Next UH president should have aloha
Who will be the University of Hawaii’s next president?
This is an extremely difficult job for any person, local or not, to hold. There is no way around the intricate web of bureaucracy woven in such a position. And yet there should still be room to think and search outside the box, yet within the state.
Maybe we shouldn’t be so impressed simply with one’s resume. Maybe it is time to look more intently at the heart of the next president. What are the person’s ties to our university? To Hawaii? Would the person do what it takes to provide the best, most innovative opportunities for the students, be truthful and wise about finances and fiscal responsibilities, and relate sincerely to the local culture?
I believe we can find someone here with the right qualifications, as well as with the best heart. It is worth being intentional about.
Dyne Peich
Pearl City
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Speeding to blame for too many deaths
With 29 traffic accidents to date this year and the rash of recent traffic deaths attributed to speeding, it is the nemesis that puts all of us at risk.
Drivers need to be responsible and slow down.
Michael P. Augusta
Moiliili
2 isle history books were enlightening
Regarding Richard Borreca’s column ("To work with local culture, you have to understand it," Star-Advertiser, June 4), I suggest all applicants for the University of Hawaii presidency be required to read two books: "Hawaii Pono" by Lawrence Fuchs and "Catch A Wave" by Tom Coffman.
Also, a three-page reflection paper should be a required attachment for their resumes.
Reading these two books some 35 years ago was a watershed event for me; it gave me a deeper understanding of who I was as a keiki o ka aina and instilled within me self-respect and a respect for all others who called Hawaii their home.
People asked me all the time why I just didn’t "move on already" with the dropping of the "Rainbows" name for UH men’s sports. But Rainbows = local culture = respect for oneself and others = pride in Hawaii nei and the aloha spirit.
Stephen Chinen
Mililani
Badmouthing Texas violates aloha spirit
I was saddened by one of your reader’s comments as it pertains to the state of Texas ("Texas not much of a paradise," Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 29).
While I could spend hours finding isolated facts to show how great Texas is and how bad Hawaii is, I won’t. The truth is, I have lived in both and there are things I love and hate about both. Paradise is a relative term.
One of my favorite things about Hawaii is the aloha spirit. I have seen it in action every single day living in these islands.
So I was disturbed by the comment about building schools next to exploding fertilizer plants in Texas. This comment was about as far from the aloha spirit as you can get.
As I drive past the intermediate school my wife works at, which happens to be in a tsunami zone, I will remind myself that I love Hawaii, but I sure do miss Texas. Mahalo, y’all!
James Elliott
Kaneohe
Natatorium doesn’t honor WWI dead
News flash! The Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium is not honoring anyone and should not be called a memorial if it is not being maintained by those who built it, and who have, in fact, allowed it to deteriorate into ruins that could more accurately be described as the Ruins of the Waikiki Natatorium.
I say recreate the front wall area, only in a smaller version that would be financially more reasonable to build and keep maintained. That’s right, tear it all down and build a smaller
version of the front wall at one-third or one-fourth scale; this would be more in tune with current financial realities. The cost would be less than restoration, and a properly maintained memorial would honor Hawaii’s World War I soldiers.
James M. Lee
Kapolei
AARP advocacy not profit-motivated
Wayne Madsen’s assertion that AARP sought to profit from the passage of the Affordable Care Act doesn’t square with the facts ("Will young adults opt out of health care plans?," Star-Advertiser, June 3).
AARP’s key priorities during the health reform debate were driven by our policy research and years of listening to our members and other older Americans about their needs and concerns about health care.
AARP members consistently and overwhelmingly support the provisions we fought for, including closing the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap, limiting insurers from charging much higher premiums because of age, and prohibiting denial of coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
AARP is not an insurer and never has been. We encourage companies to offer products that will meet the needs of older Americans. Statements that our advocacy is in any way driven by the products offered by various companies that we license our brand to are simply not true.
Barbara Kim Stanton
State director, AARP Hawaii
Feel-good laws are mostly just talk
Feel-good laws?
No jaywalking, no-smoking areas, no parking on sidewalks, no littering, mandatory seat belts. …
Pending is helmets for skateboarders, bicycle riders, moped users, motorcyclists and riders in pickup-truck beds.
All feel-good laws, but if there is no enforcement, what’s the sense? Because, as it is, there is no enforcement, only talk.
Adriano Eliazar
Palama
