He didn't win Heisman, but he's No. 1 in class

I am not a football fan. I don't even watch the University of Hawaii games. I do, however, read the newspaper. And I see from his quotes, particularly about not making the list of Heisman Trophy finalists (Star-Bulletin, Dec. 7), that UH quarterback Colt Brennan has a lot of class.

Congratulations to UH for finding this extraordinary student athlete; and thank you, Mr. Brennan, for representing Hawaii so well.

Don't force symphony from its home

I am deeply upset by the city's shortsighted and ill-conceived attempt to make money on the Blaisdell Center at the expense of our beloved Honolulu Symphony Orchestra ("Bumped by Broadway show, symphony seeks new venue," Star-Bulletin, Dec. 12). Forcing the orchestra out of its permanent home and giving its fall 2007 performance dates to a mainland presenter puts our key cultural asset at risk. This action undercuts the symphony's ability to provide consistent programming and jeopardizes ticket revenues. Audience-building efforts, including community outreach through elementary school concerts, are hampered.

The city should commit itself to helping our nonprofit performing arts organizations succeed, because virtually every dollar of these annual budgets stays in Hawaii to provide jobs and develop the talent of local performers. Outsourcing culture in Hawaii while undercutting our own world-class orchestra is as ridiculous as outsourcing pineapples!

Hawaii needs study of tourism capacity

I hope your appeal to our "leaders" on the seriously deteriorating acceptance of tourism ("Our opinion," Star-Bulletin, Dec. 9) will not continue to go unheeded. The growing resistance (76 percent of residents oppose additional hotel development; 80 percent are against vacation rentals in areas where residents do not want them; 62 percent believe tourism is accommodated at the expense of residents) might be a signal that we have reached a limit. Beyond such a limit, increases in visitor numbers are probably not sustainable due to saturation and resulting resident and visitor disaffection.

Our state Legislature anticipated the concern over visitor saturation in 1991 when a statutorily required tourism "carrying capacity" study was approved. The study would establish benchmarks to tell us when tourist effects on infrastructure, resident quality of life and other factors were signaling a saturation limit. Despite the good intentions of the Legislature, no such study has been completed. It appears that such a study now is more necessary than ever before.

Rail plan will be OK with adjustments

I support the building of fixed rail, but I have two concerns about how it is proceeding. First, as an East Honolulu resident, I see no park-and-ride at the eastern end of the system. It does not seem to take into account the need to move people east to west in the morning, as well as west to east.

Second, I am concerned that it is not being funding correctly. It should be funded with an increase in the gasoline tax, not the excise tax. This would encourage people to conserve on gasoline use, helping to free up our roadways and reduce global warming.

Live fast, burn out young in Hollywood

Well, you can add Nicole Richie to the roster of Hollywood's "25-year-old club" who are out of control and want to kill themselves. She was driving the wrong way on a freeway and stopped in the carpool lane to make a phone call at 3 a.m. Maybe she wanted to know if daddy Lionel's recent album went to No. 1?

Britney Spears turned 25 last week and favors hanging out with Paris Hilton sans underwear. And her divorce case is before a judge deciding child custody rights?

Lindsay Lohan has a penchant for crashing cars while escaping the paparazzi.

In my youth, the age group that died was 27, with Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin dead from overdoses. Kurt Cobain belonged to that club, too. Now I guess it's 25.