Letters to the Editor
SUPERFERRY
PROTESTERS DID NOT SHOW RESPECT, DIGNITY
As a local resident, I am disheartened by the events that have taken place over the Superferry.
I hold the state accountable for what took place on Kaua'i.
This environmental assessment has opened up a can of worms. And it seems that the Superferry got singled out for political reasons.
Therefore, if they are to be held up for an EA, then NCL, Matson, Young Brothers, commercial fishing vessels and movie production companies that come here to film should also be held up for the same thing.
As for the people protesting, shame on you. Everyone has a right to freedom of speech. However, to conduct yourselves like savages does not emulate the spirit of aloha. The true people of Hawai'i conduct themselves with respect and dignity.
Lisa FernandezPearl City
COMPANY LEADERS CAN ONLY BLAME THEMSELVES
If Hawaii Superferry officials want to place blame on anyone for what has happened this week, they must first grow up, look in the mirror and place the blame squarely on themselves and the state Department of Transportation for acting with a lack of respect and aloha to the Neighbor Islands and other concerned citizens of Hawai'i.
Hawaii Superferry President and CEO John Garibaldi himself said the Superferry will be an entirely new form of transportation for Hawai'i. This statement alone warrants an environmental assessment, as it separates the Superferry impacts from other harbor users, such as cruise ships and freight.
The EA process is meant to be a planning tool, and would have made the Superferry a better project with all impacts mitigated.
The First Amendment guarantees the fundamental right of people to petition their government for a redress of grievances, yet Hawai'i's governor, the DOT and Hawaii Superferry did their utmost to prevent that redress.
Neighbor Islanders have environmental concerns, including invasive species, whale collisions, sustainable resource protection for fishing, hunting and camping areas, as well as concerns over traffic congestion and harbor conflicts.
O'ahu looks to the ferry service as a way to get easier access to weekend fun on Neighbor Islands. Yet, Neighbor Islanders feel this will be at the expense of our quality of life.
The Neighbor Islands' voice has been loud and clear. All of the county councils requested an EA and the state senators requested an EA.
Lance HolterHawaii Sierra Club, Maui Group Chair
FERRY VESSEL WOULD BE VALUABLE IN EMERGENCY
I won't address the propriety of the anti-Superferry mob in violating federal laws — I'll leave that to the federal courts, which have historically taken a dim view on disruption of navigation.
I would like to address another critical aspect of the Superferry, which the shrill opponents ignore. The Superferry would provide an alternative means of emergency travel.
If, heaven forbid, we were to see another shut-down of our air travel system, as we did immediately after 9/11, stranded interisland travelers would be able to return home.
If we suffer a major forest fire or other disaster, the Superferry could rapidly move emergency vehicles and crews to an outer island — without waiting for a slower barge to become available.
The Superferry should be returned to service ASAP.
William GeorgiKalaheo, Kaua'i
INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
Who is Hawaiian and who is not Hawaiian?
Clyde Namu'o and Crystal Kua from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs seem to be asking for the community's support in establishing a separate Native Hawaiian government.
As a non-Hawaiian who has lived here most of my life and has always supported the programs for Native Hawaiians, I have a question: What is a Native Hawaiian? Is a hanai non-Hawaiian raised from birth by a Hawaiian family Hawaiian? Or is a person from France who has never been to Hawai'i and whose ancestors were 95 percent French and 5 percent Hawaiian, Native Hawaiian or French?
I want to support the proposed government of indigenous native people, but I need to know who's in and who's out.
Brett CaryHonolulu
SCHOOLS
MORE THAN TEST SCORES SHOULD CHART SUCCESS
I was pleased to read that the No Child Left Behind Act is under review and might be changed to better reflect progress in our schools by measuring success in other areas besides test scores.
I have witnessed firsthand the negative effects this well-meaning, but poorly implemented plan has had on Waialua High and Intermediate School.
This school was recognized as "failing" and placed under restructuring. And yet in the past few years, students and staff at this little old country school have managed to accomplish the following:
I find it hard to understand how a school that has performed so well in national competitions can be viewed as "failing." I don't think these students could perform as well as they did in national competitions without the support from a first-rate administration.
