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Celebrate Awo’s achievements
Thank you for publishing the story on Randy Awo, written so beautifully by Christie Wilson ("Just do the job, don’t talk about it," Star-Advertiser, March 8). It is refreshing to read a profile like this about a person who is so talented and effective yet humble and unassuming.
So often, the published profiles that reveal the full spectrum and depth of a person’s contributions are written after they are gone. I’m glad Awo and his relatives will be able to celebrate this recognition together and that constituents in our state will be able to thank him.
Mahalo for a positive piece about someone who made such a meaningful impact on state government. I would enjoy reading more of these.
Ruth Limtiaco
Hawaii Kai
To make millions, get fired by UH
Stop the world and let me off!
To get a traditional education, you go to college, spend thousands of dollars and earn a degree that will pay you a big salary and bonuses after you graduate.
But there is a quick, sure way to become a millionaire: Get yourself hired by the University of Hawaii Athletic Department, work six months or a year (winning a game is not a prerequisite), and let them fire you.
You’ll surely be offered millions of dollars to buy your silence, and maybe offered a tenured position within UH.
I wish I were young enough to apply for the athletic director job.
Yolan Garrett Chan
Palolo
GOP partisans put U.S. security at risk
When the Republicans took control of both chambers of Congress, many were hopeful that their majority would provide the key to unlock the political gridlock and end the partisan bickering so that both parties could go back to the traditional legislative process in which they compromise for the good of the country.
But much to the dismay of the American people, that vision of hopefulness was shattered when the Republicans threatened to defund the Department of Homeland Security for no sensible reason.
Although the shutdown was averted, the Republicans who wanted to subvert America’s security by voting for the shutdown of the DHS are unworthy of the high office with which voters have entrusted them; whereas the Democrats, with their unified support for the funding bill, not only ensured the country’s continued protection but also proved that they are more trustworthy than the Republicans in protecting America.
Rod B. Catiggay
Mililani
Burning sugar cane isn’t necessary
Stanford Carr’s recent letter to the editor regarding Maui cane burning reads like a developer quoting Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Co.’s main talking points ("Most Maui residents fine with cane fires," Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 8). Many of us who actually live on Maui, unlike Carr, do not appreciate breathing in the smoke and cleaning up the ash from cane fires.
Carr needs to understand that there are other ways of harvesting cane without burning it. Burning is not a cultural practice — it’s just the most expedient way a large corporation has chosen to harvest its crop.
Chris Profio
Kahului
Rail is expensive and obsolete
Moses Akana is way off track (or rail) when he states that rail transit will relieve traffic and that we have to face up to the realities of the 21st century ("Rail is solution to traffic mess," Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 7).
He stated one stark reality when he mentioned the 14,000 new vehicles registered last quarter. How interested are these people in public transportation that they would make payments on cars for years to come? More startling is the fact that all the traffic studies, by experts in their fields, have shown rail won’t make a difference.
Lastly, rail is oh, so 19th century. With car companies developing auto-drive cars, it’s simply going to be a matter of time before it becomes an option, if not the standard. Imagine all 20 cars at a red light moving immediately together when the light turns green. That is 21st century technology working to relieve our traffic woes, not an overpriced, under-budgeted, poorly planned monstrosity that will burden taxpayers for generations to come.
Pat Kelly
Kaimuki
A soldier can die, but not smoke?
So, the politicians think my son is old enough to go die for them in a foreign country, but not responsible enough to have a cigar when he returns from battle ("House passes bill raising smoking age to 21," Star-Advertiser, March 7).
Don’t you think the rest of the world will find that a bit odd?
Louis Scull
Kapolei
Shapiro ‘knifes’ Gabbard’s views
I was amused by David Shapiro’s silly column in which he provided two website articles ("Fixation on IS semantics casts doubt on Gabbard," Star-Advertiser, Volcanic Ash, March 8).
The first at Fox News (http://fxn.ws/1LUaoyy), saying the "knives are out" for U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, was an excellent balanced article written by Malia Zimmerman (founder of Hawaii Reporter) that included Michael W. Perry of KSSK, who said Gabbard committed a "mortal sin" by challenging President Barack Obama and "now the knives are out."
The second was an Alternet.org article (http://bit.ly/1w2aGfc) written by Zaid Jilani, an obviously biased contributing writer.
(AlterNet confronts the failures of corporate media, as well as the vitriol and disinformation of right-wing media, especially "hate talk" media.)
I can only conclude that Shapiro is one of "the knives" ("Gabbard looks the dupe as sole Dem on bipartisan trip," Star-Advertiser, Flashback, May 4, 2014).
Ed Ige
Kaneohe
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