POLITICS

PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES SHOULD CAMPAIGN HERE

Our two newest states — Alaska and Hawai'i — have been ignored by the presidential nominees of the two major parties since Richard Nixon traveled to Alaska in 1960.

The Republican Party believes it has Alaska wrapped up, so why bother. The Democratic Party believes that it has Hawai'i wrapped up, so why bother.

This turning of the two major parties' backs on Alaska and Hawai'i disrespects the people of both states and diminishes the level of competitive democracy that benefits citizens.

I believe that if you run for the presidency of the United States, you should respect all voters by campaigning in states regardless of the polls.

In 2000 and in 2004, I visited both Alaska and Hawai'i as a presidential candidate, and learned much that was important to the residents of these states and what should be important to all Americans.

I also learned that many Hawai'i residents and Alaskans felt that they were being disrespected by the leaders of both parties to the point of being excluded from seeing and interacting with the major presidential candidates based on cynical political calculations.

There are about 20 declared candidates for the two major parties' nomination. I am sending each of them a letter requesting that they indicate, should they receive the nomination of their party, whether they will definitely visit both Hawai'i and Alaska sometime before election day in November 2008.

It will certainly help if residents and civic groups in those two states started early on to demand such visitations by communicating directly with the announced candidates.

DEMOCRACY

LET'S NOT TOUT 2-PARTY POLITICS AS THE PARAGON

In a July 18 letter to the editor, Sen. Fred Hemmings concludes that "Hawai'i's citizens benefit with a genuine two-party system."

What Hemmings conveniently forgets to mention is that in reality a two-party system only benefits the two parties.

Where in this shining example of democracy in action are the voices of Greens, Libertarians and Hawai'i's greatest political block, the apathetic, ever heard?

Democrats and Republicans might oppose each other at the Capitol, but when elections roll around, they benefit each other by standing there as scapegoats. Candidate A doesn't need to convince his constituents that he is right if all he has to do is convince them that Candidate B, from the evil and immoral other party, is wrong.

Hawai'i's two major parties are playing a game of keep-away and the majority of our population, the moderates and uninterested, are in the middle.

Now Sen. Hemmings expects us to cheer just because his side caught the ball.

I'm not saying that one-party domination is any better, but should we be elevating "genuine" two-party politics to the very paragon of ideal state governance? I certainly hope not.

CHINA

DON'T COMPARE TAINTED FOOD TO A HATE CRIME

Jeff Yang's commentary ("A taste of racism in Chinese food scandal," July 18) is disturbing.

As a first-generation Chinese American, I was quite aware of China's unsanitary ways years ago. In Chinese communities and newspapers, China's unethical practices are well known. Many Chinese avoid food made in China. Stories appear daily of toxic foods in Chinese newspapers.

Mr. Yang blames capitalist ethics for such practices, I feel that communist ethics (or lack of) is the culprit.

True, there are food-safety issues everywhere, and it is a real issue in China.

I am so disturbed that Mr. Yang pulled out the race card to discuss this.

Mr. Yang cites the Vincent Chin hate crime case as a reminder of how Chinese can be targeted as a scapegoat for the woes of the American economy — ludicrous!

Tainted food should not be compared to any hate crime. All countries must improve their ways.

TRAFFIC

MOST CYCLISTS KNOW HOW TO SHARE THE ROAD

In response to David Beattie's July 19 letter ("Bicyclists must begin obeying traffic laws"), I would point out that the vast majority of cyclists — like the vast majority of drivers — are law-abiding and also understand how to share the road.

Criticizing all who cycle based on the poor habits of a few is like criticizing all drivers on the same premise. Cyclists are subject to the same road rules as drivers, and when they disobey traffic laws they should be, and often are, ticketed accordingly.

When drivers observe what appears to be poor cycling behavior — with the exception of ignoring signs and signals — it is usually a defensive maneuver and nothing intended to violate the law or interfere with vehicle traffic.

What all cyclists do share is an understanding that out on the road we have much more to lose than drivers, especially in an accident.

