Rail sends more noise through ground vibes
I keep reading about how noise from the proposed rail transit is to be dampened by barriers. But no one has mentioned the ground wave noise that can travel through the elevated supports down through the ground for more than a mile. Even with rails mounted on rubber dampeners.
The disturbance can be heard when one puts their head on a pillow and hears vibration via building walls. Are we supposed to mount every building on rubber dampers within miles of the transit tracks?
In more than 200 years of research, the best answer to steel on steel rails noise was solved ages ago -- it is called rubber tires!
Paul Minzer
Honolulu
City can't maintain roads, let alone rail
I believe there is something seriously wrong with a city government that cannot maintain roadways and bridges not to mention a collapsing sewer system, but wants to fritter away billions on a starry-eyed dream of a Disneyland choo-choo. It's time to put a stop to this rail plan of fantasy, waste and graft.
Mike Palcic
Honolulu
We need better idea how city spends money
On March 1, the Star-Bulletin reported
on the mayor's proposed $1.86 billion budget. Two items in the pie chart that shows where our money goes caught my attention.
The first is that we are spending 18 percent ($334 million) on miscellaneous. I believe that such a significant percentage (or dollar amount) should be more fully explained than merely classifying it as miscellaneous. By classifying it as miscellaneous it implies that it is a minor or insignificant expense.
The second expense that should be looked at more closely is debt service which eats up another $314 million (nearly 17 percent) of our tax dollars. The mayor and the City Council need to look at ways to reduce this amount.We would be much better off if we were spending those dollars on things Honolulu needs instead of shipping them off to a money lender.
Could the mayor or his budget director please explain to us what "miscellaneous" includes? And could both the mayor and the City Council please make a stronger effort to reduce our debts so future debt service doesn't eat up so much of our tax dollars? It doesn't matter how good of an interest rate we might have, zero interest is better.
Bill Nelson
Haleiwa
Racism worsened bike-pedestrian crash
Jeff Zimpfer (
Letters, March 14) may never have heard of a pedestrian having been hit by a cyclist in Honolulu, but it happened to me last week -- and I was on the sidewalk, as was the cyclist!
My husband and I were walking in single file on the outer edge of the sidewalk on the left-hand side of Keeaumoku between the Ala Moana Center and Wal-Mart when I glanced up and saw a cyclist racing toward me. There was insufficient time or room for me to move out of her way and a collision resulted. Fortunately, I was not hurt, as I had managed to twist my body to avoid the impact and it was my backpack that came into contact with the bicycle. My husband immediately came to my aid in time to hear the cyclist shout to me that I had seen her and so should have got out of her way! Words were exchanged between the cyclist and my husband as he tried to defend my right to be on the sidewalk; however, when she began to scream, calling us "f---ing haoles" and telling us to "go back to the mainland," we decided it was time to continue on our way -- the sound of her continuing "f---ing haole" scream following our retreating backs.
This is the first time that we have been involved in an actual collision with a cyclist, but only because on previous occasions we have been able to move out of their way. While in Honolulu, we have so often had to move off the sidewalk to avoid being run down by cyclists that we assumed, cynically perhaps, that they had the right of way.
Gillian Barnett
Victoria, B.C.
Canada
Kamehameha Schools should cool classrooms
I would like to add my thoughts to the discussion about
lack of air conditioning in public schools. The Campbell High School students should have marched to Kamehameha Schools to try to get a/c. The broken trust of Bishop Estate/Kamehameha Schools has the highest endowment in the country, almost $8 billion! To put a/c in all public schools would be pennies on the dollar for the estate and build some good will since many Hawaiian children are in public schools and many residents believe racially exclusive schools are unconstitutional. Bernice Pauahi Bishop would OK this in a minute and would not be happy at the greed of the estate and the low percentage of students in Hawaii who are currently being educated.
Bishop Estate owes Hawaii some help with public education. While they are at it, maybe they would like to take over the public school system, it's a mess!
Ingrid Molina
Honolulu