Many groups are in land deal

The headline on the Galbraith Estate news article Tuesday was inaccurate and misleading ("State set to spend $25M for farmland," Star-Advertiser, Nov. 20). Many partners are involved in the transaction, not just the state of Hawaii.

Approximately 1,200 acres will be owned by the state Agribusiness Development Corp., and approximately 500 acres near the Kukaniloko birthing stones will be owned by the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Funding comes from a $13 million state general obligation bond, $4.5 million from the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii (Department of Defense Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative), $4 million from the City and County of Honolulu Clean Water and Natural Lands Program, $3 million from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and $500,000 from a private donor through The Trust for Public Land.

Many, many organizations and individuals have been involved in this effort for decades.

Lea Hong
Hawaii director, The Trust for Public Land

Events at beach need to be free

Recently you published an article about the Natatorium by Robert Fox and David Cheever ("Volleyball venue at Natatorium fits memorial’s original intent," Star-Advertiser, Nov. 4).

I think the public should be informed that admission to events such as beach volleyball, music and hula programs will cost money.

Keeping Hawaii Hawaii is what we should do.Adaptive reuse of the Natatorium, as Fox and Cheever propose, is another instance of private interests usurping the public’s benefit.They neglected to mention that the public would have to pay admission to watch events such as beach volleyball, music and hula shows.

We need a free public beach for all of the people.

Mandy Bowers
Manoa

Citizens United protects media

Many liberals, most notably President Barack Obama, have denounced the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision ruling that corporations, labor unions and other organizations have the same First Amendment rights as individuals.

But those members of the news media who have joined in the attacks are vulnerable to charges of hypocrisy.

Associate Justice Samuel Alito, in a recent speech before the Federalist Society, called off the names of the nation’s leading newspapers and television networks. All of them are owned by corporations and all have acknowledged rights to print and say whatever they wish about politics and government and, by implication, spend as much as they please in doing so.

Alito said, "Surely the idea that the First Amendment protects only certain privileged voices should be disturbing to anyone who believes in free speech."

The press and the electronic media are protected by the First Amendment even though they are owned by corporations.

The Citizens United decision makes it clear that protection extendsto all other groups.

Carl H. Zimmerman
Salt Lake

Scandal was just a distraction

University of Hawaii President M.R.C. Greenwood has condemned the interference by local politicians into the affairs of the university, except when U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye intervenes on her behalf.

Now she has withdrawn her threat to sue the university, the Board of Regents has decided to retain her as president, no one is held accountable for the Wonder Blunder, and it is back to business as usual at UH.

Gerald Arakaki
Wilhelmina Rise

Israel has little choice in attacks

Regarding "Precision and power mark current strife" (Star-Advertiser, Nov. 18), about Hamas launching scores of rockets aimed at Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other targets inside Israel, what is Israel supposed to do?

What would the United States do if Mexico or Cuba launched rockets at cities in California or Florida?

Evan R. Shirley
Kahala

Rail system is for the people

Opponents of rail transit are beside themselves with derision.

A majority of folks who commute to work would appreciate non-stressful travel to their breadwinning occupations.

Obviously the opponents of rail drive their vehicles joyously through traffic.

More important, opponents of rail apparently don’t use the public transit system at all. When did Ben Cayetano or Cliff Slater ever step foot on a public bus to go anywhere? Rail is for the people.

Finally, an expansion of lanes, as well as adding turning lanes in Nanakuli, would immensely relieve congestion for Westsiders commuting to work during morning and afternoon school hours.

Fred Klettke
Makaha

State must get more efficient

Entrepreneurs have been doing it for years:Sales drop and you react and adjust to make it work.

In government, margins are cut by increasing taxes and cutting operating expenses.

Get nimble. Any good manager or administrator can look inside the operation and figure out how to make do with what you have.

State agencies have been getting free money and now they have to get smart about running a lean and efficient operation ("Hawaii agencies brace for fallout from large cuts in federal funds," Star-Advertiser, Nov. 17).

Maybe the first place they should look is at the top. Instead of whining, these administrators and department heads need to use their brains and figure out a strategy.

My guess is if they do it, they will become stronger, healthier, more efficient and more successful operations in the long run.

Kathy Leong
Aina Haina

Conference call would save cash

The nerve!

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Finance Committee Chairman Don Horner asked that the city bring top Ansaldo executives to Honolulu to discuss company finances.

How about the city pay for a videoconference call instead? That should save some money for future cost overruns.

Barbara Krasniewski
Kailua

Dogs mess up our beaches, too

First let me say I am not a smoker, so I have no axe to grind. But I must laugh at how a letter to the editor states that people should not use the beach as a public ashtray ("Smokers at beaches act irresponsibly," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 18).

Why then do we allow dogs to use the beach as their own restroom, a most disgusting problem?

If you are annoyed as much as I am about unleashed dogs and the health risks they create, call the city’s complaint line at 768-4381 or call 911 when at the beach.

If enough people call, it might put an end to this unsafe and dangerous condition.

Tony Rizzo
Kailua