Hawaii is perfect for biofuel production

Your Feb. 11 editorial calls for producing biofuels with the right shades of green to reduce carbon emissions and prevent destruction of rainforests; Hawaii is in the right place at the right time for growing crops to sustain our local energy needs thus reducing our dependence on foreign fuel.

Whereas biofuel production in Third World countries is destroying natural lands as well as contributing to famine in impoverished areas by replacing food crops with fuel production, Hawaii has vast acreage of prime agricultural lands lying fallow as the result of our loss of sugar and pineapple industries. Locally grown biofuel could re-establish our agricultural base, creating jobs and generating income while ensuring that our use of biofuel reduces rather than contributes to global warming.

Supporting such an industry through tax breaks, incentives and other governmental and citizen efforts could keep our country country, curb our rising sea levels, and strengthen our economy and island self-sufficiency.

Mayor's address was just part of $10k gift

I would like to clarify Thursday's article regarding the Hawaii Theatre hosting the mayor's annual State of the City address. The Hawaii Theatre has generously donated space for city functions, cultural events and other activities that fall under the Mayor's Office of Culture and the Arts. The value of this gift is up to $10,000. The mayor's State of City address is part of this gift but does not consist of the entire $10,000.

Hawaii Theatre has and continues to work in partnership with the city in promoting the arts and revitalizing the downtown/Chinatown area. This generous offer to use the theater space, when available, demonstrates Hawaii Theatre's commitment to the community, not just as a performing venue but as a community partner.

I personally want to thank Sarah Richards and Burton White of the Hawaii Theatre and other downtown businesses for their continued support in working with the city to make the area a better place to work, live and play. I would also like to clarify that this gift is not part of the $75,000 city grant given to the Hawaii Theatre -- nor is there any relationship to the grant.

Was bird flu scare just a money scheme?

Last year, the number of human cases of avian flu went down to 86 from 115 in 2006. So much for the pandemic that would decimate the world. The only people who could not care less about this are the vaccine manufacturers who laughed all the way to the bank.

The reality is that those who came down with this flu were bird handlers. So how could anyone in their right mind envision similar circumstances in the United States and why was this hype blared in headlines? Do you think that greed could have been a factor? At $100 per dose, the United States used taxpayer dollars to purchase some 20 million doses of the highly questionable Tamiflu vaccine, which served only to line the pockets of then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who was chairman of Gilead Sciences when they created this drug. And what now will Gov. Linda Lingle do with the $15 million worth of vaccines we stockpiled?

I guess the next logical step would be for our "health" department to figure out a way to release the virus in Hawaii so the "investment" can be protected.

Term limits would put an end to the insanity

I never thought I'd ever agree with anything written by James Roller, but his Feb. 13 letter about term limits was spot on. As Albert Einstein said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result."

If the electorate is too insane to vote for other than the incumbent, it's time to force the issue. Maybe then our representatives will concentrate more on effective legislation than on pork.

Transit system should extend to university

A person driving in Honolulu on a daily basis knows the prevailing first-order traffic patterns that exist. When the University of Hawaii and the public schools are not in session, the H-1 corridor and all the surface streets are significantly less congested. Moreover, the university has an increasing problem with accommodating the cars of the faculty and commuting students.

From these pieces of data, it would seem obvious that the first stage of transit planning should include a line to UH- Manoa, which would take a big chunk out of the traffic congestion and alleviate the parking problems. Planners should also consider the likelihood of riders using the system, and a university line would almost certainly be used to its capacity -- the university is a commuter campus and students and faculty would welcome an alternative to driving.

There are clearly many variables that go into siting a transit line, but obvious sources of traffic congestion and a focused, clearly defined terminus make the university a no-brainer for inclusion in a first-stage transit plan.