Closing Lunalilo ramp will make traffic worse
Neighbors in Makiki and Punchbowl should be aware of an outrageous idea being proposed and a public meeting regarding it at 7 p.m. on June 1, at the Hawaiian Mission Academy Chapel.The crazy idea being proposed is to close the Lunalilo Street onramp to the freeway and to divert all of the traffic to the Punchbowl or Punahou onramp. Send all the traffic on city streets either downtown or to Punahou, which is a nightmare in the morning and afternoon with traffic to three schools, a hospital and people going to and from Manoa? This is insane.
Admittedly, the freeway has its problems, but it is all we have right now and we need it. To close any entrance or exit (especially one as busy as Lunalilo) is not an option or a solution to anything. What would help would be to reverse the traffic on Pensacola and Piikoi streets. This would allow the traffic to flow mauka on Pensacola and go right onto the freeway, avoiding the post office, which is the major problem on Lunalilo.
It is not clear who is pushing this ridiculous idea, but all who would be affected by it should come to the meeting Tuesday and stop it in its tracks. It's OUR freeway.
Nancy Bey Little
Honolulu
Gabbard helped protect drinking water
I'm glad to hear that Honolulu City Councilman Mike Gabbard is running for Congress. I like Gabbard because he has proven to me that he will fight to protect our environment.Last year, he helped kill a project that would have put a dump in Kunia over the Pearl Harbor aquifer. The aquifer happens to supply water to more than 70 percent of our island's residents.
It seems unbelievable, but there were many powerful politicians who were actually supporting this insane project. Thankfully, Gabbard had the courage to intervene and use his position on the City Council to pass a resolution that makes it a city policy that dumps can't be built over aquifers.
This is the kind of leader we need representing us in Washington!
Phil Barnett
Honolulu
Does child agency operate outside law?
You have the uncovering of the violations by the state's liquor inspectors, violating the rules, accepting bribes and looking the other way.Then you have the politicians who allegedly receive illegal campaign contributions, and they are being investigated and reprimanded if found guilty.
But then you have the state's Child Protective Services. There have been many complaints against the CPS, but it's business as usual with them. Even the head of the Department of Human Services, Lillian Koller, who tried to make things right, has failed. Her hands are tied. New laws have been drafted by our lawmakers to try to curb the continuous violations of parents' rights by CPS. Presently, CPS is still operating as usual. Are the people at CPS really above the law and untouchable?
They continue to remove children from homes and schools, just on an anonymous phone call. Their motto is "take the child away first and then we'll see if there was any neglect or abuse." Even the courts seem to side with CPS. The bottom line is: The children are the ones traumatized and shortchanged.
CPS is federally funded. Perhaps the more children it takes away, the more funding it receives. I guess money speaks louder than integrity.
Harold Hong
Waianae
U.S. should've known 9/11 was imminent
I am less than amused at how much smoke the GOP is releasing to cover up its shortfall in preventing the 9/11 attacks. Anyone with a pulse knew the World Trade Center was a prized terrorist target. President Bush received an Aug. 6, 2001, written warning indicating Osama bin Laden's determination to strike America.In my view, after the 1993 terrorist bombing of the World Trade Center, the twin towers were destined forever to remain in someone's crosshairs. Making the written domestic terrorism warnings public would have alerted our nation to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. A presidential plea for help would have ramped up ongoing FBI investigations and put additional pressure on flight-school instructors who were already suspicious and in touch with authorities.
Now let's examine the issues that have received much more federal attention for the past two decades. Presidents Reagan, Bush I, Clinton and Bush II made it much more difficult to grow a pot plant than to enter our country, steal huge jet airplanes and drill them through buildings filled with office workers.
Clinton and Bush were occupied with lobbying efforts to prevent the Federal Drug Administration from regulating the tobacco drug. Some drugs are given the green light even if they legally kill millions. Some relatively benign drugs receive draconian federal attention. Warning papers about tobacco have been ignored by presidents in the same league as ignoring warning papers about terrorists seeking to hijack airplanes.
It appears presidents of both parties are selective in their reviews of public safety issues.
Peter M. White
Kahuku
Shirking responsibility from top to bottom
Regarding the abuse of prisoners by low-ranking military police at Abu Ghraib: When things go awry, not as planned, expected or hoped for in a large corporation, is it fair game that the CEO should place blame on the janitor?!
Tetsuji Ono
Hilo, Hawaii
Jasmine's bright star is only just rising
Jasmine Trias took us all on a wild and wonderful ride and made Hawaii proud!Each week on "American Idol," her charming personality, radiant smile and the blossom in her lovely hair were a living billboard for our beautiful islands. And to think this is only the beginning for Hawaii's bright, gracious and spunky rising star.
Wanda Kulamanu Ellis Au
Honolulu
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[ BRAINSTORM! ]
The ponds at the state Capitol are full of icky green stuff. What, besides holding an election, can we do to get rid of all that scum at the Big Square Building? Or should we just replace the ponds with something else?Tell us what you think, whether you know of a way to clean the ponds or if you'd rather see a remodel of the Capitol grounds. Anything would be an improvement.
Send your ideas by June 16 to:
Or by mail:
Brainstorm!
c/o Nancy Christenson
Star-Bulletin
500 Ala Moana
7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813Or by fax:
Brainstorm!
c/o Nancy Christenson
529-4750
