Kawananakoa’s gift much appreciated

I applaud the article about philanthropist Abigail Kawananakoa donating $30,000 to replace the heating system for the showers at Manoa Valley District Park ("Article inspires gift to fix pool heater," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 24).

I am also encouraged that she is willing to help repair other pool heating systems. This is indeed a breath of fresh air to find a person who has compassion for swimmers using the pool during the winter seasons.

The issue of heated swimming pool problems also had affected the Salt Lake swimming pool complex for three winter seasons. The swimming pool temperature until now is 74 degrees, which discourages senior citizens from participating in the city’s wellness program.

City Councilman Joey Manahan has submitted his request to the mayor’s office to correct the situation.

If funding from the city is not available this year to correct the heating problem for Salt Lake, hopefully others will do the same as Kawananakoa.

Ken Thong
Salt Lake

$20M better spent on public schools

Oops!

Gov. Neil Abercrombie found $20 million of taxpayer money he can "give" to business entrepreneurs and still save millions by having teachers continue in directed leave without pay.

Are nurtured entrepreneurs more important than nurtured school students?Don’t we need to educate and grow this new workforce? Come on, governor.

Larry Brown
McCully

Running out of time to fix our economy

Some complain that deficit reduction will hurt the economy, and that we should wait until the economy gets better.

The problem with this idea is that with high unemployment, stagnant wages, heavy regulation and a big debt that presages inflation, high interest rates and additional taxes, there is nothing to suggest that the economy is going to get much better.

In the 1990s we had increased productivity due to computers. There is no comparable driver today.

So the question is:When are we going to deal with our fiscal problems?

To me, we’ve got to get started now, even if there is some pain associated with it.

Lloyd Lim
Makiki

Actors don’t appear to need tax credits

Did anyone who saw the Academy Awards on Sunday think that anyone on the show looked like they needed a handout (aka film tax credits) from the people of Hawaii?

Hamid Jahanmir
Makiki

Kudos for article about Hawaii Hochi

Gary Kubota’ s article ("The Hawaii Hochi marks centennial," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 24) described a principled human being and journalist who fought injustice in Hawaii when it took courage to defy the ruling elite.

In addition to the many causes advocated by Hawaii Hochi founder Fred Kin­za­buro Makino, I would add his campaign for justice for Pablo Manlapit, the Filipino labor leader.

Hawaii Hochi published many articles in 1927 when the Hawaii Prison Board considered Manlapit’s deportation. He also wrote letters to Philippine officials on behalf of Manlapit. He provided solace to the terrified Manlapit family.

I would like to read more inspiring articles like Kubota’s in your newspaper.

Melinda Tria Kerkvliet
Kaimuki

Put safety videos on incoming flights

Almost all of us have endured the long flights to Hawaii. Either we are returning home or coming to the islands to vacation.

The last hour of the flight is usually filled with down time as the movie has ended and we anticipate our landing. This is the perfect time to educate people coming to the islands that while Hawaii is paradise, it can also be dangerous.

Recently, another tourist was swept away while trying to cross a stream swollen by floodwaters. Lets get a video on all of the flights to Hawaii showing how quickly a stream can rise, what wet sand on the beach means, and how deceiving the ocean can be between sets.

I think a safety video shown on flights to Hawaii is long overdue. After this latest death, it is an idea that I hope all airlines and government will make a reality.

Dee Montgomery-Brock
Mililani

UH can help avert meteorite strikes

The recent meteorite strike in Russia and the near-miss a few days later reminds us that Hawaii researchers are leaders in the detection of potential killer meteorites. Saving humanity is not a bad aspiration.

A couple of years ago I attended a lecture at the University of Hawaii about the Pan-STARRS program that operates on Haleakala. However, more telescopes are needed to increase our ability to detect killer asteroids or huge meteorites in time to launch a vehicle to nudge them to a safe trajectory.

UH also has a program to detect asteroids that are too close to deflect. Both those programs deserve public funding and permitting support. These are basic research projects where the cost is tiny compared to the risk.

Daniel C. Smith
Palolo Valley

Unions not to blame for ERS shortfall

Bravo to Employees’ Retirement System administrator Wes Machida for going public on the real reason for the shortfall in the retirement funds: decades of the state and counties skimming money from the fund ("State’s pension fund falls short $8.4 billion," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 14).

Without the skimming, the ERS would be 95 percent funded. It’s not the unions’ or the employees’ or the retirees’ fault!

Larry Meacham
Wahiawa