Gasoline price cap was a mistake
Just about any article on state Sen. Ron Menor's so-called gasoline cap law just drives me up a wall. In my opinion, the law did nothing but give the dealers or stations the ability to delay or initiate price changes each week at their discretion.
If they had a tank full of cheap gas and the next week's price was going up, they could immediately raise the price on the cheap stuff. Or, if they had a tank of expensive gas when the next week's price was going down, they could hold off as long as time would allow before decreasing the price.
I agree we might need Menor's new "excessive profit" legislation or Rep. Hermina Morita's "gouging" bill. Once we define "excessive profit" and "gouging," we could apply it to the state recycling program for aluminum cans and plastic bottles.
Don Gerbig
Lahaina, Maui
PE overlooked when it's sorely needed
When the Bush administration commemorated the fifth anniversary of the federal No Child Left Behind Act Jan. 8, it left behind some critical school programs. An unintended consequence of this oversight has been the reduction in quality physical education, especially in Hawaii.
Many elementary schools are not meeting the state Department of Education's own physical education standards. Cuts in PE come at a time when childhood obesity is epidemic, putting children at greater risk for heart disease and other disorders. Nationally, more than 9 million children and adolescents ages 6-19 are considered overweight, and the numbers likely will increase unless we educate them about healthy lifestyles.
Physical education promotes lifelong physical activity while providing an opportunity to be active during the school day.
Congress has an opportunity to right this wrong and help millions of children lead healthier lives when it reauthorizes No Child Left Behind. All of us can play a role by encouraging our lawmakers to raise the profile of physical and health education and give children a head start on being healthy and fit for life.
Marilyn Gagen
Waimanalo
Taxpayers won't get revenue refunds
The state Legislature and government will never give taxpayers the
revenue refunds as required by the Constitution. You hear all this rhetoric about doing so, but you also hear the asides about needing to spend more on education and other things.
We're getting gouged by a transit tax and increased property taxes with no relief from the city. Elected officials seem to just take, take, take, as if it's their mandate to spend, spend, spend.
Maybe because they are in public office, they can afford these increases, but that doesn't mean everyone else can.
Nate Lum
Honolulu
Why not give Hillary and Barack a chance?
Anyone else out there somewhat excited about a Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama presidential ticket in 2008?
After six horrendous years of Bush/Cheney, with two more miserable ones to go, can't America get behind a female president and a black vice president?
Dusting off those White House "men's club" relics, who have been running around the Oval Office since Eisenhower, has done nothing except ruin America's name and reputation. Big oilmen with ties to Halliburton and Exxon/Mobil are killing us.
Granted, both Clinton and Obama are lawyers, which is disturbing, but what the heck? War veterans like Sen. John McCain will only sink us in deeper in a war that is un-winnable. And the Republicans will absolutely attack Iran if elected if they can only keep President Bush's hand off the button while he is in office.
John Lennon sang "Give Peace a Chance." I say we let two fresh faces have a chance. Peace will undoubtedly follow.
Paul D'Argent
Lahaina, Maui
Drivers, slow down for our elderly ohana
I just got through reading the
Jan. 19 article about the elderly pedestrian who was killed by a falling stop sign as a result of a car crashing into it. I am a former Hawaii resident who visits regularly. During the past 15 years, I have noticed that drivers have lost some of the courteousness and relaxed manner that were such a hallmark of Hawaii residents.
True, Oahu is overdeveloped, and the number of vehicles and traffic reflect that growth. However, people should remember that Honolulu has a large elderly population. These residents often walk to their destinations or walk to and from their bus stops. They are the relatives, neighbors and friends of every driver on the road. Perhaps keeping that in mind will remind drivers to slow down whenever they are sitting behind the wheel.
Dori Capano
Bellmore, N.Y.