Riding the bus isn't just for 'poor people'

Pat Kelly recently expressed the opinion that the "majority of bus riders are people who are no longer able to drive or can't afford a car" ("There's no virtue in riding the bus," Letters, June 16). Obviously this individual has never ridden a bus; otherwise he or she wouldn't have made such an lame comment. Mass transit isn't about transportation for the poor. It never has been.

The vast majority of people who ride the bus to and from Kailua with me every morning and late afternoon are all financially secure and are more than capable of driving. It's often standing room only. We ride the bus because we choose to, not because we have to. No headache, no parking hassles or fees, no worries -- and huge cost savings, too.

Debbie Stelmach
Kailua

Look beyond race to find role models

The column "Diversity still hasn't registered among UH faculty members" (Star-Bulletin, April 13) lamented that the University of Hawaii faculty has not precisely mirrored Hawaii's population. The thrust of the piece was that more minority faculty members are needed as a motivation for minorities reaching academic slots.

Our uncles came back from Europe after WWII and enrolled in universities across America, then returned home to become professionals, administrators, legislators, teachers and academics. They were motivated by their parents' encouragement, an unwillingness to slave in the cane fields and the horror of war. History does not record these men perceiving their haole instructors as deterrents to success. We can locate this notion of diversity in the post-civil-rights discourse.

With the extreme competition for academic positions, alternative role models may be more realistic.

The professional and technical staff of the UH system constitutes a diverse body of individuals across a range of professions who serve as role models. Thousands of student employees collaborate with librarians, computer specialists, engineers, architects, doctors and lab technicians. Regrettably, student assistants at the undergraduate level have few opportunities in the social sciences and humanities. Accordingly, students see a wider range of career choices than limited academics by working at UH.

Be that as it may, until those breaking down faculty by race and sex reach their goal, haole kane need not apply.

William J. King

Manoa board isn't biased on dog parks

Matt Dicksion is correct in his June 15 letter to the editor regarding the dog park discussion at the June Manoa Neighborhood Board meeting when he says the debate went past 11 p.m. and most of the discussion was by proponents. But he misunderstands the process when he accuses the board of bias.

The dog-park debate had been scheduled for months. Organizers of the Manoa Dog Coalition delivered prepared presentations at the meeting, which did take more time than we on the board were comfortable with. However, we prefer to err on the side of not abridging free speech in this important community forum. After the formal presentations our chairman, Tom Heinrich, asked for questions from the board members before opening it up to the audience. This also took time. Then, since most of the audience members were in favor of a dog park, most of the comments were on the pro side.

The board will take no action until all viewpoints have been heard. The discussion will continue at the July 2 regular meeting, and later if necessary. A special meeting of the Manoa Neighborhood Board on dog parks is scheduled for 3 p.m. June 28 at Noelani School to inform ourselves and the community on this issue. All are invited to attend.

Jim Harwood
2nd Vice Chair
Manoa Neighborhood Board

Clumsy president or dangerous device?

President Bush nearly fell off a Segway while on vacation. These are the same Segways that the state Senate rushed to legalize on Hawaii sidewalks.

Isn't it funny how on one hand there's a big rush to legalize these devices, and on the other hand there's a big movement to ban everything else off the sidewalk?

Fletcher Young

Zoos are needed for some species' survival

Frank De Giacomo is off base when he attacks the Honolulu Zoo for its chimpanzee exhibit ("Zoos are no better for animals than fairs," Letters, June 11). He says that videos and television shows can replace live chimps for educational purposes and that zoos themselves should be abolished.

Unfortunately, videos soon may be all that is left of the great apes. An ongoing outbreak of Ebola virus is devastating chimp and gorilla populations in Africa and threatening Odzala National Park in the Congo, one of the largest remaining populations of both species. In addition, poachers are slaughtering chimps and gorillas to provide "bush meat." Few are safe from this onslaught.

Zoos like Honolulu may end up as pathetic small arks, harboring the few great apes after the rest vanish from their native habitats. Fortunately, it is not too late; zoos can inspire people, light a fire, and help us understand that survival is the most basic animal right that our own species can grant to our closest relatives.

David Duffy
Professor of Botany
University of Hawaii-Manoa

Corporations pass taxes on to customers

The Bush administration says it gives huge tax breaks to the wealthy because the big corporations pay the most taxes. Is there anyone out there who doesn't know that corporations collect taxes, they don't pay them! They figure the cost of taxes into the final price they charge for their products or services. Federal taxpayers also pay for the "promotional" price reductions in corporations' retail prices. They get a tax break, we pay for it. Let's all wake up!

Robert G. Devine
Ocean View, Hawaii