PRESIDENTIAL RACE

LINGLE'S COMMENTS MUST BE REMEMBERED

Gov. Linda Lingle is an intelligent and articulate leader. And, if compared with Gov. Sarah Palin, Lingle is clearly a political class above the vice-president nominee.

However, Gov. Lingle's decision to dismiss Sen. Barack Obama as being a product of Hawai'i while campaigning in Colorado for Sen. John McCain is something that should come back to haunt her political career.

U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono said it best with her quote, "Hawai'i shaped the life of Obama, and our nation will be better for it."

I hope that other Obama supporters remember our governor's comments when she seeks her next political office.

Having a national leader with Hawai'i values is far more important to our country than the career of our governor.

MCCAIN'S ACCUSATIONS AGAINST OBAMA WRONG

The recent accusations by the McCain campaign that 1960s radical William Ayers and radical preacher Jeremiah Wright have had so much influence on Barack Obama that they shaped his ideas and actions have no basis in evidence, and, in fact, have been denied by Obama.

If anyone has been paying attention for the past two years, it is clear that Obama is not a Muslim, or an Arab, or a terrorist. If anything, the Rev. Wright association proves he is a Christian.

If the McCain campaign continues to spread such lies, Obama should question some of McCain's actual actions, for example his collaboration with Communist propagandists in press interviews while he was a prisoner in North Vietnam, his direct involvement in the Keating Five scandal 20 years ago, when Congress had to bail out the savings and loans with $500 billion, and his voting against alternative energy sources or adequate veterans' medical benefits.

Those actions are a matter of public record, not false speculation.

CONCON

HAWAI'I NEEDS A BOE THAT IS ACCOUNTABLE

Your editorial,"Can we afford a ConCon now? Unfortunately, no" (Oct. 19) argues that hard times call for business as usual. Despite the nationwide call for change, you choose to embrace the status quo.

A ConCon can provide a fix for our failing public-school system. It can give the Board of Education real power to carry out its duties.

In 1999, Senate President Norman Mizuguchi introduced a bill to grant the board taxing authority. At the time, appropriations for education made up roughly one-half of the state budget. The bill passed the Senate and crossed over to the House, where it was stopped. The Legislature was apparently unwilling to reduce its own authority.

Today the board merely formulates statewide education policy. It has no control over the education budget. The governor is responsible for preparing the budget, and the Legislature makes all appropriations.

When things go wrong, the board points to the Legislature for not appropriating enough money or to the governor for not releasing appropriated funds.

To end the finger pointing, we need a board that is accountable for its policy decisions. We need a board, like the Public Utilities Commission, that is made up of full-time, salaried members.

Upgrading the board will encourage highly qualified people to run.

Because the board members would have real power — taxing authority — they'll lose their current anonymity. They will be accountable for the successes and failures of our schools.

Vote "yes" on ConCon.

CHINABERRY

PRETTY BUT INVASIVE PLANT SHOULDN'T BE SOLD

I recently bought a beautiful tree from a store here. It has beautiful leaves and gorgeous purple flowers and the name of the tree, according to the label was "Lilac Tree." I was very happy and planted it in my back yard right away. For some strange reason I decided to do a little research and this is what I found out.

The plant's real name is "Chinaberry" or "Persian Lilac" which is listed as "invasive" and "problematic." The plant is naturalized to tropical and warm temperature and it is fast growing and creates rapidly spreading thickets. The Chinaberry tree can reach a height of 50 feet and is blocking out native trees and spreads at a rapid rate in bird droppings. It can spread where unwanted and turn sidewalks into dangerously slippery surfaces when the fruits fall.

All parts of plant are poisonous to humans and livestock.

When I contacted the University of Hawai'i and the Department of Agriculture to see if they can stop the selling of this tree and was told that their hands were tied, I was shocked.

I wonder if there is a state agency that has the authority to stop the selling and distribution of any invasive plants or species? If not, is there an organization that can make such decisions in a timely manner?

