Editorials
Monday, May 4, 1998

Preserving historic
Post Office building

A downtown landmark will take on a new role when the Post Office -- and former federal courthouse and customs house -- building across South King Street from Iolani Palace is partially converted into shops and restaurants.

The Spanish colonial-style building, which was constructed in two installments, 1921-22 and 1930, has been underutilized since the courts and other federal agencies moved to the new Prince Kuhio federal building. The Post Office will remain, although it will move to quarters in Kakaako during construction.

From the street, the building will look unchanged. The interior courtyard will be turned into a mall. Parking will be underground. The developers, USPO Redevelopment Corp., said there will be no demolition of the existing structure, and the architect, R.G. Wood, said the exterior features and most of the interior features will be preserved.

The sale, for $14.2 million, will spare the Postal Service $12-15 million, the estimated cost to rehabilitate the historic building. The developers expect to spend $57.5 million.

This is an intriguing way to preserve a beautiful building in Honolulu's historic Capitol District at no cost to the taxpayer.

Suicide on TV

IN their relentless competition to feed live public tragedies to viewers, the TV stations outdid themselves in Los Angeles. Last Thursday, regular programming -- including two kiddie shows -- was preempted to show a demonstrator stop his truck on a freeway overpass, aim a shotgun at traffic and, ultimately, shoot himself to death. The incident was beamed simultaneously to thousands of homes, and some stations were unable or unwilling to edit the graphic culmination. Shades of John Miranda!

Police identified the Long Beach victim as 40-year-old Daniel V. Jones, who had been upset about a bad experience with a health maintenance organization (HMO) about 10 years ago, according to relatives. For nearly an hour before he killed himself, helicopters with TV cameramen hovered overhead -- monitoring Jones as he sat in his truck, talked to his dog and on a cellular phone, and unfurled a banner that read, "HMO's are in it for the money. Live free, love safe or die."

After Jones fatally shot himself, viewers expressed shock, TV executives apologized and media pundits were repulsed. "I wouldn't think this is the proudest day, even for those who absurdly call themselves 'helicopter journalists,' " said one University of Southern California journalism professor.

Locally, the incident brings to mind images of John Miranda, who in February 1996 held a former co-worker hostage for several hours. In that case, TV newsrooms showed the Sand Island standoff live, although cameras were mercifully out of range as Miranda was fatally shot while struggling with police officers. When it comes to the wonderful world of TV news, "If it bleeds, it leads" is an understatement.

Homeless shelter

OPPONENTS of a shelter for the homeless in West Maui argued at a public meeting in Lahaina that it would attract unemployed people to the Valley Isle. Possibly, but what about the homeless already there?

Estimates of the homeless in West Maui range from 150 to 300. Ninety-five percent are single adults, a county task force reported. Almost all of them are either substance abusers or mentally ill.

The task force proposed a temporary shelter of 12 to 20 beds. The center also would provide an office and counseling space for social service agencies.

A Lahaina resident said the homeless should be placed in the shelter in Wailuku, where such services already are provided. Other residents disagreed, saying there are too many homeless people living on the beach and in the cane fields in West Maui.

Sister Roselani Enomoto, Maui County director of the Catholic Church's Office of Social Ministry, said the people of West Maui have to face the reality of homelessness. That does not mean refusing to care for people in need.

Strain on the military

ACTIVE-duty military personnel have been reduced by a third since their post-Vietnam peak of 2.17 million in 1987. Because of an increase in missions away from their permanent bases, the strain is beginning to show.

By October, Congressional Quarterly reports, the Army may not have any heavy armored divisions that it can rapidly send to trouble spots. Two divisions kept ready for such assignments may have a third of their troops on duty in Kuwait and Bosnia. These missions have involved thousands of troops and major air and naval forces for extended periods, and the end is not in sight.

Re-enlistment rates are down for key non-commissioned officers. Pilots, maintenance supervisors and some other specialists are in short supply.

Pat Roberts, R-Kan., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, observed that "We need to determine if we can maintain the tremendous level of involvement around the world at our current force strength and funding level. I don't think we can."

This view was contradicted by Gen. Henry Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Shelton told the committee, "We are within an acceptable band of readiness and risk." But congressional critics believe the military's problems are more serious than the Pentagon will admit.

Americans are discovering that despite the end of the Cold War the proliferation of peacekeeping and deterrence missions requires a substantial provision of funds and people for the military. If the nation is to call on the armed forces to perform these missions, it must provide the necessary resources.

One way to find the money is for Congress to stop fighting the closure of unneeded bases.

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Rupert E. Phillips, CEO

John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher

David Shapiro, Managing Editor

Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor

Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors

A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor