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TV coverage changes outcome of war

Wouldn't it be interesting if today's television technology existed during World War II? We would be able to view hundreds, maybe thousands of our fallen heroes on a daily basis in our local newspapers. Of course a short bio on each would be included and of course entire sections of the newspaper would be devoted solely for this purpose.

Now whether we as a nation would be able to stomach such misery and grief is questionable. More probable would be the call for an exit strategy as soon as possible from then-President Roosevelt. Had we departed prematurely from that global conflict, a somewhat different world would exist today with most of Europe being Germany and most of Asia being Japan.

Warriors' comeback shows true colors

Plaudits for the Rainbow Warriors for beating a Big 10 team with one more to go to be invited to their own Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve ("One for the show," Star-Bulletin, Nov. 28). Warriors to the end! For those who cried and whined through this season and getting on Coach June Jones, you cannot call yourselves Warrior supporters. I have come to the conclusion that those crybabies are actually losers because they gamble and lose big time. As the saying goes, "If you can't stand losing, don't gamble." And if you lose, you can't blame anyone except yourself.

I admire Jones because he doesn't point fingers at anyone; he is truly a players' coach. Everything is a team effort whether losing or winning.

Congratulations also to the players for composing themselves in the heat of battle. Emotions can run high and what we have seen in past games, which sadly evokes fights of the field, I will give credit to the players and coaching staff for maintaining good sportsmanship. Continue to show aloha for visiting teams.

Ancient burials moved by agreement

The public should disregard the comments of Hawaiian protesters in the media. We are the true descendants to the Wal-Mart burials and we agreed to have them moved. This parcel is our ancestral land, claimed by Kekaula in 1853, and the land in which the burials were discovered. The burials date from the 1850s. As descendants of Kekaula, we come to claim the right to make decisions concerning our kupuna.

Because of burial laws, we are obligated to work with families that were once our ancestors' neighbors on how best to reinter our kupuna. These neighbors lived two miles away from our ancestral land. These neighbors, associated with Hui Malama, had personal contact with the governor. Her appointee to the Preservation Division has taken this as her duty to work against us in favor of the squeaky wheel. Their agenda does not include the best reinterment process for our kupuna.

We would like to respectfully take care of the remains of our ancestors. The state and others whose ancestors are not connected to this parcel shouldn't be allowed to force their newly created traditions upon us.

Think creatively for traffic solutions

It seems like traffic in Honolulu is getting worse. And with the holidays upon us it will be even more jammed. Here are a few reasons why there is traffic in Honolulu: too many vehicles; too many merges on the H-1 freeway; too many unsynchronized traffic lights; and too many selfish drivers.

Adding lanes is just a quick fix to Honolulu's traffic problems. Here is my solution:

To find a solution to our traffic problems will take years. If we work together we might find a solution that everyone will like.

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Editorial unfair in its criticism
of Council's ideas for landfill sites

The Star Bulletin has every right to offer its opinion and argue its point on controversial issues; however, to again resort to insults and name-calling ("Weak-kneed Council members sidestep tough decision on landfill," Nov. 22) without researching the facts is disappointing.

Early this year, the Land Use Commission mandated that the city choose an alternative landfill site by Dec. 1, 2004. The administration handily passed the decision to the City Council, which has no choice but to select a site by this date. As evidenced by the hours of testimony from the public, it was clear that no one wants a landfill in their community.

The Waimanalo Gulch expansion would have been the obvious and easy choice. The Council chose to uphold a commitment made to the residents of the area to not place the next landfill on the Leeward side and agreed to add the 23-acre landfill at Campbell Industrial Park as a viable and logical alternative. The city currently owns this vacant site, which sits adjacent to the current incinerator and far removed from any residential community.

If this site is chosen, city officials are claiming that there would be only two years worth of space. The permit for the current landfill at Waimanalo Gulch expires in 2008, which gives the city more than five years to look at new and innovative technologies.

The comments made in the editorial, which calls this a "hare-brained scheme" by the "chicken-hearted public works committee" looking for a "high-tech magic bullet," shows the Bulletin's lack of information. In fact, the public works committee has been encouraging the administration for months to look at numerous waste-to-energy technologies -- currently being used in other municipalities and countries. However the administration is resolute in adding another boiler -- which experts claim is already outdated technology -- at the current incinerator at a proposed cost of $93 million .

