Smoking ban won't hurt good restaurants

I do not understand the claim by some restaurant and bar owners that they will lose customers because of statewide restrictions on smoking. Are they saying that customers patronize their businesses just for smoking and not the foods or atmosphere? One would think so from all their complaints.

If all establishments are under the same ban, then all are on equal terms. People will still go out partake in good restaurant cooked meals.

Consider future costs in assessing transit

The City Council needs to recalculate the Oahu transit ridership estimate with the consideration that when the transit is completed, gas will probably be at $10 or more a gallon and be on a stricter rationing process. We sure would like to have a transit system when gas gets to $10 per gallon.

Also, the Oahu Transit plan should include future routes to be added later from Hickam Air Force Base to Kaneohe Marine base and from Hickam AFB to Schofield Army base to handle emergency war situations and to take care of Windward passengers. This way we can get more federal money -- the Sen. Dan Inouye way -- and get Windward City Council members to vote for this transit system.

Round Top has been closed long enough

It's been seven months since the landslide that closed Round Top Drive. We are fortunate to have a great governor who showed her leadership to have the hillside stabilized. It's about time for our mayor to show some leadership to have the road re-open for emergencies and local traffic.

It's not a good excuse to blame the road condition after seven months, especially after heavy-duty trucks and equipment have been going up and down the road for these months. All we need is to have our city department heads to think creatively, to think for the people who live up there who might need ambulances or fire trucks in a timely fashion. The spots with the road erosion can be coned off with one lane open, and rest of the road is perfectly safe to drive.

HGEA endorsing Iwase for the right reasons

I take great exception to Frank DeLuz's claim that the leadership of the Hawaii Government Employees Association supports Randy Iwase for "personal power" (Letters, Nov. 2). I am the elected president of our organization, but I am also a public employee. For my fellow HGEA members, and particularly those who participate in our political action process to determine endorsements, there are clear and concise guidelines in deciding who deserves support from our organization for elective office. Applying these criteria, the choice for our organization was obvious -- the team of Iwase/Solomon was best suited to advance the interests of working families, whether in the public or private sector.

There is no personal gain derived from this decision, nor any power we as employees seek to achieve. Our interests are to elect an individual as governor who will work to make Hawaii a better place, as well as ensure the opportunity for all to make a decent living and afford a home.

The endorsement criteria the HGEA developed and followed makes it clear for all of our members that the Iwase/ Solomon team offers the greatest hope for positive change in Hawaii. The HGEA leadership stands by our endorsements, and we are confident that our fellow HGEA members will support us at the polls.