---

More counties would help Oahu, state

It is time to start the process of making three counties of Oahu -- Honolulu, Leeward and Windward.

The mountain ranges make excellent boundaries and I'm sure that we can come up with better names than Leeward and Windward. All we have to do is pass a simple state constitutional amendment during an election and it's done.

Leeward County could stretch from Makaha to Waipahu, while Windward County could include everything makai from Makapuu to Mokuleia, including Wahiawa.

Depending on the flatland boundaries, Leeward County would have a population of approximately 135,000, Windward 196,000, and Honolulu 475,000. Couple the two new counties with Maui (128,000), Hawaii (149,000) and Kauai (58,500), and no county would have a majority. This means a whole new dynamic in county and state politics with more diversity of power and interests.

Imagine if we had our own police, fire, building department, zoning laws and enforcement, garbage collection, recycling and emergency service reporting to our own county governments.

Forming new counties is not impossible and is easier than one might imagine. Remember the nation of Czechoslovakia? It is now two countries, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. If they can split up a whole country of millions that successfully, a county would be a slam-dunk.

Coverage of brigade brings confidence

I have been simply impressed by the coverage your paper has given to the men and women of the 29th Infantry Brigade. The news that you are reporting on this unit's training and deployment is of great importance to families and friends of those who serve in it. I now count myself as part of that crowd. My nephew just received his orders assigning him to the 100th Battalion 442nd Infantry.

Having read the many articles that your paper has published on this unit and the brigade, I feel confident that he has been assigned to a very good unit for his tour of duty in Iraq.

Senator Inouye, please reconsider

Sen. Dan Inouye represents all of the people of Hawaii, not only the Democrats. Like Sen. John Kerry, he is affecting the lives and careers of all the active duty military personnel and their families, as well as the veterans of previous battles, by criticizing President George W. Bush and the country's military policies.

Saddam Hussein convinced us that he had weapons of mass destruction. He was a dictator and "gassed" his own people. Let's not second-guess our decision to attack Iraq. It's a "done deal."

America brought freedom to Europe, and we are on the way to bringing freedom to the Middle East. Eventually, all the people of the world will live in peace and harmony.

Senator Inouye, as a decorated, Medal of Honor veteran, should uphold the torch with honor and patience, and support our efforts toward world peace. The people of the world need our help.

I thank Inouye for all the benefits he has brought to the people of Hawaii. We all love and respect him.

Kerry can help make America be itself again

John Kerry believes in transparency, not secrecy, in government; a large, educated middle class with hope for advancement; and a government of the people, by the people and for the people -- not of the corporations, by the corporations and for the corporations.

Vote for truth and humanity.

Bush is steadfast leader for America

I recently turned 20 years old and I am joining the Air Force. I am proud to be an American, and I know where my freedom comes from and that it wasn't free. I strongly believe in America because we are the "Land of the Free" and the "Home of the Brave!"

America will be victorious as long as George W. Bush remains president. He is a strong, steadfast leader, and will not change like the wind. He does not let terrorists fly our planes into our buildings, murdering our people! Bush will not tolerate that, and neither should we.

John Kerry cannot lead America. We would have a lot to worry about, not knowing what he's gonna do next. Will he flip-flop on us? Will he provide our soldiers with proper equipment? At the first debate, Kerry said he tells our troops, "Help is on the way." What kind of message is that? Kerry doesn't believe in America. Why do you think he went to a foreign country to protest against us? We are America! We do not run away from our enemies.

You may not like Bush, but at least you know where he stands. God bless you and God bless America.

Inaccurate to label Hannemann a racist

First of all, let me be up front about who I am. I am a born-and-raised haole from Kailua who for the past 10 months has been a volunteer on Mufi Hannemann's mayoral campaign. In all this time, I have never seen, heard or felt anything that would make me think Mufi or his supporters are racist, xenophobic or ethnically prejudiced.

If someone would come to one of our weekly meetings or events, they would see Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiians and, yes, haoles in attendance. Mufi's parents were immigrants to Hawaii, one of whom was German, for Pete's sake. Mufi really doesn't have the credentials to be racist toward haoles, seeing as how he is one of "us."

Marilyn Gates' letter accusing Mufi of being racist, without providing any evidence, omitted something important -- that she works for the Sierra Club of Hawaii, a group that has endorsed Mufi's opponent. But at least they have confined their criticism to environmental issues and not delved into baseless accusations of racism. Mufi has always said that whether you've been here 50 years or five days, as long as you're willing to sink roots and commit to Honolulu as being your home there is a place for you on his campaign and in his administration. That was the only litmus test he has ever given to people, never a racial one.

Columnist got to heart of what U.S. needs

Aloha, Thomas L. Friedman, welcome back (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 4). You were missed.

Today, your column "We need an America that isn't afraid" (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 15) reminded me of what I thought then and continue to believe now -- that 9/11 was a shocking, tragic, reprehensible criminal act that required law enforcement action and not our military going to war. Perhaps it's time for us to consider, to ask ourselves "what if." What if we choose a leader with the strength of coverage and will who defines us, as Friedman writes: "We're about the Fourth the July."

May love, peace and liberty prevail throughout the United States of America and beyond.

Honolulu should end addiction to cars

Divorce your car! Yes, end your addiction to automobiles. A city in Brazil did. The city of Curtiba now has 75 percent of the commuters taking the bus though many can afford cars. Ridership is increasing at 10 percent per year. Many of these passengers are former car drivers. Thirty-three percent of all trips made in the Netherlands (Holland) are by bicycle.

Can't we see that there are solutions to too much traffic, and it doesn't have to take 10 or 20 years, the time estimated for an efficient light-rail system, which most likely won't solve the problem.

If we have the will to deal with our addiction to cars (trucks, SUVs) there are ways to do so. What we have to gain by getting out of our cars is cleaner air, cleaner water, less noise and friendlier communities. It can foster better transportation options, more compact city areas, more farmland and parks. On a personal level it can be liberating, bringing less stress, more money, better health and fitness, reduced risk of accidental death and a simpler lifestyle. So, the question is, are we so addicted to our cars (SUVs, trucks) that we will sacrifice the quality of life in Hawaii nei?

Let's get serious about ending traffic congestion and start ending our addiction to cars (SUVs, trucks).

---

BACK TO TOP
|

[ BRAINSTORM! ] Planting an idea The first and last thing visitors see as they encounter Hawaii -- other than security personnel instructing them to take off their shoes -- is the elevated freeway by Honolulu's airport. Accordingly, when it was built, it was designed to be attractive, including a meandering garden running down the center of the lower level, and, up top, set between the elevated concourses, large planter boxes. The idea was to plant wonderful hanging gardens that would delight visitor and resident alike, and for a while, they did. But the state Department of Transportation is focused these days on potholes, not on making the roads look pretty. The elevated gardens have become choked with weeds and debris. So fire up those brain cells. What other use could these midair garden plots be used for? Thematic displays? Lei stands? Minimum-security prisons? Foosball diamonds? Storage for giant downtown Christmas ornaments? Headquarters for our newly reduced National Guard? A place for all the dirt from Castle Junction? Instead of offshore gambling, elevated gambling? Send us your ideas about what should be done with these highly visible, weed-racked lots. E-mail your ideas and solutions -- please include your name and address -- by Oct. 20 to: brainstorm@starbulletin.com Or fax to: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson 529-4750 Or mail them to: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson Star-Bulletin 500 Ala Moana 7 Waterfront Plaza Suite 210 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813