It's OK to call 911 for nonemergencies

I would like to respond to Guy Camp's Feb. 5 letter, "Don't call emergency for parking complaints."

In the original Kokua Line article dated Jan. 31, Honolulu Fire Department Captain Frank Fujii advised the public "to call 911 to report such complaints."

There is no nonemergency number like 311 for Oahu. When anyone in Honolulu calls 911, your call is answered by a 911 operator, who will route your call to the appropriate agency.

In the case for police, there are two call-taker sections: emergency and nonemergency. Parking complaints would fall under the "nonemergency" section. In fact, the 911 operator will ask if you need police "emergency" or "nonemergency."

I recommend that Mr. Camp check the Honolulu Police Department Web site (www.honolulupd.org) and look for the page titled, "What happens when you dial 911?"

A moving bicycle can really do some damage

Bicyclists have been complaining about being cited by police on the sidewalks of Waikiki. Unfortunately, there is not enough room for bicycles and pedestrians on the sidewalk and not enough protection in the streets for the two-wheelers. Cars and buses have no more right to be on the streets than do bicycles have the right to be on the sidewalks or streets.

In all vehicular cases, it is a privilege licensed by the state/county. This might be an inconvenience but it is also a safety factor. Mass times velocity equals force (M x V = F); that means a bicycle traveling three or four times the speed of a walking pedestrian carries three or four times the kinetic energy as the other. A dangerous formula all around, one that calls for a change in lifestyle for someone and I don't think it is legally the responsibility of the walker.

Legislators should repeal gas cap

Gas cap supporter Sen. Ron Menor was convinced he had thought through the gas cap law. The cap was going to revolutionize the gasoline market in Hawaii. The gas cap would be a model for the country. No more would the thieves in the oil industry take another unearned penny from us. Roses would line the path that Menor walked on while his subjects shouted worthy praises.

Well, we know how this turned out. Government, no matter how smart (or how smart they think they are), is no match for market forces. I have no doubt everyone supporting the gas cap are full of good intentions. However, good intentions and a basic understanding of how our economy works doesn't necessarily go hand in hand.

Now, as our "progressive" legislators scramble to fix the gas cap law, more reasonable minds have called for its repeal. Perhaps what we need is not a gas cap, but a government thinking cap.

Oh, when will we learn?

Fine-tune gas cap law, but don't repeal it

Before the gas cap law, oil companies could raise prices by any amount, and they did not have to lower the price when costs went down.

Under the gas cap law, the cap is based upon wholesale prices in other markets. If the cap goes up, oil companies can raise wholesale prices up to the amount allowed. If the cap goes down, prices must be lowered. Under the law, oil companies cannot raise prices and keep them up unless prices in other markets are doing the same.

In the settlement of the state's anti-trust case against Chevron, one fact stood out. Chevron's profit from its Hawaii sales made up 23 percent of its total company profits despite the fact that the Hawaii market accounted for just 3 percent of its business. So Hawaii consumers paid Chevron a higher markup than consumers in any other state.

I agree that the law can be fine tuned. I agree with the governor that oil companies finances need to be more transparent. But I disagree with those who seek to repeal the law. If this happens, Hawaii consumers will be paying $3 a gallon for gas while consumers elsewhere will be paying much less.

Ousted race drivers might hit the highway

With the closing of the Hawaii Raceway Park on March 31, let's hope that the H-2 Freeway does not open up in its place.