College Hill not being used well

The news that College Hill, the traditional home of the University of Hawaii president, will remain largely vacant is a sad reflection of how an inflexible bureaucracy can waste a valuable resource.

College Hill used to be the home of the chancellor of UH-Manoa, back when that person also had the title "UH president." This arrangement worked very well, enabling the chancellor/president to regularly (and easily) bring together campus groups and individuals that could be a benefit to the university in an inspiring venue.

Now, College Hill has become a relic. Too bad, as it has much to offer as a setting to build connections and enhance communication. If only the Manoa chancellor could live there and use it in the way that worked so effectively in the past.

Gov’s ear illness not surprising

It was reported that Gov. Neil Abercrombie had canceled his trip to Washington due to ear inflammation.

If I were advising the governor on how to lessen the pain, I would prescribe he stop threatening to raise taxes and instead consider cutting spending. That might make the decibel level in those town-hall-type meetings more bearable.

If the people in this canoe have to paddle much harder, the governor could end up with swimmer’s ear in a few years.

Hawaiians are not like Indians

Now it’s a state Indian tribe?

Hawaii’s media repeat that unlike Indians and Alaskan natives, native Hawaiians are the only indigenous people without some sort of sovereignty. This characterization does not reference determinative historical distinctions noted by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Rice v. Cayetano case. Unlike Indians and Alaskans, native Hawaiians themselves determined to abandon pure monarchy and voluntarily became a multiracial constitutional monarchy long before the revolution. Some subjects became naturalized citizens or were born into the constitutional monarchy. Hawaiians have not since lived in tribes or customarily and racially adhered groups like Indians and Alaskans.

Native Hawaiians are much more integrated with many leaders in all aspects of our lives and culture. Most probably voted along with the rest for statehood.

Please, we can help each other regardless of race and preserve our beautiful Hawaiian language and culture without reverting to racism and separatism.

Hawaii should take hint on rail

A third governor, Gov. Rick Scott of Florida, has just declined money from the federal government for his rail project, saying cost overruns could leave Florida taxpayers stuck with a $3 billion tab. (The others were Gov. John Kasich of Ohio and Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.)

Scott also said that if the state starts construction and the project is found to be too costly, it would be required to return the $2.4 billion to the federal government. Our state is in the same situation. Don’t our leaders see this?

Civil unions law thwarts ’98 vote

In November 1998, an amendment to the state Constitution was passed by 70 percent of the voters: "The Legislature shall have the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples."

In February 2011, a mere dozen years later, the Legislature approved a civil unions bill granting same-sex couples marriage in all but name.

It seems that the Legislature is not listening to the voters. So much for representative democracy.

Higher energy consumption does not always mean waste

Hawaiian Electric Co.’s new tiered system is unfair. With a family of five and large extended family, I’ll be penalized for cooking for five, washing clothes for five, lighting for five and cooling for five. Let’s not forget Tutu.

If all five had their own apartments, plus Tutu, they would be in the 250-kwh range being charged at the lowest rate and utilizing five washes, five stoves, five refrigerators, five ceiling fans, etc.

The family of five is the most efficient of users, but HECO and the state Public Utilities Commission do the exact opposite.

Think of the family as carpoolers.

These times are hard enough; HECO should try to be fair and honest with its customers.