How can city gain from losing parking money?
Something seems wrong with the numbers of city traffic engineer Darin Mar and the city's reasoning about the Kaimuki parking lot, which the city converted from a metered lot to one with private parking attendants (
Star-Bulletin, Nov. 18).
The city used to get $600,000 per year from the parking lot, according to the story, but from the same story, Mar says the city now gets a total of $45,600 per year. But he says the city benefits because it doesn't have to pay for improvements.
The numbers seem to say otherwise. Six hundred thousand dollars versus $45,600? Something is real lolo here!
Nate Lum
Honolulu
'Dog' keeps struggle against racism alive
Bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman not only used the N-word more than six times in less than a minute but continues to play on the intelligence of black people. We are outraged at the statements Dog made on national television, such as blacks have already forgiven him. Is he speaking for blacks now? We have not forgiven or forgotten.
In the 1960s and '70s our struggle was intense. Blacks were fighting for black power, therefore 30 years ago Chapman wouldn't have used the N-word loosely in prison. We still had a lot of resentment and fury from the past. Today we are still trying to recover from the past. Chapman's actions demonstrate racial behavior. He should stop going on national television with his pathetic act of sympathy and get things right in Hawaii.
Jewel McDonald
President, African-American Association of Hawaii
Everyone should have easy beach access
I am deeply concerned and saddened by the recent Kailua beach access issues. This is, however, no longer an "issue" -- it is a crisis. The state Supreme Court once opined that "the Western concept of exclusivity is not universally applicable in Hawaii." The problems in Kailua lead me to believe that this principal is slowly being eroded.
When beachfront lots were initially offered in Kailua, I, like many Hawaiians, could not afford one. Those who could afford the lots built houses, and many of them let the City and County install and maintain the roads. These communities availed themselves to the benefits of city living (water, sewer, garbage pickup), yet at the same time, they put up locked gates, excluding everyone else from enjoying Hawaii's greatest natural resource -- the beach.
As an octogenarian, I am no longer able to enjoy our beautiful beaches like I did when I was younger. My mo'opuna, and every other resident of Hawaii, are entitled to unencumbered access to our beaches.
Let's re-introduce Rep. Marcus Oshiro's bill to stop the wrongdoing being done to us Hawaiians. Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono (The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness).
Elizabeth Ernst-Heiligman
Kailua
Ethnicity has nothing to do with service
I don' t know what service James Tanabe (
Letters, Nov. 19) was in or what rank he held, but his uninformed, frankly race-baiting comments deserve clarification.
Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada's race, gender or religion has absolutely nothing to do with the case at hand! Those brave men of Japanese ancestry who served patriotically in World War II did not do so to give Watada a "get out of jail free card" just because of his ancestry. They served in spite of the mistreatment of innocent detainees.
Watada signed a contract. He "volunteered," in my opinion, not for patriotic reasons but to get a free education. Do not confuse him with the other 98 percent of responsible servicemen who serve so that we all can live free.
At this point, I wish to quote what the Army officer's commission says. By the president: "And I do strictly charge those officers and other personnel of lesser rank to render such obedience as is due an officer of this grade and position. And this officer is to observe and follow such orders and directions from time to time, as given by me or the future president of the United States of America or other Superior Officers."
Watada signed this contract as an officer. Perhaps it's better we found out about his leadership ability before our military sons and daughters of lesser rank had to follow his retreat.
Jim Hennessy
Army veteran
Honolulu
Staying the course is paying off in Iraq
It is in our national interest not to hastily withdraw from Iraq. The American people should be made aware that there have been positive developments there. The level of violence has gone down significantly. Iraqis feel safer. Iraqis who fled their homes are now returning. Al-Qaida has been defeated in Sunni provinces, as local people decided to fight them under the leadership of their tribal leaders. American troops have aided the people as they organized into volunteer fighting forces.
With the help of the 30,000 additional troops, Baghdad is now a much safer city. If security can be handed over to Iraqi volunteer forces, police and the army, America can begin to withdraw our troops gradually over the course of next year and a year or two after. The U.S. forces would be down to 30,000 to 40,000 troops, which would be needed to continue to train the police and army.
It is in our national interest to have a continuing presence in the Middle East. We can win the war on terrorism, as long as we have the patience and resolve to stay the course.
Theodore Taba
Honolulu
Will vagrants trash train stations, too?
It's a shame the way the current city administration is letting TheBus deteriorate -- many closed bus stops along many routes that inconvenience riders, the closing of routes in Aina Haina and the restructuring of other routes, the use of the small, cold, dark, noisy and crowded buses rather than the larger old buses, and so on. And to top it off, riders might not be able to use a bus stop if a homeless person has already claimed it for their shelter, leaving bus riders to stand in the rain.
Wow. Talk about being user-unfriendly. This bus system was built by mayors Frank Fasi and Jeremy Harris and is being trashed by the current mayor, I fear in the name of TheTrain.
I will no longer be pro-train as I fear the stations will only become dirty, dangerous homeless shelters, just as the bus stops are becoming. Five billion dollars for some homeless shelters is way too much to pay!
Ann Ruby
Honolulu