OPENING OF SHELTERS IS TOP STORY OF YEAR

It wasn't on the list of choices offered, but my choice for top story of the year is the opening of shelters for Hawai'i's homeless families. These shelters have provided a home and services and caring community support for parents and children who needed a helping hand. A new one will soon be created.

I commend the governor and her team for a quick response and recognizing that the need for affordable housing is one that affects many people in our Islands today.

COMPANIES SHOULD STAND BY EMPLOYEES

The Times Supermarket strike is yet another example of the new trend by employers wanting to take benefits away from their employees only to put more money into their own pockets.

Instead of standing by those same employees who have worked diligently for many years, as soon as they are unable to work for an extended period of time Times Supermarket wants to cut off their medical coverage.

Companies should not be trying to take away benefits just because an employee gets sick or injured and needs medical attention for a year or more.

Anyone can experience some form of disability during their lifetime (including the management at Times), and having the security of knowing you will be well taken care of during those periods of hurt is something Times Supermarket needs to understand in order to treat their employees fairly and with compassion.

Money should not be an issue when it comes to supporting the very ones who are helping to make the company profitable and successful.

WORKERS' IDS SHOULD BE CHECKED IN WAIKIKI

Regarding the Dec. 20 story, "Feds arrest 19 illegal workers in Hawai'i:" The news report mentioned there are about 10,000 illegals in Hawai'i.

Perhaps along with investigating construction sites, the authorities should also check the IDs of people working in stores, shops and those peddling their wares on the streets.

Anyone familiar with Waikiki would know that there are lots of people who work there who are never checked for their legal status. Are we too scared to investigate such an area because it might upset the tourists, who might then take their money elsewhere?

Catching 19 people out of 10,000 might not be enough to stem the tide of illegal immigrants.

GARBAGE SO NEAR TO MEMORIAL DISGRACEFUL

A memorial on Ford Island has finally been dedicated to the USS Oklahoma crewmembers who lost their lives when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941.

Will the visible garbage in building 468 just 75 feet from the front of the memorial ever be cleaned up? It's been there within sight of USS Missouri visitors since January 2003.

When informed of the garbage on the day before the memorial dedication, the director of the National Park Service stated that it's a Navy problem. The garbage problem was pointed out to retired Navy personnel days prior to the dedication and to active duty Navy officers after the dedication. The garbage remains there.

Garbage on a Navy base, even within sight of visitors, may not be high on the Navy priority list. But the National Park Service's and U.S. Navy's disregard for garbage so close to our fallen comrades memorial is a disgrace.

ASSESSMENTS ARE OUT, HANG ON TO WALLETS

Tax assessments have been mailed and it is time for property owners to hold on to their pocketbooks.

It is time to worry when City Council members and/or the city administration start disclosing their plans to give property owners "a break."

They bragged about lowering homeowner rates this year, but, according to the Tax Foundation, the city will collect 23.4 percent more in property taxes this year while cost of living increased about 5 percent.

The increase compares with the increases of 17.2 percent, 16.2 percent and 11.3 percent for the previous three fiscal years.

The big increase this year is due to the much higher commercial rates — these costs are passed on to homeowners in higher prices at the market.

The city refuses to explain why property taxes have to be raised several hundred percent greater than the ability of people to pay (cost of living increases/inflation). Only Councilmembers Charles Djou, Ann Kobayashi, and Donovan Dela Cruz voted against this year's increases.

WE ALL LOSE BECAUSE OF DEMS' PARTISANSHIP

First Mike Gabbard and now Karen Awana have switched their party affiliation from Republican to Democrat.

Both alluded to the difficulty of getting things accomplished as a member of the minority party.

It is a sad commentary that our Democrat legislators will not consider ideas (bills) on merit.

Apparently, unless a bill is submitted by another Democrat, it is not worthy of consideration.

Because partisanship reigns in our lopsided Democrat-run state, we all lose.

FILIPINO VETS SHOULD GET BENEFITS FROM P.I.

I have read with interest articles pertaining to granting U.S. benefits to Filipino veterans.

I certainly applaud their heroic actions and believe they are entitled to veterans' benefits, but shouldn't their benefits be coming from the Philippines instead of the U.S.?

While they may have been fighting with U.S. forces, they were defending their own country. I can't understand how not paying Filipino veterans U.S. veterans' benefits is an injustice perpetrated by the U.S. government.

The injustice is that the Philippine government has not provided them benefits.

SHORT-TERM RENTALS HAVE HELPED KAILUA

Kalana Best complains about B&Bs in residential neighborhoods (Letter, Dec. 14).

She feels that believing in the leadership of the city leaders is akin to believing in Santa Claus. The Kailua beachfront has managed to maintain its residential look partly because of B&Bs and short-term rentals.

A beach as nice as Kailua's will be shared with visitors. Short-term rentals allow a nice neighborhood to fill the needs of tourism while maintaining the small-town look.

Small cottage industries allow neighbors to make a living without changing the appearance of the neighborhood. What would Kalana rather have, a few B&Bs and rentals or a resort plowing under the whole neighborhood?

Maybe there is a Santa Claus, Kalana, and maybe it's the jolly little white-haired man running a B&B in your town who is helping to "keep it Kailua."

EXPANDED PE WILL HELP ISLES' OVERWEIGHT KEIKI

Two recent studies published by the New England Journal of Medicine on childhood obesity provide greater evidence that children are in dire need of quality physical education programs in schools.

Overweight children have an increased risk for heart disease in adulthood, as early as age 25, and are prone to premature heart attacks and strokes. Bottom line: Our children are in trouble, and particularly here in Hawai'i.

Congress has an opportunity to help improve the health and well-being of our children by supporting the Fitness Integrated with Teaching (FIT) Kids Act, which amends the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act to encourage schools to increase physical education and give children the tools they need to stay fit and healthy through adulthood. Not only is a fit child at less risk for future heart disease, studies show they also achieve more academically.

In Hawai'i, one-third of Hawai'i students consider themselves overweight. Yet, many of our elementary and middle schools lack certified PE teachers or adequate dedicated class time to teach our children how to maintain their fitness. Without that training, this generation of youth is on course to become the first in our country's history to have life spans shorter than their parents.

Giving our keiki a head start on physical fitness through expanded quality PE should be a priority for Congress as well as Hawai'i's Board of Education, Department of Education and state legislators.

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