Don’t put homes on best farm land

So the state Department of Agriculture has weighed in, supporting the development of Ho‘opili. Why am I not in the least surprised?

It says that it wants to respect the integrity of the county planning process, while ignoring that there are many voices raised questioning the validity of past land use decisions to urbanize the entire Ewa plain.

The reasons offered for keeping the Aloun Farms acreage in agriculture are many, i.e., congestion, sustainability, maintaining the rural character of the area. But the one incontrovertible fact is that the acreage currently being farmed is, without question, the best agricultural land remaining in Hawaii.

Instead of allowing Schuler/DR Horton to destroy this irreplaceable asset, why is there not an effort to negotiate some swap of other acreage that is less agriculturally productive for residential development in Central and West Oahu? Surely with all the fallow agricultural land available, some sites could be found to allow development without sacrificing our very best farm land.

The thing to remember about farmland is that once it goes to residential, there is no going back. Let’s be akamai about this whole issue and do the pono thing.

Jack Arnest
Kaimuki

U.S. needs China as a cold-war enemy

Your column by Frida Ghitis ("Power Play in the Pacific," Star-Advertiser, Dec. 6) summarized a number of recent moves by the Obama administration that somewhat strengthen U.S. military power in the Pacific region.

These moves, including the projected deployment of 2,500 U.S. Marines in northern Australia, are adding to America’s posture of military encirclement of Communist China.

Ms. Ghitis then wrote, "The next move is China’s."

As if on cue, two weeks after Obama’s moves during and after the APEC conference, the Chinese Navy sent six warships from the East China Sea past Okinawa into the Pacific for a naval exercise.

This was a precursor of the coming Chinese challenge of U.S. control of the Pacific Ocean. Indications are that within a few decades the Chinese Navy will dominate the western half of the Pacific, while the U.S. Navy will dominate the eastern half. Neither side will start a war against the other, as the risks of major war would be too great and the resulting monetary and human costs would be unsustainable.

But there will be a cold war, which the American empire needs in order to get the American people to continue paying for a huge military with which perpetually to intervene in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Oliver Lee
Aina Haina

Symphony backers being awfully quiet

I am witing about a topic that unfortunately is not timely, but certainly should be.

Last summer we all were thrilled with the news that a new group of leading community members were rebuilding a symphony orchestra here in Hono-lulu. We were told a season would be announced over the summer to begin in mid-October and that artistic adviser Joanne Falletta was booking soloists and repertoire, and industry expert Steve Monder was working on helping the board secure lead gifts so that tickets could be sold.

We were so excited.

Unfortunately, we have heard nothing since. If the new group shares my passion and that of so many others who miss the symphony, perhaps it could share with us what it has been up to.

Kiku Kealoha
Honolulu

Emcee Wilcox evokes Pearl war memories

On Dec. 7, 2011, I watched the televised Pearl Harbor ceremony. I want to thank Leslie Wilcox for the excellent way she emceed the event.

As she gave full detail of every person who survived the attack, it touched my heart and brought back memories of me at age 6 when the attack happened.

My father worked at Pearl Harbor as a painter. He had taken my brother, sister and myself to attend church service at the Fort Street Cathedral Church.

When we got home, my mother told my father to report to Pearl Harbor right away; they needed help at the paint shop. He didn’t know of the attack.

My father was gone for two weeks. When he returned home, he told my mother how horrible it was at Pearl Harbor. He ended up pulling dead bodies of young servicemen out of the water who had been shot badly, some eaten by sharks, and at the same time, trying not to get shot by passing planes.

As one speaker said: Freedom is not cheap, and yet we all take it for granted every day.

Frank Atienza
Waipahu

Pearl Harbor article omitted key detail

On Dec. 7, 2011, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser commemorated the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor with a front-page article and an editorial.

Neither identified the attackers or mentioned the name of the country that had sent them. Whether accidental or deliberate, the omission is original.

John J. Stephan
Professor emeritus of history, University of Hawaii-Manoa

Those getting more should pay more

Many Americans continue to suffer from debilitating effects of the bad economy. Consequently, the government safety net has been stretched wider to accommodate the increasing number of government assistance seekers.

Debates on how to pay for the extension of the payroll tax cut dominate Washington.

The Democrats’ proposal to impose additional tax on the millionaires/billionaires to pay for the payroll tax cut appears to be a more realistic and reasonable approach. Most rich people did not become rich without the help of their government. Now that their government needs their help, they should be proud to extend their helping hands.

Asking the rich to pay more taxes should not be viewed as punishing success, but simply a reminder that those who took a larger share of the economic pie should pay more, which is the right thing to do.

Rod B. CatiggayMililani