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Letters To The Editor

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January 23, 2008 - MidWeek

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Bring back ‘Bows

Thank you to editor Don Chapman for his column “Bring Back The Rainbows,” which speaks for the minds of many.

It was not so much that June Jones changed the color of the UH football uniforms and the name from Rainbows to Warriors. It was the arrogant way he did it.

For the record, I was born and raised in Hawaii. The least June Jones could have done was to at least get the consensus of the people who have been here through thick and thin with the UH football Rainbows.

Coaches come and go but, it is the people of Hawaii who are here and will remain when they are gone for more lucrative positions as Jones did.

Therefore, do not ever allow any coach to do anything with our teams’names or their colors without first consulting with the people of Hawaii.

Kekoa Wayne
Nuuanu

Let’s go green

I agree with Don Chapman’s comments about bringing back the Rainbows. The UH colors are green and white, and the logo is the Rainbow (for over 80 years). Let’s go, ‘Bows!

Richard Choo
Honolulu

Curran called it

As a regular reader of MidWeek and as a steadfast and unwavering fan of UH athletics, especially UH Warrior football, it was with enthusiastic head-nodding and a hearty and sincere “Amen!” that I greeted Bobby Curran’s column on hiring assistant coach Greg McMackin to be the new head coach.

We want to build on the accomplishments of the past, not build from scratch.

And we want to reassure fans and allay any concerns that potential recruits may have about coming to Hawaii. The best way to do that is to have Coach McMackin become our head coach. He’s tested, he knows Hawaii and our current Warriors know him. That June Jones would have been happy to have him follow along to SMU is the strongest endorsement for his qualifications.

Thanks for publicly proclaiming what many of us have been privately thinking. I hope the higher-ups will take heed.

David A. Pendleton
Kailua

A cost too high

Thank to Bob Jones and Dan Boylan for a few moments of sanity in the June Jones soap opera. With all of the other infrastructure problems at the university and in our public schools, spending a million dollars a year on a football coach - a football coach! - is not only ludicrous, it verges on the criminal.

Melinda Choo
Honolulu

Caldwell’s shame

Members of the public expect our elected officials to be responsible and to lead by example.

Unfortunately, Rep. Kirk Caldwell, the House Majority Leader, failed miserably on both counts by doing the ultimate disservice to the important problem of pedestrian safety in our state by using tragic pedestrian casualties to serve his own political agenda.

In a recent Associated Press article on funding for projects including pedestrian safety, Rep. Kirk Caldwell says, “Since [Governor Lingle] has failed to release the money, we’ve had several other senior citizens die. There is an issue of blood on someone’s hands.”

This is a despicable statement on a couple of different levels. For one, it politicizes an issue that shouldn’t be politicized. Rep. Caldwell should be ashamed for twisting the unfortunate instance of pedestrian casualties to serve his own selfish purpose.

It also clouds the underlying issue. The governor supports using $3 million to make important pedestrian safety improvements, and testified in person to advocate for the appropriation. However, the Legislature changed the funding source to have the appropriation come from the State Highway Fund instead of the General Fund. This is not responsible fiscal management as the State Highway Fund receives federal money (4 to 1) for critical road projects throughout the state. The governor asked the Legislature to change the funding source back to the originally proposed General Fund, but legislators refused. Instead of making this simple adjustment, legislators closed the door on collaboration and senselessly squandering an easy fix.

Attempting to score cheap political points through the use of human tragedy is absolutely disgusting and Rep. Caldwell should be ashamed of himself and should apologize to the families of the victims.

Lenny Klompus
Senior Adviser,
Communications
Office of the Governor

Send your letters to MidWeek Letters, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 500, Honolulu, HI. 96813; by fax to 585-6324, or by email to dchapman@midweek.com. Please include your name, address and daytime and evening phone numbers. We print only the letters that include this information, but only your name and area of residence will appear in print. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.