Hawai'i's roads are for everyone, and the sooner we learn to share them responsibly, the safer and healthier our commutes, errand-running and recreational outings will be.

HAWAI'I'S ECONOMY

CREDIT OUR WORKFORCE AND PREVIOUS GOVERNOR

Director of DBEDT Ted Liu's article in The Advertiser is fascinating, but one-sided. He used the ranking of Forbes magazine ("Mr. flat-tax and trickle-down economy") as the basis for improvement of Hawai'i's economy, and gave Lingle administration a large part of the credit.

Would it not be proper to give some credit to the belt-tightening efforts of the Cayetano administration and the state Legislature? After all, even in our national government, Bill Clinton gave George H.W. Bush ("no new taxes") credit for raising taxes to help jump-start our nation's economy.

And, if Hawai'i climbed five spots from last year, isn't it proper to give some credit to the skills of our workforce? Is it not a truism that Hawai'i's skilled workforce contributed to our low unemployment rate and strong consumer spending? Rather than denigrating our workforce men and women, we need to help develop their skills.

Despite his one-sided analysis, I believe Ted Liu's conclusion is appropriate: "If Hawai'i's economy is going to continue to improve, innovation in education and workforce development through science, technology, engineering and mathematics is crucial."

The critical point is that we need to all "put our shoulders to the wheel and work together!" After nearly five years, where is the leadership of Lingle administration?

SAFETY

O'AHU CYCLISTS DESERVE BETTER ROAD CONDITIONS

I want to commend 13-year- old Kevin Bratt for his July 18 letter asking for more bikeways on Oa'hu.

One of my forlorn hopes for the Lingle administration is that the governor would have promoted the kind of wide bike-friendly shoulders found along most of the main highways on Maui.

To say most of the main roads on O'ahu are unsafe for bicycles would be overly generous.

It's pathetic and a discredit to our representatives that Kamehameha, Kalaniana'ole and Farrington highways are inferior in this respect to similar roads on the Neighbor Islands.

NOISE

KALIHI RESIDENTS WANT TO GET RID OF CHICKENS

In February 2007, the city paid Wai'anae-based Action Pest Control/Hawai'i Bird Control and Netting to get rid of 130 feral chickens near the Hawai'i Kai Park and Ride weeks after residents complained about noise.

I live in Kalihi and cannot understand why the city doesn't respond the same way to our community's complaints of feral and crowing roosters?

Why is it acceptable that the city responds to the complaints of Hawai'i Kai residents with such enthusiasm, but if you live in Kalihi, you are ignored?

Our 'ohana purchased our home two years ago, and we are still waiting for the city to respond to the crowing roosters that echo through our residential neighborhood 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The City Council has a chance to rectify this problem if they keep Bill 49 alive. This bill prohibits chickens in residential, resort and apartment-zoned areas between Pearl City and Hawai'i Kai, including Waikiki. This bill would also ensure equal treatment for all neighborhoods.

REHABILITATION

HINA MAUKA PLANNING THERAPEUTIC PROGRAM

In response to the Lingle-Aiona administration's plan to build a new $100 million prison on Maui, I recommend that we re-evaluate the purpose and intent of this plan.

Your July 9 article states there are 2,100 men and women in private prisons on the Mainland because there are no facilities in the state. This is true; however, there are alternatives to just building more prisons. Shipping our brothers and sisters to the Mainland increases the isolation from family, community resources and cultural values.

Hina Mauka is planning a therapeutic community similar to The Delancey Street Foundation in San Francisco that is also modeled in part by the Best Program in Maui.

The vision is for programs designed to address addiction, criminality and co-occurring disorders. It would encompass education, vocational training and family counseling. The program will have clean and sober living facilities for two- to four-year stays, and will address re-entry behavioral skills necessary to make it outside of prison.

We urge the communities and families affected by the program offered by Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona to ask him to focus on efforts that will keep our loved ones here in Hawai'i to be entered into community-based programs.