Council should pass Kailua bill

Your coverage of the City Council’s postponement on Bill 11 due to a confidential corporation counsel opinion omitted an important piece of history: The city long ago committed to banning commercial activity at Kailua Beach Park ("Legal issue stymies Kailua beach ban," Star-Advertiser, May 23).

Almost two decades ago I represented Save Camp Kailua, prevailing in our lawsuit to require the city to comply with environmental laws. Old-timers will remember that Camp Kailua was used by scouts for overnight camp-outs and for weekly seniors’ meetings — a true neighborhood resource.

During litigation, the city agreed it did not intend to open Kailua Beach Park to commercial activities. In fact, Kailua Beach Park was to become a regional park to be used by residents of Oahu and visitors.

The city recognized the need for recreational areas for island-wide families. This did not include opening the park for commercial vendors.

The Council justifiably should pass Bill 11 CD1 to honor a decades-old commitment.

Rep. Cynthia Thielen
House District 50 (Kailua, Kaneohe)

Rail opponents lack real solution

The people of Oahu have waited far too long for a transportation solution.

This wait has resulted in the nation’s worst freeway congestion.

Now, with a rail transit project under way to provide relief, opponents are still attempting to stop it.

They are willing to throw away all the time and money spent so far without providing a real solution.

If they were serious about addressing traffic problems, they would have a plan that contains enough detail on design, operations, cost and benefits to demonstrate that it is superior to what has taken years to get through the environmental impact statement process.

Rail opponents want to put us back on square one, without any hope of federal funding the next time around. We must continue work on the solution that Oahu voters selected in 2008.

Jim Lyon
Kailua

East-West Center needs a review

I was one of the first 100 grantees who came to the East-West Center in the spring of 1961.

Over the past half century I have watched (somewhat painfully) how the East-West Center has slowly lost its way.

I share professor Joel Fischer’s views and those of Kazuyuki Matsumoto ("East-West Center has lost its way," Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 26).

A fundamental review of the East-West Center is long overdue. May it come soon.

East-West Center alumni across the board can, and should, play an important role in this much-needed review.

Jim Anthony
Kaaawa

People power under attack

Government and politics have obviously been infected by power and greed.

There is no justification for profiteering Big Oil, Big Banks, Big Pharma, Wall Street, corporate lobbyists or proselytizing tax-free religious groups to be manipulating our country like puppet masters.

There are also integral parts of our government, such as the military and the Federal Reserve whose autonomy should be kept in check. This is because, as we unfortunately repeatedly see, the bigger an organization, the more susceptible it is to corruption.

I think most Americans would gladly see some of their taxes used to create fair and equal media platforms for our political candidates instead of the advantage always going to the richest contender.

If we do not remove all the covert money, power, greed and special interests from our political system, we might as well remove from our lexicon the phrase, "Government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

Bruce Lee
Hawaii Kai