Council members aren't thinking clearly
What are some of our City Council members smoking? It causes instant delirium. We should get it patented and sell it around the world. It might even pay for the transit system.
They are asking for billions in our tax money for a rail system that won't even take us to the airport ("Rail route to go via Salt Lake," Star-Bulletin, Feb. 22)? They can't be serious. How many locals and tourists want to go to Salt Lake Boulevard instead and how often?
Please come back down again and have the airport as part of the line. It is the most important part, the starting point from which to go in either direction.
Gerhard C. Hamm
Waialae Iki
Bypassing the airport makes no sense
I really don't know what City Councilmen Todd Apo, Gary Okino, Nestor Garcia, Rod Tam and Romy Cachola are thinking. Exactly how many people is the rail going to serve
going through Salt Lake compared to going to the airport? Did the taxi companies pay off these five councilmen?
The only people who continue to benefit by skipping the airport will be the taxi drivers who take you the long, slow route through Nimitz and Ala Moana to rack up their fees. A person like me who has no use for riding rail except to the airport is now excluded. Here is another great idea from our City Council that doesn't benefit the people.
Kelly Yong
Honolulu
More will ride rail through Salt Lake
Kudos to City Councilman Romy Cachola for sticking to his guns on the
mass transit route. I have lived in and traveled to many major mainland cities with mass transit systems to and from airports, and only a handful of tourists use it. Tourists get rental cars, ride charter buses and take taxis. It is sensible to route the mass transit through Salt Lake where hundreds or even thousands of people like me would use it daily. It would be fiscal stupidity to route it through the airport, especially if it isn't even going to Waikiki. Mahalo, Romy!
Vern Lentz
Honolulu
What is real price of rail system?
I agree that we need a rail transit system. However, I have lived in Hawaii for 30 years and have never seen a major project come in on time and on budget. There are always the excuses -- we didn't anticipate material costs to rise, the union went on strike, the rain hampered our construction, and so on.
There don't seem to be any cost estimates for maintenance of the system after it's built. Also, does the $3.8 billion include the feeder bus system, the actual rail cars and the parking facilities? Or is the $3.8 billion for just the rail line?
We do need a transit system, but we also need budget and time controls and, of course, penalties if the contract requirements are not met.
George Niotta
Kapolei
Let voters know cost of amending Charter
Mayor Mufi Hannemann rolled out his recycling plan for the city last week. He then revealed the cost to implement the plan. And, as pointed out in the
Feb. 22 Star-Bulletin article, there was overwhelming support for a City Charter amendment supporting recycling.
Just a few weeks ago the costs of making Honolulu a more bicycle-friendly city were revealed. Once again we were directed to the City Charter amendment recently approved by the voters.
Most people don't consider the costs of any proposed Charter amendments when they are in the voting booth. Perhaps the financial ramifications of the proposed Charter amendments should be presented to voters for their consideration prior to voting.
Whether one supports recycling or bicycling is not the question. The question is, shouldn't the city present all the facts, including financial ramifications, when asking the voters to consider Charter amendments? An estimate would do nicely; it need not be carved in stone.
It would certainly play into my decision-making process when I vote.
Bill Nelson
Haleiwa
Witnesses to beating should have acted
I live in the Nanakuli area and was horrified to read about the "traffic" incident that occurred in broad daylight in the Waikele Shopping Center parking lot (
Star-Bulletin, Feb. 22). What horrified me was that the alleged perpetrators were from the Waianae area. Come now -- a couple gets their brains beaten out of them because of a minor traffic incident? Hilahila (shame) to that family who allegedly did the beating and also to the bystanders who apparently watched while this was going on. Did no one think to try to stop this insanity?
In the story, an eyewitness says it's a shame Hawaiians still feel that way toward haoles. What about the fact that this couple had to be sent to the hospital? What happened to their child?
I say again, the shame falls not only on the Waianae family who allegedly did the beating, but also on the rest of us who condone this kind of behavior by not getting involved. Come on, West Coast ohana, we're better than this! Color me a little less proud to be from Nanakuli.
Laureen Brown
Waianae
Beating story reflects deeper problems
What is wrong with this world?
How does a minor fender-bender, with neither car damaged, end up with a husband and wife being beaten and kicked in the head?
How is it that after an angry teenager attacked the other driver, not only did the mother not step in and stop it, but she allegedly joined in the attack? How is it that the father, who should be setting an example for his son, punched the woman in the face and threw her to the ground, according to witnesses and the police? When is it OK to kick someone in the head when they are down?
We need to look carefully at what society and parents are teaching the next generation about anger management and dispute resolution. No matter what words were exchanged, it is never OK to resort to physical violence against another human being.
Ann M. Low
Honolulu
Crosswalk flags are a low-cost safety fix
While reading your
Feb. 23 article "SUV injures Beretania pedestrian," I was amazed to see that critics are pooh-poohing the idea of pedestrian flags for dangerous intersections. Here in Madison, pedestrian flags have been implemented over the past several years, and the project has been a major success.
Pedestrian Flags Over Dane County (a project by the Safe Community Coalition) features adopting organizations who maintain flagged crossings.
UW-Madison students designed inexpensive, attractive flag holders from high-density polyethylene, with brackets for four flags at an angle from the base. The flags themselves include nylon rods with reflective tape on the flags for nighttime use. Total cost -- $17.72 for a flag holder and four flags. Hardly a burden, especially if we can save lives.
Summer Lei Shidler
Madison, Wis.
Formerly of Hawaii
Government workers should stop whining
I have just about had it with the whining that the the Hawaii Government Employees Association does about fairness. You get no sympathy from me -- and, I hope, the rest of the people who work in the real world. You know the one -- no job guarantee, no protection from dismissal for poor performance and no continued employment if busted for on-the-job drug use. That world. I am sick of it. Stop it!
Louie Vierra
Haiku, Maui
We already said 'no' to same-sex unions
The liberal Democrats in our Legislature are at it again. They have introduced a "civil union" bill for homosexual couples granting them the same benefits heterosexual have had since day one.
Hawaii residents voted against same-sex marriage by a whopping 70 percent a few years ago. Now they are trying to get in the back door in their quest for legitimacy.
We are being told, "So long as the parties involved in the union are loving, just so long as they are committed, it's no big deal. All you need is love."
"All you Need is Love" is a Beatles song that does not make for good theology or ethics.
Nothing is wrong with a man loving another man or a woman loving another woman, but a sexual expression of that love is prohibited. Scripture in the Bible teaches that "God is love." But that teaching cannot be twisted to support behavior that contradicts other verses that establish God's boundaries for emotional and sexual intimacy. God has the patent for the sanctity of marriage and only he sets the standards.
Melvin Partido Sr.
Pearl City
Service from go! was courteous and quick
I flew go! airlines for the first time this month. When there was a problem with my reservation, C.D., from go! corporate headquarters, and Sean, go! airport supervisor, displayed the aloha spirit and a professional attitude. Both went above and beyond my expectations to make my vacation memorable.
I am a loyal go! airlines patron for life. Go with go!
Russell Wachi
Wailuku, Maui
Bush girls should do something useful
It is interesting to see young Prince Harry of England will be serving in Iraq. He could have avoided it, but he did not. We should all learn from him.
What about sending our first daughters to Iraq, at least for humanitarian service? After all, their father started the war. I think it is about time for these two ladies to be on their own and not hide behind their mom and dad. Chelsea Clinton did some humanitarian service while in the White House -- she was not just a free-loader.
Rosita Sipirok-Siregar
Makakilo