Newspaper has public’s back
Thank goodness we have a newspaper that promotes investigative journalism (Two months later, no action on Kahele leasehold, WHT April 26).
As a private citizen, acting without a newspaper behind me, I attempted to determine if my state senator, Kai Kahele, legally resides in District 1. Because Mr. Kahele holds a DLNR monitored, low cost land lease in Milolii — and is required to reside on that property — I called the senator’s Capitol office on April 5 to confirm his residency status.
Little did I know, this was the start of a frightful bureaucratic round-around. Kahele’s office manger indicated that DLNR was making that residency determination, and he directed me to DLNR for the answer.
On April 8, I sent a postal letter to DLNR Communications Director Dan Dennison, asking for that determination. I indicated that the senator’s representative had referred me to DLNR. Although I provided Mr. Dennison with three different ways to contact me, he never bothered to contact me — just as though I had never written.
Continuing the run-around, on April 18, I sent another postal letter to DLNR, this time to Suzanne Case, DLNR chairwoman asking her to respond to my inquiry to Mr. Dennison.
Finally, on April 21, DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward responded that Suzanne Case and Dan Dennison had both received my letters.
And, yes indeed — you guessed it. Ms. Ward referred me back to Sen. Kahele’s office. So, thank you WHT for your investigating this possible shenanigan, and for certifying why we need a constitutionally embraced and protected free press.
Richard Dinges
Hilo
No special treatment for Malia
Jay Tomokiyo’s May 9 WHT letter suggesting Harvard University has given special treatment to Malia Obama’s decision to defer for one year her enrollment as an already-admitted freshman indicates Tomokiyo’s unfamiliarity with established policy among top tiered and other American universities — it is commonly referred to as a “gap.”
Simply stated, these universities encourage admitted students to defer enrollment for one year to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work, or spend time in another meaningful way — provided they do not enroll in a degree-granting program at another college. Deferrals for two-year obligatory military service are also granted.
Each year, between 80 and 110 students defer their matriculation to Harvard. (See www.college.harvard.edu/admissions/preparing-college/should-i-take-time). Again, deferral-of-enrollment programs are offered only to those students who have already met rigorous admission standards.
That a similar program may not be available at UH’s West Hawaii Palamanui campus is quite beside the point. The decision to offer such non-discriminatory programs is up to each institution.
Edward H. Schulman
Kailua-Kona