MOLOKA'I

MOLOKAI RANCH'S LA'AU PROJECT WAS RIGHTEOUS

Although my heart goes out to those whose lives will be affected by the closure of Molokai Ranch, I have to admit that the facts surrounding the closure have me siding with "big business" on this one.

Operating with a $40 million deficit for the past seven years, the company's plan to develop just 200 lots to fund the conversion of more than 90 percent of its land to a community trust for protection is rejected?

In a recent article, a Moloka'i resident talked about how the workers of Molokai Ranch supported the project, but it appears that their voices were drowned out by outspoken "environmentalist" groups who, in their efforts to save a piece of land, forget about the people who have to actually live off of that piece of land.

The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. Developing a small community to provide the funding to support the agricultural and community needs for the rest of the entire island sounds righteous enough to me.

BOTH SIDES SHOULD HAVE TRIED TO COMPROMISE

Having grown up on Moloka'i, I like to keep up with issues that are affecting the island.

Sadly, 90 percent of the news I hear is negative. There's been a lot of discussion on La'au Point and the closure of Molokai Ranch.

Kalani Thompson's April 2 letter ("Protesters are full of aloha for La'au Point") contains some of the spin used by both sides to get their way.

To say that a large majority of Moloka'i residents were against the development because 300 people showed up lacks any real credibility.

I believe there are around 6,000 residents on the island, so a mere 300 people showing up for support of either side is only about half of one percent of the population — far from a majority.

I believe a compromise could have been reached if both sides really tried.

REIMBURSEMENTS

WHEN WILL MEDICAL REFORM COME ABOUT?

I am an anesthesiologist in Honolulu. It is a privilege to help care for the people of Hawai'i, where I grew up and hope to live the rest of my life.

But moving back to Hawai'i after my training was a terrible business decision. I very conservatively estimate that over a 30-year career, by leaving Connecticut and moving here, I will earn $5 million less, work 17,000 hours more, and have 120 weeks less vacation. I could move to literally anywhere in the U.S. and make much more money and work less. The same could be said for most medical specialists.

So why do physicians here make less money than on the Mainland? Medicare and Medicaid pay physicians horribly, but equally, throughout the U.S. The reason is that private insurance companies here reimburse physicians at a much lower rate than on the Mainland.

For my specialty, anesthesiology, HMSA reimburses me 30 to 60 percent less than comparable insurance companies on the Mainland. This is confirmed by conversations with colleagues on the Mainland and by a poll of members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

It is insulting that over the 15 years I have practiced in Hawai'i, the premiums I pay to HMSA for my heath insurance have almost tripled, but their reimbursement rate to me for my services has declined.

Tort reform may be necessary, but it is only a small part of a much bigger problem.

Will our state government have the political will to make meaningful reforms, and will the people of Hawai'i be willing to pay for them?

DANGEROUS SITUATION

DRINKING, DRIVING ARE LANIKAI LOOP PROBLEM

I continue to read about the incident with the four Saint Louis students and the egg throwing in Lanikai. We still have the marks of an egg thrown at our truck in Lanikai so I know egg throwing is an issue.

However, the much larger and more dangerous issue is the drinking and driving on the loop in Lanikai.

That loop is heavily used by joggers, bikers, children and adults.

Daily, carloads of young people drive the loop in Lanikai for the sole purpose of getting high. Unfortunately, it looks like it will take a tragedy for the justice system to stop looking the other way and protect the residents and other people enjoying Lanikai.

BEIJING

NONATHLETE BOYCOTT URGED FOR OLYMPICS

The People's Republic of China seems intent in perpetuating an abysmal legacy of human rights violations, as the world is now witnessing in Tibet.

With unprovoked aggression, Tibet was invaded, permanently occupied and absorbed by China in 1950.

Tibet's people have been under the authoritarian rule of the PRC with its leader the Dalai Lama in permanent exile. It is estimated that about 150 protestors have been killed, although the PRC claims 19 deaths.

Tibet, Tiananmen Square and Taiwan are major examples of the PRC's thuggish behavior. The peaceful 1989 Tiananmen Square protests where students rallied for basic freedoms and democratic reforms, resulted in PRC estimates of 200 to 300 civilians killed; Chinese student associations and Chinese Red Cross sources counted 2,000 to 3,000 killed after the removal of foreign media.

The PRC regularly threatens the free and friendly nation of Taiwan as a breakaway province of China, irrationally demanding its return — violently if necessary — to Communist Chinese rule.

Persecution of freedom of expression, of worship outside of state churches, media censorship and forced abortions are unfortunate elements of current PRC rule.

Rather than look away and kowtow to appease an economic superpower, the free world must send a message to our authoritarian neighbor.

If you have planned or are considering attending the Beijing Olympics in August, please consider participating in a non-athlete boycott of the Beijing Games.

It will give the PRC cause to reflect, re-evaluate and take responsibility over its Draconian human rights behavior as an emerging world economic leader.

TRANSIT

NEWS JUDGMENT ON RAIL ISSUES IS QUESTIONED

In Sunday's newspaper (March 30), Editor Mark Platte devoted his column to justifying The Honolulu Advertiser's coverage of Honolulu's rail-transit project.

Platte wrote at length about the criticism that the paper has gotten from both transit proponents and opponents, implying that if both sides are complaining then the paper must be doing a good job.

Readers should consider this — perhaps the newspaper is doing an abysmal job and everyone's noticing.

Late last week, the highest ranking member of the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. James Oberstar, said he's committed to giving Honolulu's rail-transit project $900 million, calling the project the most exciting in the nation.

The Honolulu Advertiser did not cover Congressman Oberstar's appearance and buried the Associated Press' story.

This is the same newspaper that gave prominent coverage to a report generated by perennial rail transit critic Panos Prevedouros and his University of Hawai'i students, who claim that based on simulations they've got the answer to Honolulu's traffic problems — build more highways, add more cars to the roads and bore a tunnel through Pearl Harbor.

Let's see — ranking member of Congress, relegated to the newspaper's back pages, extensive coverage of Prevedouros recycling his hypothetical solutions with the added twist of his students' involvement.

Now there's news judgment.

FALLS OF CLYDE

NO ONE IS ADVOCATING FOR A SHIP IN DISREPAIR

It is time for the Bishop Museum to stop pretending that the Falls of Clyde fell into disrepair despite its best efforts. The ship's problems are not really about money or age, they stem from poor oversight.

The Falls has no curator. One maintenance man tries to valiantly keep up the ship in addition to his duties caring for the entire Hawai'i Maritime Center, where the ship is moored.

The museum's board and employees are, at best, indifferent toward the ship and the center. The Bishop Museum Web site says you can walk the decks of the ship and visit the Hokule'a. The ship's been closed for months, and they gave the Hokule'a away.

Supposedly, a foundation was set up in 2007 to help preserve the Falls. There is no Web site, and if you call the Bishop, the operator doesn't know what you are talking about.

Finally, the ship is the victim of being at a satellite facility with no one advocating on its behalf. It is a case of "out of sight, out of mind."

Bishop Museum, don't make the Falls pay for your mistakes. Save our ship.