PARADISE LOST

GROWTH HAS CHOKED OUT OUR HAWAI'I OF THE PAST

I had to smile (with a little sadness) at G. Gonzalez' comments regarding the crowded conditions in Kailua after buying a home there, temporarily relocating to the Mainland and then returning.

He or she should realize that they and thousands of others like them with their wealth have moved in from elsewhere, raising property values, creating some of the homelessness, buying second homes and renting them out and adding to the population already choked with too many people and cars.

Growing up in Hawai'i during the '30s, '40s and even the '50s was truly living in paradise. When I return to visit my 'ohana from time to time and see what Hawai'i is now, what can I say? Paradise lost!

MIDEAST

HISTORY OF CONFLICT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD

Thank you for the Aug. 1 commentary by Hakim Ouansafi on the moral need for the U.S. to push for a cease-fire in Lebanon.

Since this commentary appeared, many have called for the destruction of "terrorist" Hezbollah. Before making these kinds of comments, people need to Google the history of the conflict.

If they did, they would find that: Israel illegally invaded Lebanon in 1982 following "alleged" crimes; Israel stayed for 18 years killing tens of thousands of innocent Lebanese civilians; "terrorist" Hezbollah was formed after the Israeli invasion to provide protection and aid to the civilian population; from 1982 to 2000, many prisoner exchanges occurred as a matter of course; Hezbollah called on Israel for a similar exchange after the July 13 kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers; Israel began its second illegal invasion; and Israel continues its occupation of the West Bank in violation of U.N. Resolutions 181 and 242, among others.

Finally, of the 192 members of the United Nations, only four, the U.S., U.K., Israel and Canada, claim that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization.

KOKE'E

OTHERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO BID FOR LEASED LAND

I think it is funny to read the reaction of folks who have cabins on public lands whose leases run out this year.

Some of these folks think they should have the right to determine when they leave leased land. Leased land is just that. It is a lease for a specified period of time. When the lease runs out, you leave. So leave the land and let someone else bid for the land.

ROCKET SCIENCE

UH SATELLITE TEAM VOWS TO PERSEVERE

July 26 found an expectant group of UH electrical engineering department students and their mentor, Wayne Shiroma, eagerly awaiting the launch of the UH's, and Hawai'i's, first satellite.

Cubesat, the tiny low-budget 4-inch cube satellite named Mea Huaka'i (Voyager) sat alongside 14 other universities' satellites in a Russian DNEPR rocket nose cone originally designed to hold nuclear warheads.

The satellite communications package utilized modified miniature ham VHF/UHF transceivers for economy. Several years of design, development, testing and some frustrating delays had culminated on this morning.

Alas, the launch failed 86 seconds into flight, with the loss of all satellites. Ironically, this was the first failure of a DNEPR vehicle since 1988.

Disappointed but not discouraged, the project team, which has produced three National Outstanding Electrical Award winners in Blaine Murakami, Aaron Ohta and Kendall Ching, vowed to press on with another launch.

The team deserves recognition and support from the UH and community in this endeavor.

EDUCATION

TEACHERS' PAY SHOULD BE TIED TO TEST SCORES

Please allow me to respond to the response to my letter by Joan Husted of HSTA.

The parents and taxpayers of Hawai'i feel sick in the stomach after learning that, following 12 years of schooling and the expenditure of perhaps $144,000 per student, only a third of all pupils know how to balance their checkbooks.

Perhaps the teachers are "the best," but by "working to the rule," as proscribed by their collective bargaining agreeent, they are not allowed to perform to the best of their abilities.

The simple point of my letter, perhaps missed by HSTA, is that the pay shall be commensurate with performance.

Until teachers' pay is directly tied to the student performance statistics, we will continue to endure school budgets that will not allow for any other need in society and another generation of children robbed of their futures by the HSTA.

HOT CLASSROOMS

WHY PUT CHILDREN IN SCHOOL IN AUGUST?

So much hand-wringing over classroom temperatures. After all, it is August; of course the classrooms are hot! What "unified calendar" nonsense puts children indoors in August?

For 150 years, our schools wisely closed for three months, from early June through Labor Day. It was called "summer vacation." Too hot for indoor concentration, this was time for summer jobs and recreation. Now, scholastic schedules change like fashion whims. This ceaseless meddling with the school calendar derives from the same "If it ain't broke, break it" mentality that traded successful phonics instruction for "whole language" illiteracy, and proven math training for "new math," another dismal disaster. All those responsible for putting children indoors in August should admit their error and fix it, or pay for comfortable classrooms.

Why saddle the kids or taxpayers with the results of your thoughtless blunders?

SENATE RACE

CASE ASKED TO EXPLAIN SUPPORT FOR IRAQ WAR

I am supporting Dan Akaka for one reason and one reason only. Ed Case has disregarded my positions too many times. He said that he would have supported the Iraq war if he was in office. Bad move. At least Akaka voted no.

When Case did get into office, I wrote him letters telling him the Democrats need to stand up to stupidity. He ignored me by basically saying we must stay the course.

So what does Case have to offer? How many other bad decisions will he make? How anyone could believe President Bush is beyond me. So, Case, please explain in detail why you would have supported this war and are now supporting staying the course today. I know you are young and you may not really remember much about the Vietnam conflict, but staying the course sure didn't work then, and it won't work now!

ELECTION 2006

EXERCISE RIGHT TO VOTE, AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The Aug. 7 article regarding voter turnout was not a shock, but a sobering reminder of the political apathy in Hawai'i. As a 22-year-old woman, born and raised in the Islands, I have embraced my power to vote.

I implore my peers to exercise their right to vote. We cannot forget that only decades ago, minorities and women fought for suffrage. Our apathy is a slap in the face to those who campaigned for our rights. Furthermore, it is a message that Hawai'i does not care who makes decisions for them.

Every vote does count, and the "small man" can be represented. It is our kuleana to educate ourselves about the issues affecting Hawai'i. If you want to make a difference, then go to town hall meetings, write letters to your senators and congressmen and most importantly, vote.

VOTER TURNOUT

TAKE BIG MONEY OUT OF THE ELECTION PROCESS

Hawai'i's dismal voter turnout can be blamed on many things, from lack of access to polling stations, to a shortage of qualified candidates to the presence of "big money" in the political process. All are correct and tangled together.

Constituents no longer have faith that the political process serves them, the community. Initiatives and laws that increase access to voting, like same-day registration, are essential to improving our constantly evolving democracy, but how do you take the first step in restoring faith? It's simple, get big money out of running for office.

NO ONE IS EXEMPT FROM GROWTH, NOT EVEN KAILUA

I agree with you that "paradise" is getting more difficult to find. However, what did you expect to happen?

I have been reading for years that the people of Kailua are fed up with change. Now you are starting to understand how the rest of us on O'ahu feel. I take it you have never ventured to the Leeward side.

Oh my, send in the National Guard, there are homeless living in Kailua. Too little space and privacy on the beach? I have one thing to say to you, Kailua: See how the rest of us have it. This goes for the vacation rentals, traffic and tourists as well. Nobody is exempt from growth, not even your crowd.