Also, to claim that the Council "had shown no interest in pursuing such alternatives" ignores the fact that at least two companies have expressed interest in building a demonstration facility for the city at no cost to the city, but were told by the administration to go through the bid process. At this time, no bid was offered. In addition, gasification -- a clean-burning process that converts waste products to a synthetic natural gas -- has been in existence since the mid-1980s and proven successful in several states.

Certainly, the technology is out there. Especially in Hawaii, where land is limited, the city should look at a zero waste management plan to eliminate the need for a landfill. This concept is not new as many counties have committed to this idea. This will take a concerted effort by the new administration to look at our city's waste stream and come up with a plan -- through recycling and waste-to-energy alternatives -- to not only reduce waste but eliminate it altogether.

Like many other issues, the Council continually prods the administration to formulate plans before jumping headfirst into issues of great importance. Without a plan, knee-jerk reactions often lead to excessive waste on our taxpayers. For the Star-Bulletin to resort to negativity and name-calling based on lack of information only leads to a misinformed public and pits communities against each other.

We don't deserve better Council members

I am dismayed but not the least bit surprised by the actions (or lack thereof) of the City Council members regarding a landfill. All of them have behaved less than admirably:

Why are the City Council members behaving so badly? They all want to advance to higher office, and so they're trying to avoid making a hard choice that will cost them votes if they run statewide or islandwide. But ultimately, it's our fault: We elected all of them. We keep electing politicians who try to be all things to all people, who tell us what we want to hear on the campaign trail, and who refuse to disclose upfront who they are and what they stand for.

We get the representation we deserve.

Let citizens vote on shipping it out

What City Councilman Rod Tam's suggestion of locating a landfill at Koko Crater has revealed is that everyone is adamantly against locating a landfill in their community. The Leeward community has suffered with a landfill for years now.

Meanwhile, Councilman Mike Gabbard and others have found a viable solution with the idea of shipping our garbage to places that want it. The idea is supported by Mayor-elect Mufi Hannemann and other state and city officials. So, what's the holdup? If the Council can't decide, put it to a vote by the citizens. It's clear all citizens would rather ship the garbage out than locate a landfill in their community.

Otherwise, developing more alternative solutions like HPower needs to be stepped up. And how about using the proposed area for the landfill next to HPower to expand the HPower facilities and capabilities?

Why not make use of Kahoolawe?

When more than 30 years ago I started making commercial use of landfills, I became painfully conscious that valuable real estate was being desecrated for countless years to come, and that burying garbage in your own back yard was less than the best alternative. And what about the trickle-down effect into ground and coastal waters? I even then thought of using active volcanic craters, but they are all in national parks.

Now, I read that Koko Crater is being considered as a possible Oahu dump site. If officials will consider that desperate choice then they have to consider mine, which has many more advantages and no disadvantages -- Kahoolawe.

Having worked there during the past few years I must tell you that this desolate, waterless, otherwise useless island could not only serve as an ideal refuse disposal/recycling/composting site, but also as a world-class prison without walls.

Think of importing rather than exporting prisoners, who would perform most of the work while receiving minimum wage, learning useful skills and reducing taxpayer burden. Private enterprise prisons are rapidly expanding and profitable without being working farms, as this would be. Why not us?

Necessary infrastructure:

Where is the downside?

Shipping it away is no solution

I'm extremely upset with the concept that we can pass off our own trash problem to someone else, by shipping it out (Star-Bulletin, Nov. 29). Beyond the responsibility to deal with our own problems, I am shocked by the gall.

While our land of Hawaii is special to all of us, those pushing to send our garbage elsewhere are ignoring the fact that the land and home of others is precious to them also. The hubris that our land is somehow more special than theirs is unbelievable.

Does Oahu believe it would be appropriate to send our garbage to Molokai or Kahoolawe? Neither should we feel it appropriate to send to the Pacific Northwest or Nevada.

For once I agree with Mayor Harris -- our garbage is a problem we must solve, and not ship off to others.