INTERISLAND

INOUYE HELPED SALVAGE ALOHA AIR CARGO DEAL

The state has seen the impact of the closure of Aloha Air Cargo.

Just when it appeared that cargo was shut down, and absolutely no one could help, Sen. Daniel Inouye came to the rescue.

With his energy and support, Aloha Air Cargo lives on. Much mahalo to Sen. Inouye andSaltchuck Resources.

CONCON

UNICAMERAL LEGISLATURE WOULD SAVE US MONEY

Thanks to David Shapiro for warning us that opponents of a Constitutional Convention are planning to cook up high cost estimates for a ConCon as a smokescreen to obscure and downplay its merits, even though there are lower cost alternatives (Volcanic Ash, May 14).

However, even on the issue of cost, a ConCon has the potential to save us money.

Hawai'i should take a look at what Nebraska and Texas are doing. There is no indication that there is any less democracy in Nebraska than in any other state. And there is no indication that the Texas legislature is any less effective than the legislature of any other state.

Nebraska has a unicameral legislature. And the Texas legislature meets once every two years. If Hawai'i were to amend its Constitution to adopt both of these ideas, a lot of money could be saved.

This year, $19 million has been budgeted to operate Hawai'i's House and Senate. If, for the sake of discussion, a unicameral legislature were created in Hawai'i with half the current number of legislators, the $19 million would be cut roughly in half. And having the Legislature meet once every two years would cut that amount again in half, resulting in an average cost per year of $4.75 million and an average savings of $14.25 million per year.

The money saved in just one year would likely be enough to fund a ConCon. Furthermore, the same amount would be saved in each of the nine years before the next possible ConCon — a total of more than $128 million.

A number of ConCon opponents currently hold seats in the House or Senate. They may not be enamored of the idea of a unicameral Legislature, especially if it has only half the current number of legislators. That would make it impossible for the other half to be re-elected.

MIDEAST

U.S. SHOULD USE FORCE OVER PROBLEMS ABROAD

Andrew Bacevich ("The 'Long War' will be America's folly," May 16) is dead wrong — and if he has his way, we will be dead! Maybe not in our generation, but certainly in the not too far future. To believe or to even suspect the Islamic terrorists intend to call a halt to their "jihad" is beyond belief.

In the realm of "woulda, coulda, shoulda," we made the mistake of not going after them with full force the day the Marines died in Lebanon.

Everyone thought World War I was the war to end all wars. If we had gone after Hitler before he was allowed to build up his military, there might not have been World War II and the insane losses incurred by the world. Italy and Japan may have been forced to reconsider their adventures, and the devastation caused by nuclear action may never have happened.

Now that Iran and other factions in the Arab world are after us, Andrew Bacevich and others who think like him are crazy to even consider salvation does not lie abroad.

They either live in a tree or truly have their head buried deep in the sand.

AGRICULTURE

IMPORTANT AG LAND BILL HELPS ISLAND FARMERS

Recent media statements have maligned the Senate Bill 2646 regarding important agricultural lands as being a pro-development measure rather than an ag measure. Nothing can be further from the truth.

I was personally involved in the process for SB 2646, for the sake of my small family farm, and my fellow farmers and ranchers.

The bill seeks to solve some huge challenges and holes in the current system. Fertilizer prices have doubled, shipping challenges have been a roller coaster ride and changing food safety regulations have made farming more costly.

The bill is a comprehensive package of measures to build up agriculture's long-term foundation and help farms continue or expand their operations. It does not allow landowners to "willy-nilly" designate their property to urban, or bypass all of the land development requirements, or arbitrarily pull their lands out of the important agricultural land classification. The bill provides real incentives to keep land in active agriculture rather than letting it lie fallow or changing it to nonagricultural uses.

I was thrilled when the Legislature passed this bill. It's time for everyone to join the bandwagon and support this measure to help ensure local agriculture will be there for our future generations.

GET ON BOARD: YOUR OPINION MATTERS

Join our Community Editorial Board

What's needed to improve our public schools? How should we deal with our energy issues? What's happening with affordable housing in Hawai'i?

These are just some of the issues our Community Editorial Boards have addressed.

Is it your turn? We're looking for our next slate of board members to offer insight on important issues facing Hawai'i.

The Community Editorial Board meets weekly with our in-house editorial board over an eight-week period to share perspectives. Board members also sit in on our meetings with some of Hawai'i's key decision-makers.

To apply, tell us about yourself in a few sentences, including your occupation and topics of interest. Include your name, phone number and home address in an e-mail to editorial page assistant Stacy Berry at: sberry@honoluluadvertiser.com

You can also fax your application to 535-2415, or mail it to: The Honolulu Advertiser, Editorial Pages, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802.

Calling high school students who want to make a difference

From the quality of our schools to the economy to politics to Hawai'i's job market. When it comes to these issues and more, there's no shortage of opinions among our high school students.

The Advertiser is looking for its next Teen Editorial Board — a top-notch team of high-school students who want to learn first-hand how their opinions can make a difference.

The Teen Editorial Board meets monthly to offer its views on key issues and news of the day throughout the 2008-2009 school year.

Our Teen Editorial Board members meet with Hawai'i's key decision-makers, with the mission making a difference through civic engagement.

To apply, send us an e-mail with your name, address, age, the name of your school, and a paragraph on why you would like to be on the board. It's competitive, so apply promptly.

Send your e-mail to our editorial assistant, Stacy Berry, at: sberry@honoluluadvertiser.com or call us at 535-2414.