Aila arbitrary on emergencies

William Aila, the subject of your Sept. 23 Insight interview, argues unpersuasively that the state had to declare a state of emergency to deal with the removal of unexpended ordnance, although much of this stuff has been lying in our coastal waters undisturbed for decades ("William Aila," Star-Advertiser, Name in the News, Sept. 23).

Yet he has been a party to the successful effort to block the Army’s use of Makua Valley for training at a time when the nation is engaged in two wars and the valley is needed to prepare Hawaii-based soldiers for combat.

Fighting a war, I believe, constitutes a true emergency. But Aila and his friends are unimpressed. They have resorted to nit-picking objections to the Army’s environmental impact statement to block essential training in Makua.

The Army has spent millions to protect endangered species in the valley but Aila and company will be satisfied with nothing short of total capitulation.

Carl H. Zimmerman
Salt Lake

Farmers market a success story

I can empathize with those who feel that the Kapiolani Community College Farmers Market has become too crowded with visitors. Its popularity has created inconvenience for local residents, but I feel the good far outweighs the bad.

Living in Central Oahu, it’s only on occasion that I visit the market, and it always amazes me. It’s such a vibrant gathering place with a great array of fresh produce from local family farms. And the food offerings there rival any food court at a mall.

This market supports our tourism industry, which directly and indirectly provides the bulk of our private sector jobs. And the money spent by visitors at the market goes directly to supporting small local businesses. That’s bringing valuable dollars into our economy.

Let’s exercise our patience and aloha. This market is a local success story and we should be proud of it.

Linda Liese
Wahiawa

Times, Foodland yield to activists

Times and Foodland said no to imported live pigs for fresh island pork consumption, yielding to an activist group and disregarding Department of Agriculture inspectors’ findings that 99.5 percent of pigs arrive alive and healthy.

It’s an example of the vocal minority influencing Hawaii’s lifestyle while the majority is silent.

Sustainable agriculture in Hawaii includes fresh produce growers and protein producers who must have processing and slaughterhouse facilities. It means that consumers have a choice of lifestyle and food consumption.

Decline of imported live pigs may mean closure for the Oahu Hawaii Livestock Cooperative (HLC), the newest slaughterhouse facility. Closure will jeopardize not only the Hawaii pork industry but the cattle industry, which considers HLC an option for cull cattle due to limited capacity of the two Big Island facilities.

Organizations that support the HLC include the Hawaii Pork Industry Association, Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council, Hawaii Cattle Producers Cooperative Association, Hawaii Livestock Coop and Ponoholo Ranch.

Myrone Murakami
President, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation

Development driven by greed

Please do not develop at all. Hawaii is developed enough.

People come to Hawaii for its beautiful land and pristine beaches. I have lived there before, and I have seen the impact development makes on the environment and the community. There has to be a point where development stops.

People who have been born and raised on the island can’t afford to buy homes because of outside money driving up home prices. Plans to expand North Shore development will bring more crowds to already crowded North Shore. Stop being greedy. If tourists want to see big buildings and resorts, they can go to Waikiki.

I am not a born local, but spent a part of my youth in Hawaii and continue to visit friends regularly. Hawaii is in my heart, and is absolutely, without a doubt, the most beautiful place on God’s earth. Leave it the way it is. Keep the country country.

John Ritter
Kill Devil Hills, N.C.

Apple laptops more expensive

Roger Garrett commented on the valuation of the laptops stolen from Leihoku Elementary School, implying that the state Department of Education is paying exorbitant prices for equipment ("School laptops seem to be way overpriced," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Sept. 25).

He also raised a question about donations and an outpouring of support for the school, asking if the school had insurance "for these kinds of things."

Most schools utilize Apple computer equipment at the elementary level for instructional purposes, not the Windows-based ones that "can be had for $500 each at many retail outlets," as he stated. Apple laptops retail from $1,199 to $1,799, so an estimated value of the stolen laptops of $1,400 each is realistic.

Second, the school most likely has insurance, but it’s a lengthy process to file the insurance claim, receive the funding and then initiate and complete a procurement. While this is being done, the students will not have the use of 62 laptops.

Henderson Nuuhiwa
Alewa Heights

We could learn from the French

Writing from the Palm Springs, Calif. resort area, Lee Cataluna takes an easy shot at Gov. Neil Abercrombie for whisking his wife off to Paris on their 30th anniversary ("Governor shows no aloha for isle tourism industry," Star-Advertiser, Lee Cataluna, Sept. 25).

I say, "Good for Neil and Nancie." France is the No. 1 tourist destination in the world and Paris the No. 1 city. Maybe Abercrombie knows something. Maybe we can learn from the French about preserving our architectural heritage and especially saving our open spaces and agricultural capability. Anyone who has ever taken a train out of Paris will remember the glorious wide-open vistas, golden fields, dense forests and beautifully preserved small towns that pass by the window.

In Hawaii, we take our last unspoiled landscapes and, as in the recent Laie hotel expansion scheme, raffle them off for 25 minimum-wage jobs. We turn our islands into a Disney-worthy amusement park.

Don Wallace
Honolulu

Kaauwai helped weaken isle GOP

As a lifelong member of the Republican Party, I strongly support the removal of Johan Kaauwai as party chairman. Kaauwai made it his personal and sustaining agenda to constantly criticize union activity as a primary reason why Hawaii is fiscally weak, along with his personal belief there is no separation of church and state. Obviously he was out of touch and did not understand there are many Republicans who are proud union members and who also do not believe that the church and state are conjoined.

Jeff Stevens
Kailua