Brainstorm! Challenge
DEADLINE: AUGUST 14

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Bus drivers earn too much already

How is it that our city's bus drivers have come to earn more than schoolteachers and police officers?

Bus drivers and workers should not be granted any further pay or benefit increases until teachers and police earn more than they do. As a taxpayer, the word "extortion" comes to mind when I hear talk of an impending bus strike.

A.K. Carroll
Kailua

Fare hike won't force commuters to cars

The assertion that a bus fare increase will lead to residents moving to cars is very misleading. Many, including the Sierra Club, make that claim, using economics as their crutch: Higher prices equal lower usage. Recent Star-Bulletin articles point to highest-in-the-nation gas prices, and costly parking rates in Honolulu rank near the top nationally. Using the same argument, why are more people not flocking to mass transit due to prices?

If $37 a month is unaffordable for the average resident, how then can they expect to spend well over $100 a month -- gas, parking, insurance -- by taking a car instead? Also, how many seniors pay for cable television service but supposedly can't afford an increase over the current $12.50 annual bus pass?

James Rider
Honolulu

Increased competition is best for bus riders

Many people don't realize that besides the fare, the bus system is subsidized with well over $120 million from the city coffers. This comes out of property taxes. The solution is simple. Break up the monopoly of the city-owned and operated bus system by contracting out to the private-sector transportation providers. E Noa, Roberts and other transportation companies could easily have a wider variety of transportation services at rush hours when their equipment is not being used for tourism.

These companies could be contracted at a competitive rate. The contract could include that the private companies have to honor bus passes and maintain standard bus fares.

Additionally, private tour companies' equipment is diverse. Everything from minivans to large buses could go into neighborhoods that are not currently being served by the city bus monopoly. Local people remember "Hilo Sanpans" and how well they worked on the Big Island. Using private bus companies would allow the city to largely expand its bus service without incurring the cost of buying and maintaining buses.

Sen. Fred Hemmings
Senate minority leader

Hats off to fellow who paired Price with Perry

All the publicity surrounding Michael W. Perry and Larry Price's 20 years on the air is great ("Still having fun," Star-Bulletin ), but I've noticed one glaring omission in the stories I've seen to date: No one has mentioned the role Earl McDaniel played in pulling these two disparate characters together and making a success out of them.

Earl was the general manager of KGMB/KSSK when J. Akuhead Pupele, a k a Hal Lewis, died, and he was the one who had to figure out who would succeed Hawaii's most legendary radio personality. His answer was Perry and Price, something no one else thought would work at the time. Some even called Earl crazy.

But the rest, as they say, is history. Here's to Earl McDaniel, the man who made it all possible.

Joel Kennedy
Honolulu

Bush administration is at war on Americans

Former Vice President Al Gore gave an address on the 2004 election at New York University last week. His speech was in a class with President Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address." Gore said that the Republicans who support President George W. Bush had formed a sort of "Cold War" against the rest of us. Gore pointed out the disturbing changes in domestic and foreign policy that have occurred under President Bush's administration.

Gore said that the United States must regain our old friends and support international organizations and treaties. He said that the United States must use alternate energy sources so that we are not dependent on the volatile Middle East for oil.

Everybody knows that the White House, Congress and Supreme Court are a mess; we must out the troublemakers and improve the atmosphere of our government.

Rose Norberg
Honolulu

VIPs' tents obstructed public's view of planes

My wife and I attended Sunday's air show at Hickam Air Force Base. What an opportunity it was to see all those military aircraft and everyone enjoying them. What a wonderful day -- all except for the air show itself.

Along with thousands of others, we came to see the fabulous Thunderbirds, but directly between their parked aircraft and the public were three very large tents with roped-off areas for VIPs only. The area was several hundred feet wide and blocked most of the view for thousands of fans.

The tents and chairs were almost empty, while the rest of us stood behind and could not see what went on in the pre-show, the takeoffs and landings. The low-level flying was directly in front of the tents.

When the Thunderbirds arrived back on the ground, the post-show began directly in front of this area. When it was over, the pilots and crew members entered the tent area and mingled with the VIPs while the rest of us stood behind the roped-off area only to watch.

This setup was poorly planned. Why couldn't the VIPs sit in the sun like everyone else?

Skip Downey
Honolulu

Universities earn status from academics

World-class universities earn that distinction through academic excellence and facilities, not sports.

The University of Hawaii needs all the funding, both public and private, it can get to produce that world-class academic excellence and build on its achievements in the fields of astronomy, biology and oceanography.

It is the "warriors" of academics that really count in that big university world playing field!

Paul Perretta
Honolulu

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[ BRAINSTORM! ] "What can be done with utility poles and lines to improve the view from our highways? Is legislation necessary, or perhaps some sort of invention or new technology?" Send your ideas and solutions by August 14 to: brainstorm@starbulletin.com Or mail them to: Brainstorm! c/o Burl Burlingame Star-Bulletin 500 Ala Moana 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Fax: Brainstorm! c/o Burl Burlingame 529-4750