a difference in our community.

The blessings and support have been wonderful. We now have a two-year permit that allows us to do what we have done for nearly 20 years. With Thanksgiving and the holidays coming soon, I just couldn't imagine not having the opportunity to be able to make a difference for so many out there, not just the homeless, but also those on a fixed income who really need every small blessing we as a community can share.

The smiles we received when we arrived on Oct. 1 were really priceless and made the battle far beyond worthy. Although our battles are not over yet, for now we can go forth.

Mahalo to everyone who offered us assistance, support and hope. We can make a difference no matter how small or large. It's our community, and I will always believe that everyone deserves the best we can share. Mahalo! Thank you!

SCHOOLS

USE BUDGET SURPLUS TO PAY OUR TEACHERS

If we have a state surplus, then let's use it to pay the teachers so that we can afford to live and teach in Hawai'i. The cost of living is extremely high and the pay scale is below a living wage. I did not expect the cost of living to be this high.

A real bait and switch is going on in my book since the recruitment pamphlet stated that if you had 30-plus education credits, you get in at a higher entry class and you get some credit for years of experience.

This is my 10th year of teaching and if I compare my pay with teachers of equivalent years and credits in the Hawai'i system, I am at least several thousand dollars behind them. I know of several teachers who have either left or are seriously thinking of leaving because of these problems.

Fix these problems and see how many teachers would be willing to stay and make a difference.

DCCA

ONLINE SYSTEM HELPS BUSINESS GET STARTED

I would like to thank Gov. Linda Lingle in general, and Mark Recktenwald, director of the state Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs, and his staff in particular for their easy, efficient online system of registering a business in Hawai'i.

The other week I went online and in about 10 minutes had everything filled out to start my new business and get my GET tax number. Soon after, I received a confirmation of receipt and then a day or so later I had my tax number.

So well done, DCCA. We are starting to see real efficiency in government.

SPEED LIMIT SIGNS

ROMAN NUMERALS MIGHT HELP SLOW DOWN DRIVERS

I highly recommend that all speed limit signs from Nanakuli to Makaha be changed to Roman numerals. This will make speeders slow down, get confused, enhance their reading comprehension and start to understand why speed limits are posted the way they are.

On the Leeward coast, yellow means hurry up, red is coming. Stop signs should also be changed to say, "Don't Stop! You don't anyway!"

UH FOOTBALL

TEAM UNIFORM LOST COLORS OF THE RAINBOW

This year's uniform for the University of Hawai'i football team comes in black and white. Colors have disappeared along with the rainbow.

For those who like to live on the dark side, the home uniform was taken right off Darth Vader's rack reeking with evil intentions. For those who seek the sublime, the travel uniform captures the purity befitting the vestal virgins.

Come on. Get real. Bring back the 'Bows! Or at least the UH colors.

HARRIET MIERS

SENATE NEEDS FACTS ON HIGH COURT NOMINEE

The Senate is in charge of confirming judicial nominees to provide a check on cronyism and the president's ideological whim. Currently, almost nothing is known about Harriet Miers and the Bush administration refuses to release documents from her time in the White House. Everyone, whether on the right or left, agrees that the American people have the right to know who it is who has been nominated to take Sandra Day O'Connor's seat on the Supreme Court. Truth is of utmost importance as this appointment will shape our country's future for decades to come. The Senate must get the facts.

WIE A SHINING EXAMPLE OF GIVING BACK TO COMMUNITY

While the message to "always speak the truth from the depth of her heart" is sage advice, Carlino Giampolo's Oct. 7 letter came off as a bit hard on Michelle Wie.

Whenever there is a press conference, especially one of international interest, comments are usually well thought-out ahead of time. But defining the news conference as appearing to "lack total integrity" and being "rehearsed and staged" is really a stretch. In fact, the front-page article of the same Advertiser edition does much to correct this misconception.

My daughter also attended and graduated from Punahou, and one of the most important values Punahou instills in students is "giving back to the community." As examples, the Kaneloa Wetland restoration project at Kapi'olani Park and other worthy community volunteer projects have benefited from Punahou's student service project program.

Michelle may have been too busy practicing to give back in this way, but she has found another way. The type of determination and commitment Michelle Wie has consistently demonstrated over several years is to be commended and will take her far in life. The generosity she has exhibited is an example for others to follow no matter what the amount. The sincerity of her comments shines through, as they are those of a 15-year-old who is "very excited" about her hard-earned achievements. May she always remain so sincere and without affectations.

GAS PRICE CAP

FACTS SHOW LAW IS NOT FLAWED

It is a shame that Jack Suyderhoud ("Gas price cap broken, unfixable," Sept. 18) and Rep. Lynn Finnegan ("Cap is a bad idea that will bring us only more grief," Sept. 18) need to use speculation, flawed data and misrepresentation to convince Hawai'i consumers that the gas cap will not work. Let the people of Hawai'i decide this issue based on facts regarding the gasoline industry in Hawai'i.

Because of the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, there were dramatic price increases throughout the world, not just Hawai'i. Gasoline and crude oil are global commodities. They are affected by world events and no market can be isolated from a catastrophe such as Katrina.

For Suyderhoud and Finnegan to argue that gasoline prices in Hawai'i went up because of the gas cap law is totally false, irresponsible and contradictory to statements made by the president of Tesoro. President Bruce Smith said, "Prices would have gone up with or without Hawai'i's gas cap law." (thehawaiichannel.com, Sept. 12). He went on to say: "What we are currently experiencing is the market reacting to a severe supply disruption by increasing prices in order to attract needed supply."

Suyderhoud contends that only because of the gas cap law Hawai'i prices will be tied to Mainland markets. The fact is Hawai'i has been tied to the Mainland markets and world markets for decades. Hawai'i gasoline prices have spiked upward with the Gulf War (1991), California's change to CARB GAS (1996), the war in Iraq (2002), Hurricane Ivan (2004), the BP refinery explosion in Texas (2005) and Hurricane Katrina. How else could Hawai'i maintain its distinction of having the highest gas prices in the country if we didn't always go up in price when these events occurred? It should be noted that two of these events were in the Gulf Coast and none had any direct relation to the Hawai'i gasoline market.

Suyderhoud's criticism that the gas cap is only on the wholesale prices and retailers would be allowed to charge whatever they please has already been answered. The retail dealers have proven to be fierce competitors.

On Sept. 19, the independent dealers were the first to offer consumers some of the lowest retail prices for regular unleaded. Many independent dealers dropped retail prices as much as 53 cents in the morning. It must be remembered that unlike company-operated stations, independent dealers depend heavily on profits from their other profit centers (which can account for as much as 70 percent of their profit) such as stores and service bays. Dealers will sacrifice gas profits to gain customers. Suyderhoud's contention that there will be little competition at the retail level because of the gas cap law has already been debunked. It is obvious that Suyderhoud has very little knowledge about retailing.

Suyderhoud made a calculation as to what would have been if the gas cap were in place the "12 months before." His calculation requires "an estimated item" (the dealer margin). His "estimation" is far from what the actual dealer margin really was.

The critics of the gas cap law were frantically appealing to Hawai'i consumers during the Katrina catastrophe. The critics' biggest fear is that once the world gasoline price stabilizes, and the gas cap is accepted by Hawai'i consumers, speculation, flawed data and misrepresentations will no longer be able to convince consumers that the law is flawed.