'EWA BATTLEFIELD MUST BE PRESERVED

Millions of people have embarked to Hawai'i to capture its World War II history.

One of the most important features remaining from the Dec. 7, 1941, attack is off-limits to the public — the former 'Ewa Marine Corps Air Station in Kalaeloa. An effort to preserve the site and open it to the public has fallen on deaf ears in all areas of government. That attitude needs to change.

When the annual Historic Preservation and Cultural Awareness Day took place last month at the state Capitol, the Save 'Ewa Field movement was originally not included in the event.

Hats off to Representatives Corinne Ching and Cindy Evans to include the Save 'Ewa Field group at the last minute.

A snapshot of the battlefield — and the effort to get the Navy to allow the private sector to do a battlefield survey — can be found on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwsXY1t_W8Mf

HEALTHY START

END OF PROGRAM WILL TAKE TOLL ON CHILDREN

Infants as young as six months experience feelings of sadness and fear, yet two-thirds of parents don't fully understand that babies can be affected in this critical way at such a young age.

A growing number of studies show how important parenting is from the earliest days of life. For instance, a large Kaiser Permanente study showed the toll that adverse early childhood experiences will take on the health, mental health and economic outcomes of our children — our future.

Yet as you pointed out in the article "Healthy Start facing the end" (April 6), our government is considering consignment of at least 20 percent of our children to this lifetime of poor outcomes by eliminating Healthy Start programs and limiting access to services for children with special needs — the safety net that was established by this state to assist our youngest and most vulnerable population.

I would like to thank Sen. Chun-Oakland, Gail Breakey and others who are giving these infants a voice in a system that has become increasingly deaf to their cries. Our lack of empathy toward those in distress has become our true measure of abuse and neglect.

ON RABBIT ISLAND

MONK SEALS MUST BE BETTER PROTECTED

The recent drowning of the Hawaiian monk seal, Mikala, by gill net is the third death of a yearling monk seal in the Waimānalo waters in the past four years.

Her death is a devastating blow to the species, as well as to all the government programs currently focused on saving this highly endangered animal, and all the scientists and volunteers whose hearts and souls go into protecting this beautiful treasure of Hawai'i.

In the past decade, Mānana (Rabbit) Island, has become a critical habitat for monk seal pupping. Thus the waters of Waimānalo are where these pups are first learning to forage for food and survive.

While the complete abolishment of all gill nets would be ideal, a good start would be a ban on nets in Waimānalo, as well as a stronger effort by Department of Land and Natural Resources's DOCARE division to enforce restrictions already in place.

CONGRESSIONAL SEAT

HANABUSA OFFERS MORE OF THE SAME

Thank you for your editorial comment and the "Why you should vote for me" commentaries from Case, Djou and Hanabusa.

I've always enjoyed listening to Colleen and Sam Slom debate on Rick Hamada's program, but her comments in this piece sound like more of the same — rubber stamping the Democratic partisan policy in D.C. The blame she puts on Wall Street and big business in general is warranted to some extent, but she doesn't acknowledge the part Barney Frank and Chris Dodd (both Democrats) played in their handling of Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac or the part they played in the meltdown. Case and Djou come across as more independent voices, so perhaps they realize our Congress has a reputation somewhere below 20 percent.

Is that what we will get more of with Hanabusa?

RACE FOR CONGRESS

DJOU WOULD DANCE TO NATIONAL GOP TUNE

Excellent editorial page today (April 19) with its analysis of the Congressional candidates. However, you write that Councilman Djou " needs to be careful not to be seen as the Candidate of No from the Party of No."

An even casual observation of the City Council in operation indicates that Djou is already Councilman No and if elected would fit right in with Republican colleagues who automatically vote no on anything proposed by President Obama.

Djou claims to be quasi-independent, which is ludicrous when looking at his financial support from the RNC. He would have to dance to the tune of Boehner et al in Washington to the detriment of Hawai'i's needs and interests.

Councilman Djou should remain in Hawai'i because, as you write, "we never got the sense that Djou got his hands dirty working with the police, social service agencies and homeless..." He needs to learn that all politics are local. A vote for one of the other candidates will keep him here. That's what I intend to do.

KOA RIDGE

PLANNED COMMUNITY WOULD PROVIDE JOBS

As a construction worker, I have witnessed firsthand the effects of the poor economy on our industry. I have seen my friends and neighbors out of work and unable to support their families — some of them have been on the bench for over a year.

That's why I was happy to hear that Castle & Cooke was creating a planned community called Koa Ridge in Central O'ahu. This project will provide jobs and opportunities for hundreds of people, who like me want nothing more than to get off the bench and get back to work.

As a Mililani resident, I also had the opportunity to attend a community forum to discuss Koa Ridge. A lot of my fellow construction workers were also in attendance because they too wanted to express to neighbors and community leaders the importance of providing jobs for local workers and affordable homes for local families.

Koa Ridge will create the jobs that we need today and the homes that our children and future generations will need tomorrow. I hope that people continue to support this project.

TAX STRUCTURE

CURRENT ECONOMY PREDICTED YEARS AGO

With so many states and cities going broke, it is surprising to see no public discussion of the fact that our present difficulties were predicted many years ago by Jane Jacobs, the highly respected author of "Dark Age Ahead" and other books on North American cities.

Jacobs pointed out that most of the income tax now collected by federal governments should actually go to cities and counties because they provide the services people need the most: water, sewers, roads, police, fire departments, justice systems, schools and public health services.

Awash in money, our federal government instead went adventuring in Iraq and Afghanistan while cities decayed.