UH

SAILING TEAM SHOULD HAVE BEEN HONORED

I would like to begin by saying that as an alumna of the University of Hawai'i-Manoa I am proud of all the work our current athletes have put into this past season and I believe that all of the fall championship teams deserve the honors they receive. These young individuals bring great honor to both the university and the state.

Unfortunately, I was discouraged to find out that the UH sailing team was not included in the Championship Parade and wasn't honored at the Legislature.

By winning the Fall 2007 Men's Single Handed and the Fall 2007 Sloop Pacific Coast championships, the UH sailing team worked hard to claim the titles to two different Pacific Coast Championship conference events.

So, while I am extremely proud of UH's champion football, women's volleyball and soccer teams, I am also proud of the champion sailing team.

In the future, I hope that all UH sports teams, even the "little" ones, are accorded the honor they deserve, an honor they have earned by being champions.

2008 CAMPAIGN

CLINTON WELL QUALIFIED TO BE U.S. PRESIDENT

"Change" is the new political refrain, but who can actually address the administration's mammoth national deficit and the endless sinkhole of Iraq?

Interestingly, Republican candidates support the war, yet promise no tax increases. Who then will pay for the unprecedented deficit incurred by the war?

Sens. Barack Obama and John Edwards clamor for change — turning Sen. Hillary Clinton's experience into a liability, a unique attack unraveling years devoted to making change for the public good.

Clinton is painted as an establishment candidate, when in fact she is extremely well qualified to be president, and as a woman would be a groundbreaking choice. That is a huge change, nationally and internationally.

Sexism trumps racism. Obama, while smart and talented, has a far shorter track record than Clinton. His beautiful speeches are stirring, yet surprisingly vague.

I suggest that if Obama were a woman of any race he would not be taken seriously without a more concrete record. Women must work harder to establish themselves. Clinton has worked hard all her life to arrive at this historical juncture, and now she is pilloried for her experience.

Talk is cheap regarding change. Clinton has the experience to actually deliver results. She's not just a pretty face.

LEGISLATURE

WAVE ENERGY FINALLY GETTING SOME ATTENTION

It was good to finally hear House Speaker Calvin Say realize that wave energy is coming to life, compared to last year's speech at the opening of the Legislature, when he did not believe in it.

The speaker of the House finally did some research or decided to listen to Rep. Cynthia Thielen, who has been focusing on wave energy for years.

If we had our Legislature following the advice of Rep. Thielen, we would already have a Pelamis system or a Wavegen power plant here, freeing us partly from importing oil.

Thank you to Reps. Thielen, Hermina Morita and Della Au Belatti for working on one of our biggest problems: our lack of renewable energy and addiction to fossil fuel.

DON'T CAST EXCESSIVE DOUBT ON AID PROCESS

Recently, The Honolulu Advertiser called attention to the grant-making process at the Legislature.

Our organization, Kokua Kalihi Valley, received such grants in the past two years. They will help refurbish a dilapidated building into a new medical and dental clinic to serve the rapidly expanding immigrant and low-income community in Kalihi, along with the construction of a 100-acre community park.

Contrary to what was implied in the articles, at no point in the process was there ever any hint of a quid pro quo with any of the legislators or their aides who we met with to explain the vital importance of our project.

Nor did the process seem closed to any but insiders, as the articles seem to imply. Instead, we were asked to clarify the nature of our request, how the money would be used and how the community and Hawai'i would benefit.

Our local legislative representatives made site visits to our facilities, reviewed the data documenting our communities' needs and helped shepherd this request through the legislative process.

Other good projects throughout Hawai'i undoubtedly went unfunded. Finding a more equitable way to fund such projects is ultimately in everyone's best interest.

Hopefully that can occur without casting excessive doubt on the current system and the people at the Legislature doing the best they can to distribute limited amounts of funds to non-profit organizations working to help those in need.

LEGISLATORS MISSED POINT IN THEIR UH VISIT

In response to coach June Jones leaving, several of our state legislators toured the University of Hawai'i Athletics Department.

They came away saying things were not as bad as they expected. They missed the point entirely. Not as bad? Compared to what? Better they visit the athletic department of SMU or other BCS programs.

To be successful in Division 1-A football, it is necessary to be competitive on and off the field.

State and UH policymakers need to realistically know what the market is and respond to it.

It is unrealistic to continually invoke the paradise dividend or play the 'ohana card and expect success.

B&BS

VACATION RENTALS ARE AN AMERICAN TRADITION

Renting a vacation house is a tradition as American as apple pie. It does not make me, who owns one on O'ahu, a clueless, greedy, immoral Scrooge as Leigh Prentiss (Letter, Jan. 5) would have us believe.

Example: Mary, fiancee of a soldier who will be on leave from the war in Iraq in February wants to take him to Hawai'i for a relaxing vacation on a quiet beach. They have a lot of emotions to work through. You just can't do that on Waikiki Beach.

If Keep it Kailua activists have their way, I would have to tell Mary: "Sorry, the City Council of Honolulu has decided to deny good people like you, even those who are sacrificing their lives and limbs for our country, the opportunity to enjoy a vacation in our home. They feel you do not belong in our neighborhoods. Feel free to experience the beauty of our island from a tour bus."

Mary and her fiance will be taking long sunrise walks on a white sandy beach they will have pretty much to themselves.

Vacation rentals get military on leave from the war all the time. Supporting our troops this way is not the only reason O'ahu should permit vacation rentals — but it is a darn good one.

In future debate, we need to get past the baseless accusations, myths and character assassination. Reasonable people on both sides can come up with a workable solution.

SAFETY

PALI TREE TRIMMING SHOULD BE MOVED UP

How many trees have to fall before the state begins to understand that it is only a matter of time before some innocent commuter is very seriously injured, or worse, tragically killed?

In the past couple of weeks, cars have been damaged and drivers frightened by falling trees. Traffic lanes have been closed for hours until the trees are cleared from the roadway.

I fail to understand why there seems to be no sense of urgency, especially now that we are in the midst of the rainy season with high winds thrown in here and there.

If someone gets injured or killed, the resulting lawsuit will cost the state more than what it would cost to reschedule the planned spring tree trimming to a more immediate time frame.

Instead of the state trimming the Likelike Highway trees, then moving on to Pali Highway as planned, why not start with the Pali first? After all, more trees have been falling on the Pali.

All of us who drive up and down the Pali on a daily basis are playing Russian roulette with our cars and our lives. Please do something before someone gets badly hurt.

JUNE JONES

THANK YOU, COACH JONES, FOR IMPACT ON MANY LIVES

From his initial arrival, former University of Hawai'i football coach June Jones embraced the Islands' passion and unique culture, discarding the losing ways of the tattered program to define and establish new traditions.

Through his leadership, the team captivated the hearts of fans, convincing a state to believe.

Jones' legacy lies not only with the restoration of a program, but, perhaps more importantly, with the impact and influence he created on so many lives.

First watching the Warriors at age 7, I've known no other UH football coach but Jones.

Despite his departure and the ensuing criticism, his passion and legacy will continue to thrive, securing forever his place in Hawai'i.

Thank you to the team and coach Jones for believing.