With rail, you can still choose to sit in traffic

I've heard some say that rail won't do much for traffic relief. But it will for you, if you choose to take rail instead of your car. Why would anyone want to sit for hours in traffic? Rail transit will make it convenient to travel from one place to the next.

I've also heard the train won't travel as fast as a car. But if you're crawling in bumper-to-bumper traffic, a train going by above you at 30 mph sure looks good. You'll be cruising along on the rail while others will be stuck in gridlock in their cars below, and wondering why they didn't take the train instead.

Now that the city has made its decision, we need to put aside the second-guessing and move forward with rail.

Resort expansion will have big impact

Regarding the controversies surrounding the Turtle Bay Resort, it should be noted that the Circuit Court rulings on the supplemental environmental impact statement lawsuit are on appeal and the briefs are being prepared.

Also, resolutions now being considered at the Legislature would convene special hearings on the labor force requirements and the effects on traffic of the proposed resort expansion. Where are thousands of new workers supposed to come from, and where are they supposed to live? What are the Turtle Bay Resort, City and County of Honolulu and the state Department of Transportation planning to do to mitigate the enormous traffic increases? Ignoring the potential impacts of the resort's proposed expansion will not make them go away.

For more information, see www.keepthenorthshorecountry.org

Stop uninspected ships from Guam

The state of Hawaii should refuse entrance of any commercial or military shipment from Guam that is not inspected for brown tree snakes ("Searches for tree snake at risk," Star-Bulletin, March 30). I would say that the federal government would find funding then.

We should stick to our guns and not let the feds jeopardize the beautiful Hawaiian Islands over a few million dollars, which they always can find somewhere.

DHS leader deserves award, reconfirmation

Lillian Koller, director of the Department of Human Services, is receiving the 2007 Commissioner's Award for the state of Hawaii from the Federal Administration on Children, Youth and Families. The award recognizes her exemplary work in helping to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect among Hawaii families.

Next month, Koller is being considered for a second-term confirmation for her position. Since her first-term appointment, DHS and the University of Hawaii School of Social Work have developed multiple collaborative arrangements. In addition to the ongoing Child Welfare Training Project, she has personally been responsible for helping us develop our Distance Education Program that provides graduate-level educational opportunities for residents on every neighbor island; our Title-IVE Training Academy, otherwise known as the Center for Training and Evaluation Research of the Pacific; and several other projects related to developing a larger core of professionally trained social workers to address the critical social worker shortage in Hawaii.

I have found Koller to be highly energetic, innovative, accessible, collaborative and a delight to work with. She stirs things up and is a risk-taker. I congratulate Koller on this national award and unequivocally support her reconfirmation as director of DHS.

Cockfighters should be treated harshly

Every day I am increasingly shocked at how pitifully cockfighting charges are handled. These people are forcing innocent, sentimental animals to live a fearful life of pain, torture and exploitation.

People who abuse animals shouldn't be let off with a slap on the wrist, but rather leashed up tightly and given appropriate charges.

I hope society awakens soon and realizes that abusing animals, especially in blood sports, is absolutely wrong.