Short-sightedness led to bad legislation
The Democrats better be careful of what bills they are overriding.
They're making it extremely hard for the governor to function in Hawaii. If there is ever a Democratic governor again, they're going to have to figure out how to undo all these binds they are placing on the governor. They should be thinking of the future, and not about how to ruin the current governor. Eventually, a Democratic governor is going to have to live with this huge bureaucracy that has become the Hawaii state government, and at that point an entire session will have to be spent undoing all these bills that should have remained vetoed.
Your tax money at work, people.
Fletcher Young
Honolulu
Red-light cameras work well, save money
According to my recollection, the VanCam was opposed because the contractor would have been paid with a percentage of fines received. Obviously, there would have been a serious conflict of interest.
Traffic cameras at stoplights work. While stationed in Germany, 1977-1980, I discovered that there were cameras mounted on poles with traffic lights. I asked about them and was told that when a vehicle ran a red light, a picture of the light behind it and the offending vehicle with a clear view of the license plates was taken. The date and time also were recorded on the picture. A copy of the picture, which served as prima facie evidence, and the ticket were sent to the owner of the vehicle. The owner paid the ticket.
There also were cameras that recorded pictures of speeding vehicles, clear license plates, speed traveled, date, time and location. Once again, there was no need to have policemen at the scene or to pay them overtime to testify in court.
Rudy Yap
Kaneohe
Enough already with Chapmans' rudeness
Regarding "Dog, family booted from United flight" (
Star-Bulletin, May 9): All I can say is, "Hana hou!" Dog and Beth Chapman (and their group) pray before each bounty hunt, but Dog and Beth have the filthiest mouths. They pray to God and right after that use his name in vain -- AUWE.
I am from Hawaii but currently live on the mainland and watch the show because I want to see the scenery. Beth tries to act like an all-out tita -- even the hookers on Hotel Street wear more clothes than she does.
The one episode when she went off on Justin for smoking in her car, she needs to get a grip. The best part is she keeps ranting and raving about how these fugitives are taking her kids' money and future. Shame on her for investing her kids' money in fugitives.
They keep talking about how they get the meth addicts off the streets. Half the time they bail them out the very next day. What's up with that?
Mona Kealoha
Bremerton, Wash.
Swallowing his pride earns Price respect
It doesn't surprise me that
Michael Perry didn't want Larry Price to apologize for his comments to Sen. Gary Hooser. Perry has always been at odds with popular opinion -- his attitude on global warming, his certainty of weapons of mass destruction and insisting there is not a civil war in Iraq. He seldom comments on the loss of American lives in that occupation, and never mentions Iraqi losses in the tens of thousands.
Price did the right thing. It was a bitter pill to swallow and I admire him for it.
Don Severson
Honolulu
Columnist's subject wasn't that 'lite'
As a Caucasian who has lived here since 1975, I was more than upset at the original racist remark that passed over the airwaves. It was business as usual to hear those remarks, but not on the radio. With the Imus incident fresh in our minds, I can't believe that
KSSK's Larry Price would be that insensitive to show us how he really thinks and feels.
I don't delude myself that it's all sweetness and light here. I've been here long enough to know the truth of the constant undercurrent of racism that is covered up by the advertising of "aloha." But it does not belong on the public airwaves. I was doubly insulted to read Charles Memminger's "whitewash" (pardon the pun) of the whole incident ("Honolulu Lite," May 8). This incident, following so closely the killing of yet another "f-ing haole," is outrageous. How dare Memminger make "lite" of something that reinforces the racism that still pervades our community? Shame on the Star-Bulletin for printing his column without a disclaimer or warning label.
It's no joke when you, your child or a friend are taunted, picked on, beat up or murdered because of someone's misguided racism. Price should be fired, or is it only "old white men" who are punished for making racist comments on the airwaves?
Mark Goldstein
Kaneohe
It's not that hard to avoid jaywalking
In response to Ann Ruby ("Honolulu has bigger problems to solve,"
Letters, May 9) being reminded of the good old days of the USSR when she got a ticket for jaywalking, and watching over her shoulder for "watchers," I have a solution for her: Simply watch for the painted lines indicating where the crosswalk is and follow them. Just like using a bridge to cross the river, because in that river there are crocodiles and monsters that can kill you.
Unless Ruby wants to die gambling with her life, but that is not my problem anymore.
Guy Belegaud
Makiki
Park cleanups will spread to other areas
On behalf of the many Department of Parks and Recreation employees who played an integral part in the Maili Beach Park project, I want to thank the Star-Bulletin for its outstanding coverage (
Star-Bulletin, April 30).
Maili Beach Park was just one of several recent major maintenance projects we've done implementing Mayor Mufi Hannemann's plan to accelerate improvements to our city parks. When planning to clean a city park that has a significant number of homeless, the mayor asked that we work with the state and other community social service organizations to appropriately address the situation. The results at Ala Moana and other parks on the Leeward coast speak for themselves, and the community feedback has overwhelmingly positive.
We plan next to work on park improvements on the North Shore. We urge the state to continue to lead in addressing the homeless problem there, as it has done with Ala Moana and the Waianae Coast. The end result will be that all of our residents can once again enjoy their parks for their birthday parties, family gatherings and recreation.
Lester Chang
Director, Department of Parks and Recreation
City & County of Honolulu
How will playing hooky help avoid fumes?
I take it that Ted Chernin ("Schools should be warned about fumes,"
Letters, May 10) is suggesting that local radio stations broadcast alerts when insecticides are to be applied in their neighborhoods, therefore the children should not go to school, where the insecticides are not going to be sprayed, but remain home in their neighborhoods, which are.
Doesn't this presuppose that, at least during the period of spraying, the children will benefit more by being at home inhaling bug killers than at school inventing novel new ways to avoid being there in the first place? Um?
Stephen Mayfield
Honolulu
Sewer fees will rise without public's input
A public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Kapolei Middle School
pertaining to a waiver for the Honouliuli and Sand Island wastewater treatment plants. Mayor Mufi Hannemann U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye have worked diligently with the Environmental Protection Agency to try to resolve this issue. Without a waiver it might cost Honolulu, and thus all of us taxpayers, in excess of $1 billion to upgrade the plants to meet EPA standards. Fixing our sewer pipes, at a cost of $1 billion-plus, has already started. The long-neglected pipes have to be fixed or replaced, and somebody's got to pay for it.
If the mayor also is forced to upgrade the sewage plants, even though local experts (not politicians) say it's not necessary, that second billion will bankrupt us. It could cost each of us $300 a month on our sewer bill within 20 years. I can't afford that and neither can most people. What can we do about it?
I urge people to attend the public hearing and raise hell with the EPA for doing what isn't necessary at our expense.
Art Frank
Honolulu