What about the harm from cruise ships?
I know there is lots of hype and controversy about the Hawaii Superferry. I think an environmental impact statement makes sense. The bigger questions are: Who is doing the EIS? Who is paying for it? And will an EIS really stop the Superferry? Politicians and business people are already for it; only residents are against it.
But shouldn't we also be focused on the cruise ships that dump sewage in the ocean, hit whales and crowd our streets?
Shouldn't we care about the air pollution from Kaanapali Railroads near Lahaina and Kaanapali?
Shouldn't we want to eliminate the sewage spills and smells on West Maui?
And what about the brown muddy water in the ocean after the heavy rains, which "turns off" tourists and residents alike? Anyone realize the ocean life is what brought everyone to Maui in the first place?
Roger Dunn
Honolulu
Mobile homes could be part of the solution
With all the homeless and people in Hawaii who cannot afford the high prices to rent homes or apartments, why can't this state implement low-cost trailer parks? I'm sure there is plenty of unused land that could be available for this. Could it be that the owners of homes and apartments are against this?
Come on, Gov. Lingle and Mayor Hannemann, let's look into this and try to solve part of this problem and give the homeless and low-income residents of Hawaii a chance to get off the beach and live in a real home.
Myron A. Millies
Aiea
Ala Wai sewer pipe should be camouflaged
The Ala Wai sewage pipe makes Oahu look like a Third World country. Can't it be camouflaged a bit, like it is done with downtown developments? Or put on the other side so you wouldn't notice it so drastically?
And while we're cranky about that, let us add this: The bus service when Mufi Hannemann became mayor was a wonderful blessing, and now one can't even get on a bus in Waikiki 'cause they are overloaded; every one. The bus has become an accident waiting to happen and a disgrace. Why is that?
Justin Tarr Tully Pettigrew
Honolulu
Busy Hong Kong has better traffic signals
Maybe our traffic engineers can learn something from the Hong Kong system of traffic control. The red light blinks before turning green to let the driver know that it's almost time to go, while on the other side the light is changing from green to yellow. This gives the drivers ample time to clear the intersection.
Alvin Wong
Pearl City
Pedestrian law should be rewritten
One aspect of helping to improve pedestrian safety is for the Legislature to revise the ambiguous and confusing Section 291C-72(a), HRS. The way the law is currently written, neither the driver nor the pedestrian nor the police officer knows what to do when the pedestrian reaches the second half of the roadway. My suggested revision is as follows:
(1) The driver of a vehicle on a one-way, undivided roadway shall stop and yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk when the pedestrian enters into or is in the marked crosswalk. (2) The driver of a vehicle on a two-way undivided roadway shall stop and yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk when the pedestrian enters into or is in the marked crosswalk regardless of the direction in which the vehicle is traveling. (3) The driver of a vehicle on a two-way divided roadway shall stop and yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk when the pedestrian enters into or is in the marked crosswalk on the side of the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling.
The following section of the current law, which is fine, specifies that a pedestrian is not to suddenly leave a curb in a manner that makes it impossible for a driver to yield.
The Legislature has a responsibility to write laws in a way that everyone -- pedestrian, driver, police officer -- can understand their intent and will contribute to reducing the shameful toll of pedestrian deaths and injuries we are now enduring.
Tom Dinell
Honolulu
Judge owes apology to victim's family
I fully agree
with Lawrence Chun's letter on Thursday about "soft judges." Judge Karl Sakamoto should be barred from the bench immediately. Will he apologized to the family of Daniel Browne-Sanchez for allowing his accused murderer to roam the city and execute this deputy sheriff when he should have been in prison for all of his previous crimes? Daniel should be alive today enjoying life just like the judge is.
Sakamoto has given other criminals sentences that are an insult to justice. I can see why City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle is irritated. Judges like this are the cause of more crime and agony for the victims.
Eugene Cordero
Pearl City