Adding police officers vital to public safety

I wholeheartedly endorse your editorial Tuesday supporting the Honolulu Police Department's recruiting of mainland police officers. The size of the police force had been shown to be directly related to the reduction in crime. Honolulu desperately needs a 25 to 50 percent increase in the size of its force.

HPD also should streamline and ease the process for the local police talent. It is not unusual for a candidate to spend an entire year to simply pass the background and other preliminary checks and tests.

At the end of the day it is dollars and cents that translate into any improvements in HPD's hiring process. I urge the City Council and the mayor to make police protection a priority. After all, maintaining our safety and security is a primary function of the city government.

It is time for Kauai to start a revolution

One wonders what critics of Kauai Superferry protesters would have done at Boston Harbor in 1773. They protested taxation without representation. The American Revolution had started.

Hawaii needed revolution. We got ferry-ization without representation. Kauians had the courage to participate in civil disobedience. Mahalo.

Maui's dedicated environmentalists and financially supportive citizens pooled resources and struck governmental nerves with the lawsuit and exposed bureaucratic deception. How about those Supreme Court justices!

State transportation director Barry Fukunaga admits they knew financing was contingent upon exemption from an environmental impact statement but that didn't affect their decision. Anybody believe that? Rep. Joe Souki, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, killed the bill supporting an EIS. Gov. Linda Lingle extracted J.Q. Public from participation by endorsing EIS exemption.

State and Superferry officials went from "do whatever we want" smugness to "caught with pants down" embarrassment in two weeks flat.

Enterprises continue and advance without public input. Cruise ships were erroneously granted free passage. Maui Electric proposes building the largest biodiesel refinery on the planet without an EIS.

What are they thinking? Will they ever learn?

Taking away others' option is selfish

I live in Florida, and whether or not the Superferry makes regularly scheduled runs isn't really going to affect me unless I decide to take another trip to Hawaii, but I cannot understand why there is so much opposition to a form of transportation that will greatly benefit so many people ... residents as well as tourists.

When I do make my fifth visit to Honolulu, I certainly would like to have the opportunity to ride the ferry to some of the other islands without having to dodge the shortsighted, narrow-minded protesters who would, for their own selfish reasons, like to see the project fail.

What if the residents of Orlando mounted a protest and said "any tourist from Hawaii will be denied access to any form of ground transportation, and must walk from Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World." That would sound pretty silly, wouldn't it?

Protesters can't help being hypocrites

The problem with being a protester, whether an environmentalist or animal rights activist, is they will eventually find themselves, in some shape or form, in contradiction to their cause. It's like religion -- you're encouraged not to sin, but you eventually do.

In some religions, you can be forgiven for your sins. Most protesters, on the other hand, are habitual hypocrites. Why? Because we all live in modern times, where everything is integrated and interrelated -- everything from the cars they drive and the fuel they burn, and the clothes they wear, to the food they eat and toilet paper they use, to the cell phones and computers they use. Unless you live in the jungles of South America and eat off the land (without harming the rainforest, of course), you are part of all what you protest.

Next time the righteous urge to protest surges within you, please don't protest too loudly unless you can forgive yourself.

Plantations spawned better health care

I was fascinated by your Aug. 31 editorial "Isle health insurance could be nation's model."

The 1974 law you mention, and the health care system we have today, are due to the legacy of Hawaii's plantation system. The plantation system had its faults but it offered prepaid cradle-to-grave medical care through unique corporate, state, physician and union cooperation.

Our unique health care system is not perfect but it still exceeds the quality and access to care that's available in many mainland areas.

Your insightful editorial noting Hawaii's leadership in striving to offer health care for all of our state's residents is greatly appreciated.

Governor might have big plans for Gabbard

Hawaii's Democratic Party being is being snookered. Having Sen. Mike Gabbard as a Democrat is equivalent to George Bush being a Democrat. Has anyone wondered who Gov. Linda Lingle will appoint to replace Sen. Dan Akaka or Dan Inouye if either can not finish his term? Of course, a Republican in Democratic clothing ... Mike Gabbard!