If not, I feel it's urgent to have the law changed to preserve our fragile ecosystem.

This is another reason we need a Constitutional Convention so that we can bring issues like this to the table.

FILIPINOS IN AMERICA

MISINFORMATION IN EXHIBIT DISTURBING

I recently saw the Smithsonian traveling exhibit, "SINGGALOT (The Ties that Bind): Filipinos in America, from Colonial Subjects to Citizens" at the Hawai'i State Library.

I came away very distraught with some of the misinformation on its pictorial panels.

It states that 250,000 Filipino "civilians" were killed during the Philippine-American War 1899-1902. According to scholarly documentation it was 1.4 million innocent Filipino men, women and children. (see: Luzviminda Francisco, "The Philippines: The End of an Illusion" and E. San Juan Jr., "On Genocide: The U.S. Record in the Philippines."

On the 1904 St. Louis World Fair pictorial panel, it had no mention of when indigenous Filipino families were put on public display at the fair, died there and their brains were removed and sent to the Smithsonian for further study. (see: Jose D. Fermin, "1904 World's Fair: The Filipino Experience."

Presently, it behoves me to think that the U.S. Congress has decided to "pay off" a measly lump sum of $15,000 to Filipino World War II veterans after fighting alongside with the U.S. military against the Japanese occupation and atrocities.

Will these injustices of genocide, humiliation and discrimination be resolved if the newly elected U.S. president officially apologizes to the Philippines and its people?

Or should we knowledgeable and educated Filipino-Americans remain in political bondage?

TRANSPORTATION

MOPED RIDERS DESERVE RESPECT AND ATTENTION

It seems everyone talks about bicycles as the means of transportation. What about us moped owners?

We are a substantial number and should at least get some consideration when it comes to parking and maneuvering around town.

We seem to be caught between the laws of a motorized vehicle and a bicycle (licensing etc.).

Get us approved parking spots or let us alone.

We don't take up much space and surely reduce traffic congestion. At approximately 70 mpg we surely help reduce dependence on the gas/oil situation. Hey, get us some help.

WEST O'AHU

CAYETANO DOESN'T SEE FULL EFFECT OF TRAFFIC

Former Gov. Ben Cayetano is ill-informed with his remarks on the rail transit issue.

Though he comes to Kapolei to golf from East O'ahu, he comes during his retirement hours and not when the thousands of us regular folks are battling the horrendous traffic congestion.

Cayetano also gives no alternative for our traffic congestion as he never did in his 30 years of government service and as governor when he had many opportunities to help us.

We still welcome the former governor into our Kapolei community, but ask that he come during peak time and feel our pain, and see how the working people live.

PRESIDENTIAL RACE

INCREDIBLY SAD IF WE SUCCUMB TO PREJUDICES

Wouldn't it be incredibly sad if we let the smear campaign tap into old, even unconscious, prejudices and our country were to be deprived of the leadership of this extraordinary man, Barack Obama?

PRESIDENTIAL RACE

SOCIALIST ALLEGATION SOUNDING HOLLOW NOW

John McCain's rallying cry that Barack Obama is a socialist rings hollow in the wake of the massive Republican-led bailouts with taxpayers' money, not seen since the 1930s — and McCain's own plan for government to buy distressed mortgages selling them back to homeowners at affordable rates.

"I'm going to spend a lot of money to bring relief to you," McCain pledged in Ohio after attacking Obama for saying he wanted to "spread the wealth around" during his encounter with Joe Wurzelbacher, the plumber.

ABC News reports Obama used that phrase after Mr. Wurzelbacher wondered if Obama supported a flat tax. Obama said he didn't because he did not think it was fair for someone as well-off as himself to pay the same tax rate as a waitress.

Obama: "My attitude is that if the economy's good for folks from the bottom up, it's going to be good for everybody," adding that plumbers are better off when there are more customers who can afford to hire them. "And right now everybody's so pinched that business is bad for everybody, and I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody." Sounds reasonable. Socialism?