Why close freeway after a fatality?

What is the purpose of the Honolulu Police Department closing the freeway every time a person is killed in a motor vehicle accident? Is there ever any prosecution of the person responsible for the wreck? Half the time, the deceased person was the cause of the wreck.

Who will be prosecuted in these cases, the contractor who built the road? (Perish the thought; that'll just give the lawyers grist for the mill.)

Robert E. Lansing

Intelligence failure's causes obvious

It doesn't take a congressional investigation to figure out why 9/11 happened (Editorial, Star-Bulletin, July 28). The flaws in the system are apparent:

>> Federal agencies don't share computer systems or data, so the right hand of government doesn't know what the left hand knows.

>> The FBI and CIA have had an adversarial relationship for decades. In being uncooperative, each agency failed to let the other function properly.

>> The Immigration and Naturalization Service allowed the terrorists to overstay their "welcome."

>> The National Security Agency, whose job it is to intercept communications, is underfunded, overworked and, the latest news reports say, mismanaged.

President Bush's plan to integrate selected agencies into a single Department of Homeland Security is a good start. We need to streamline agencies, minimize bureaucracy, prune duplication and share information so that both hands of the federal government can identify, locate and terminate the terrorists.

James Ko

Candidate speaks from his heart

I recently listened to a broadcast on talk radio featuring Dalton Tanonaka, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor. His ideas inspired me to believe that Hawaii does have a positive future. He convinced me of the importance of registering to vote and that my vote will make a difference in the upcoming election. He sounded like he was speaking from his heart, not just another candidate spouting more empty promises.

I hope Tanonaka is featured on more talk shows so we can all hear more about his ideas on how to improve our life in the islands.

Patrick Lau

Lingle has right idea with improving schools

As a retired teacher, mother of two and volunteer at Maunawili Elementary School, I think Linda Lingle has some great ideas to improve our schools.

Local school boards would know their schools and their needs so much better.

They could react more quickly and would do so because the schools would be "in their face." There are far too many supervisors between the teacher and the current school board and so many places to waste money that should be spent in the classroom.

The fact that fire stations are collecting school supplies should be so embarrassing to the Department of Education!

Mary Moore
Kailua

Culture is the key to boosting tourism

My two daughters, who grew up in Japan and are now in their late teens, describe the shopping experience in Waikiki and Ala Moana as "boring" and, in some cases, "insulting."

They have been repeating this point to me regularly since we returned home permanently eight months ago.

This is a significant complaint because for many Japanese, Hawaii has been primarily a shopping destination (as is Korea, to some extent, today). Hawaii should develop and project its real strength as a visitor destination -- Hawaiian culture, my daughters say.

Calvin Kuniyuki
Waikiki

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