The Thirty Meter Telescope fiasco, in which the state Department of Land and Natural Resources is being sued by Campbell Estate heiress Abigail Kawananakoa, gives veracity to the adage that history repeats itself (“State agency is sued over TMT judge,” Star-Advertiser, June 11).
In 2007, the state’s executive branch attempted to skirt environmental law and attempted to push the Superferry into Nawiliwili Harbor, Kauai, threatening the flotilla of protestors with anti-terrorism charges.
Two years later, the Hawaii Supreme Court deemed the governor’s actions improper and, consequently, Hawaii lost the Superferry.
Today a familiar scene unfolds: The government jailed TMT protestors, mostly native Hawaiians, under false rules and tried to sidestep laws regarding contested case hearings, which was the basis for the court invalidating TMT’s construction permit.
Rather than acting autonomously, our government must listen to the people it was created to serve.
If we fail hui together, we may be forced to revisit yesteryear’s hard knocks.
Kaiwiola Coakley
Downtown Honolulu
Ali was a champ in so many ways
It was 1973 or 1974.
Muhammad Ali was appearing at a rally in Southeast Washington, D.C.
My husband said, “I’m going to get a picture of my son with the Champ. Bring your camera.”
So, with my Instamatic Kodak in hand, we approached the guard at the steps to the stage in the parking lot. My husband held up 2-year-old Edward and told the guard,“I want a picture of my son with the Champ.” He let us proceed.
Muhammad Ali was alone on the stage. Andy said, “Here, Champ. I want a picture of you with my son.”
Ali took Edward in his arms, looked at the camera, and said, “Why sure! What a beautiful child! Here, give me a kiss.”
And he kissed Edward on the cheek.
I managed to snap two pictures. They hang prominently in our living room, getting more precious every year.
Edward’s middle name is Muhammad.
Pearl Chang Johnson
Pauoa Valley
Do rail right or get a white elephant
Do we want an $8 billion rail system that does what it’s designed to — get people from the West Side to town — or do we want a $6 billion white elephant?
By deleting stations or ending it at Middle Street we’ll get a rail system no one wants to ride. Do it right and do it completely.
Stephen Ugelow
Hawaii Kai
Use bond revenues to finish rail project
As it often does, the state should float a billion-dollar bond to fund the rest of the rail project. This should be backed by the general fund since the rail project will not be able to pay this money back. It’s a simple and relatively pain-free solution. With current ultra-low interest rates, this is a no-brainer.
Gary Kishida
Kakaako
‘Lady Luck’ giving rail a very hard time
With rail costs skyrocketing in the billions of dollars, it seems we taxpayers are pawns in a financial game without end (“Runaway train, Star-Advertiser, June 9).
And it might have been a game that was rigged from the start to fail so some could profit in the millions.
Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board members pressed executive director Dan Grabauskas for answers about why the estimates could have been so far off.
He replied, “It’s bad luck.”
Grabauskas usually has a ready finger pointing to the lawsuits and the red-hot construction market; now it’s just a matter of Lady Luck.
I’ve been the victim of bad luck before, but that was in Las Vegas.
At least there are some rules and oversight in Vegas.
Earl Arakaki
Ewa Beach
Blame for Iraq falls squarely on Bush
Thomas Sowell has once again demonstrated his reluctance to lay blame on his party’s latest president, George W. Bush, and falsely accuses President Barack Obama of pulling troops from Iraq at the end of 2011: “But Barack Obama has already shown us that a headstrong egomaniac can ignore even unanimous advice from military advisers. That is how he pulled troops out of Iraq and set the stage for ISIS.”
According to FactCheck.org, Bush signed an agreement with Iraq that set a withdrawal date of all troops by Dec. 31, 2011.
Obama tried to negotiate a residual force of 5,000 to 10,000 of troops, but Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki refused.
The most you could accuse Obama of is not trying hard enough.
When Bush invaded Iraq and disbanded the Iraqi military, that set the stage for ISIS, not U.S. troop withdrawal.
Russell H. Kim
Kakaako
New York in winter bad area to get wet
I had to read this smug letter twice to believe it (“Compassion can be difficult sometimes,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 13)!
Is this person actually proud that he restrained himself from throwing a bucket of water on a homeless man in New York, in February, for quite a while until he just had to do it — because he tripped over him and got hurt?
A homeless man, in New York, in February, does not have dry clothes to change into, nor a warm, cozy place to go to recover, nor a family doctor to see for his pneumonia. Shame!
Gloria McCulley
Makiki