Instead of focusing on test scores as a measure of success, I hope the decisionmakers will vote to focus on how well a school is doing overall.
If a school is doing really well in certain areas, focus on the areas (and the kids) that need help and do not label an entire school as "failing."
Dee Montgomery-BrockMililani
HAWAI'I 2050
PANEL SEEKS TO REFLECT THE LARGER COMMUNITY
David Shapiro's Aug. 22 column ("Sustainability panel creates own roadblock") misses the point of the statewide public opinion poll commissioned by the Hawai'i 2050 Sustainability Task Force and the work of the task force itself.
The poll was designed to help the task force gauge the public's attitudes toward sustainability and our long-term future. Sustainability is a complex, multi-dimensional issue, and we needed an in-depth, objective poll that examined a variety of issues.
Through our statewide community meetings, we understand that for many residents sustainability encompasses a wide range of topics, from Native Hawaiian values, renewable energy and the environment to economic growth, taxes and affordable housing.
Working with the market research firm SMS Research and Marketing, we analyzed people's responses to the entire poll — not just individual questions — and identified groups with common characteristics.
The results are fascinating. Nearly 80 percent of the public support an approach to sustainability that balances the economy, society and the environment. Clearly, sustainability has become a mainstream value in Hawai'i.
Just as importantly, the task force poll was a part of our continuing effort to ensure that our work reflects the concerns and values of the larger community.
We determined from the beginning that Hawai'i 2050 will be powered by broad-based priorities for sustainability — an inclusive "bottom-up" approach that places the wisdom of our communities at center stage. A workable and effective plan for sustainability cannot be limited to the priorities of interest groups.
Sen. Russell KokubunChairman, Hawai'i 2050 Sustainability Task Force
BICYCLING
HONOLULU'S ROADS ARE NOT SAFE FOR ALL USERS
I agree that bikes are much more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly than cars, not to mention the good exercise biking provides.
The problem is not about road rights or whether bicycles or cars are better. It's not about fault or blame. It's about good sense. It's about appropriate use. It's about anyone who chooses to flaunt one's rights by deliberately imposing upon traffic on narrow, crowded roads at rush hour.
This is about aggravating an already serious problem regarding road rage on over-crowded O'ahu. This is about imposing oneself on others.
I rode my bike on Ala Moana once. Never again. I found myself having to entrust my safety to frustrated, stressed-out drivers. It's just too dangerous.
I'm for roads that are safe and commodious for everyone, but in Honolulu this is not the case. As difficult as it may be to accept, this is a fact we must live with until something is done to provide roads that can accommodate both bicycles and cars without imposing on either.
In the meantime, we avoid dangerous situations that impose ourselves upon others, rights and entitlements notwithstanding. It is how we must live together on an island, like it or not.
Mark Yasuhara'Aiea
WAR
FALSE PREMISES USED TO SUPPORT IRAQ INVASION
This is in response to Dean Koki's Aug. 22 letter alluding that the war in Iraq is justified by 1) the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center and 2) "if we don't fight them there — we will have to fight them here to protect our freedom."
Mr. Koki is wrong. Iraq had no connection or responsibility in the World Trade Center attack. The U.S. invasion in Iraq was based on this false premise and the equally false premise that Saddam Hussein was stocking weapons of mass destruction to attack the U.S.
Richard EndoHonolulu
CELEBRATION
FEW HAWAIIANS WERE AT PALACE ANNIVERSARY
Statehood Day, which was also the 125th anniversary of 'Iolani Palace, was celebrated respectfully and quietly at the palace. This was the day for all people who are Hawaiian to recognize their place in the Islands.
It is a sad day when our Hawaiian people don't show their own allegiance.
The Hawaiian flag was the only flag that was flying over the top of the palace and the celebration opened with a prayer. The ceremony was led by the four royal benevolent societies. The governor and the mayor were there.
There were few Hawaiians who felt the need to participate in the celebration. There were more non-Hawaiians who were interested in the celebration. This was the day to remember the past and the present and plan for the future.
This was the day to celebrate and share our aloha with everyone. Being thankful for the land, the sea and the heavens has always been an important factor in our being.
Lucy M. AkauWaimanalo
