Letters to the Editor

UH administrators rarely accountable

The University of Hawaii wants to make students pay more to cover the costs of bad decision-making.

I worked at UH for 22 years at three campuses and saw an appalling amount of funds wasted by administrators and regents.

Ex-president Evan Dobelle was given a lot of money to leave and avoid a lawsuit.

Ex-president M.R.C. Greenwood’s "Wonder Blunder" initially cost UH $200,000, but how much money was spent in legal fees afterward?

How much was spent to satisfy departing athletics employees and avoid lawsuits?

All of this was due to poor administrative judgment and decisions.

UH administrators are rarely held accountable for anything they do. I have personally seen this happen many times.

How much has been quietly paid out to victims of sexual harassment at UH while perpetrators keep their jobs?

Everybody at UH knows all of this. But nothing is ever done about it.

Kevin Roddy
St. Louis Heights

State certainly can cut slack for couple

My hat’s off to the Star-Advertiser for the editorial "Couple’s plight demands action" (Our View, May 11).

Articulated with excellence was the reference to Noboru and Elaine Kawamoto: "Their plight deserves a humane response, not a bureaucratic barrier."

Should the state Department of Health provide a waiver or exception in the Kawamotos’ case, allowing them to reunite and live out their lives together?

I must say amen to that.

In 2009, with blood, sweat and tears, we lobbied to change the law allowing my parents, Sidney Kaide, 89, and Terry Kaide, 87, of Hilo tolive inthe samecommunity-care foster family home.

We actually changed the law. Senate Bill 190 had a termination clause in two years from the date the bill was signed into law, April 22, 2009.

The Kawamotos’ and the Kaides’ situations are nearly identical.

So why did House Bill 600 get killed on May 1?

Charlotte Kaide
Hilo

Hawaii could host Shia-Sunni summit

There is a growing conflict going on in our global backyard and it’s threatening our security.

Our current foreign policy is either constantly in flux, inept, historical, oil driven or based upon the enemy-of-my-enemy philosophy. Whichever term you use, it’s fueling the flames of war, not quenching them.

The conflict is between the different branches of Islam, Sunni and Shia. It’s also between the moderate and orthodox arms of each of these branches. These conflicts and misunderstandings are not going to be resolved through bombs and playing arms dealer to one side or to both.

The major players are Iraq and Iran (Shia) on one side and Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Turkey (Sunni) on the other.

My suggestion is to create a neutral arena where all sides can come together and discuss their differences — not the political leaders of these countries, but the religious leaders.

That neutral arena would be the East-West Center.

Allow the Aloha State to be the place for inclusiveness and discourse.

Chuck Cohen
Kalama Valley

Hawaii should take hint from Colombia

Colombia has announced it will be ending the use of glyphosate to eradicate coca plants (the source of cocaine) and try other methods.

The reason: Glyphosate (commonly known as Roundup) has been classified a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization. WHO cited evidence that it might cause non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in humans.

Another researcher found higher rates of skin problems and miscarriages in districts targeted by herbicides.

Yet we are allowing the powerful producer of Roundup, Monsanto, to spray near schools and homes in Hawaii.

Another threat exists in federal legislation, HR 1599, which would pre-empt any state’s right to regulate seed companies and their pesticides. HR 1599 would not allow any state to require labeling of GMO foods.

This bill requires close monitoring and asking our congressional representatives to vote against it.

Judith Pettibone
Makiki

Publicly owned HEI would be a disaster

Activists who oppose the purchase of Hawaiian Electric Industries by NextEra Energy believe that with public ownership of Hawaiian Electric, all would be fine ("Governor urged to consider public ownership of HECO," Star-Advertiser, May 8).

The dreamers say that with a public utility, electricity prices should decline.This would not happen.

Examine the effect of government unions on the state.Almost everything managed by the government is failing.

The rail project is over budget and over time; the state’s computer technology initiative is too huge and too costly; and nearly half the guards at four state prisons were out sick during the Super Bowl.

With public ownership, HECO employees would become government employees.Public officials are owned by the government unions and would do little to require accountability.

Arthur Warren
Keaau, Hawaii

Avian flu another reason to buy local

The serious nature of the avian flu epidemic on chickens on the mainland reminds us of just how important the saying "Buy local" is to consumers in Hawaii.

With our 2,500 miles of geographic isolation, we are relatively isolated from this type of epizootic bird disease.

So enjoy, and remember: Buy local.

John McHugh
Mililani