Two paws up for the Hawaii Superferry!

As show chairman of the Valley Isle Kennel Club of Maui's 2008 All Breed Dog Show, I would like to say a big MAHALO to the Hawaii Superferry for providing such wonderful service to our off-island exhibitors and their dogs coming over from Oahu. These exhibitors were able to come to Maui with their dogs, in their own vehicles, with their own equipment for our two-day dog show held at the War Memorial Soccer Field on April 26 and 27. The exhibitors and their dogs traveled comfortably and arrived ready for a great weekend on Maui. After the show, everyone had a good trip home vowing to return next year.

Mahalo, Hawaii Superferry, for helping make our show a success!

New network of buses will reduce traffic

I live in Hilo now, but I lived in Honolulu from 1976-80, during the first wave of enthusiasm for rail transit. Clearly, Honolulu does not have wide-enough streets for light rail, nor empty, easily acquired corridors for high-speed rail.

The ideal mass transit system for Honolulu, I believe, is a network of buses, with some dedicated freeway lanes (new or converted) for the long hauls. Mauka-makai shuttle buses collecting passengers from each populated valley and ridge would bring passengers to the flat, Koko Head-Ewa avenues where they could transfer for either the current local or new tour-bus-size express buses.

The current steel-on-steel rail proposal will cost too much and won't serve the University of Hawaii-Manoa, Waikiki or the airport; whereas a bus network would be cheaper and would reach almost everywhere. And while rail-building would temporarily boost employment in the construction sector, a bus system would generate permanent jobs.

Hawaii needs to anticipate problems

It appears that we desperately need to re-examine some critical habits. Our current crises — the threat of a severe economic downturn, loss of one of our two major airlines and spiraling fuel and food costs — demonstrate clearly our habitual lack of foresight and proactivity.

As I understand it, go! airlines' avowed intent was to put our local carriers out of business. Who could have foreseen there was a 50-50 chance it would succeed first with the one carrying 85 percent of our interisland air freight? Our habitual bargain hunting was costly.

And who could have foreseen that our habit of growing crops primarily for export, and of importing virtually all our food, would encounter the impediment of decreasing oil supplies and increasing fuel prices?

The writing was clearly on the wall, and we could have acted much sooner to adapt. Given a climate of cutthroat competition and the world fuel and food situation, our condition will likely not improve

It could be too late for these suggestions, but acting is better than our habitual passivity: So, stop flying go! now and let's see how long it lasts. Convert precious acreage to diversified farming now and let's reduce our habitual dependency on imported food. Use our eyes and ears now and let's anticipate problems before they reach critical mass.

Senator can be she or he, but not they

Regarding the rejection of the land settlement between the state and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, you reported Sen. Jill Tokuda as saying, "I am not a one-man show" (Star-Bulletin, May 3). Bizarre: both the act and "her" explanation.

If a staff member reads this, s/he/it might suggest Tokuda uses the identify of "one person" in the future to avoid snickers.

(A schizophrenic might use the words "We are not," but that would really cause concern.)

Show up to support a Hawaiian nation

Now is the time for those who believe in the validity of ea to go to Iolani Palace. Show your faith and trust in Hawaii being an independent nation. You don't have to join an organization. You only have to go there to support the belief in the rights of the nation of Hawaii.

I live on Kauai so I can't just go. Those on Oahu should go.

A few small changes can really add up

It's about time we make changes to our overindulgent lifestyles. Let's start by cutting back mail delivery to three days a week instead of the six we're used to. The savings in gas would be quite significant. How about turning off every other streetlight both in the neighborhoods and freeways? Do we really need so much light at night? There are five streetlights within two houses of mine. That's too much wasted energy.

While I'm at it, isn't the penny long overdue for retirement? Not just the penny, it's about time we got rid of the nickel as well.