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Planning, consultation preceded antenna

While I respect the concern expressed by Ed Uchida about AT&T Wireless and a recently installed antenna in Mililani Mauka, his Nov. 8 letter include a number of inaccuracies I'd like to address.

AT&T Wireless consciously strives to be a good corporate citizen while providing the best wireless service. We take our commitment seriously, and go to great lengths to include both community and clients in the planning stages for the installation of any wireless equipment.

In this particular case, plans for a wireless antenna to provide needed coverage in the Mililani Mauka area were reviewed by four entities: the Mililani Mauka Neighborhood Board, the Honolulu City Council, the City Department of Planning and Permitting, and the landowner, the Board of Water Supply (BWS).

Prior to obtaining any permits, notification of the intended installation was provided in writing to residents immediately adjoining the BWS land, all in accordance with city regulation.

Approval and permits were granted, and the BWS was asked to decide where the antenna should be placed. It chose a location next to the existing Voice-stream Wireless antenna.

An outside contractor installed the antenna on Oct. 10 at 10 a.m. Adjustments began at 5 p.m. that same day and were completed at 7:20 p.m., far from the "overnight" time frame referenced by Uchida.

As for the suggestion that AT&T Wireless place such equipment closer to its Mililani Technology Park headquarters, we have. Unfortunately, the cell site and wireless antenna that have operated on our building's rooftop since 1993 are able to provide only limited service to homes that lie just beyond the coverage reach.

As is the case with the new antenna in Mililani Mauka, these devices fall well within the emission guidelines of the Federal Communications Commission.

Gil Mendelson
Vice President/General Manager, Hawaii AT&T Wireless Services Mililani

Cellular industry checks its emissions

Cellular companies are placing more and more cellular antenna within our residential communities. In at least one instance, a 50-foot antenna is less than 25 feet from a residential property.

But what are the health risks associated with cellular radio frequency (RF) transmissions?

Cellular RF emissions are the modern version of the heptachlor issue that came to the attention of Mililani residents in 1983. At the time, the pesticide was believed to have no harmful effect on people, but ongoing studies now show evidence of long-term effects.

From 1960-70, tobacco companies told the general public that cigarette smoke was not harmful to our health.

In Europe and abroad, studies have shown that emissions as low as 10 microwatts per square centimeter have an adverse effect on the human anatomy. However, in the U.S., the cellular companies perform the research, and monitor and enforce the levels of their own RF emissions. Even worse, the U.S. government follows these same reports -- the ones completed by cellular companies -- that show levels up to 500 microwatts per sq/cm is "safe."

The city requires some safety measures be taken on levels above 100 microwatts per sq/cm but no agency checks this. Why are we letting the cellular companies police themselves?

Noel Araki
Mililani

Quotables "I didn't want to be a little old lady in a wheelchair." Robin Savoy 78-YEAR-OLD MOTORIZED SCOOTER RIDER On her annual participation in the Street Bikers United Toys for Tots Parade "We definitely deliver the value." Lori McCarney BANK OF HAWAII EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT In response to the news that the state's largest bank generally charges the highest fees and requires the highest minimum balances for basic accounts and services in the islands, according to a Star-Bulletin survey "One word to describe it...would be frustration." June Jones UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII HEAD FOOTBALL COACH On the Warriors' 3-9 season in 2000 after being 9-4 and co-league champ in '99s

Clayton Hee has abused power for too long

Now that we have a newly elected Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees, it will be interesting to see whether Clayton Hee can make enough deals to retain his chairmanship. Frankly, I think he's been in office for too long.

Hee has managed to intimidate the adminstrative staff into doing his bidding and following only his directives. They essentially work for him, and the needs of the other trustees must wait until he gives approval.

Hee has managed to keep the same staff attorney, so that he can make sure that any interpretations rendered suit his motives.

With the help of special friends, he made sure that a friendly interim board helped him to rescind the former board's vote on Sept. 7 to extend the one-year contract of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter as OHA's financial advisor. This was after the broker saved OHA $491,984 in commissions paid to the previous financial advisors.

Edith U. Ellis

Lawyers are only ones to benefit from recount

People are fretting that we're running overtime with this election business. Our problem is that we wasted too much time this year on the actual vote. Next time around, let's dispense with this needless voting and go straight to the lawyers.

John Sender

Electoral College system needs refining

In 1888 the president was elected by winning a majority of the electoral votes but not the popular vote. This will happen again if George W. Bush wins. It underlies the moral authority Al Gore seems to have in the Florida fight. Were Bush ahead in the popular vote, Gore would probably have conceded by now.

The Electoral College provides our union a unique cohesion that should not be fundamentally altered. Every state counts now and that's how it should be. In the negotiations leading to the formation of the U.S., those future states with smaller populations refused to sign on until they had a baseline voice guaranteed in the election of the president.

Without the Electoral College, a presidential nominee could get large majorities in the large cities of the big states, could literally ignore the small states and win. Still, something is wrong.

So here's a modest proposal: If we are to alter the Electoral College at all, perhaps we should give additional electoral votes to the smaller states. This way, the presidential candidates will continue to take each state seriously.

Then, over the next four years, we could turn our attention to the real culprit: the mechanics of voting.

James M. Patton

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