Mayor did a good job on rail proposal

Thanks, Mufi, for sorting through all the politics that has hampered the development of our infrastructure in recent years. Your persistence in pushing the rail bill through the governor and the Legislature will be a blueprint of how to get things done.

I don't know if rail will be the answer to all of Oahu's traffic problems, but I and a lot of people will agree that doing nothing is not the answer.

Continue your great work as mayor and lead the way!

Bill should benefit all, not just Hawaiians

All residents of Hawaii have accepted and practice the Hawaiian customs and traditions in their way of life and consider themselves Hawaiians, even if they do not have Hawaiian blood. For this reason, the Akaka bill should not and must not be considered by the U.S. Senate before the people of Hawaii vote on a referendum regarding the matter.

Approving the Akaka bill by the Senate before a state referendum is just like putting the horse before the cart. Should the Akaka bill become law, it must benefit all the people of Hawaii and not only those with Hawaiian blood. This must be considered by those supporting the bill, if they are really for the interest of Hawaii and its people.

Hiraki dedicated years to Hawaii's people

I was saddened to read about Rep. Ken Hiraki's (D, Kakaako-Downtown) resignation from the Legislature (Star-Bulletin, July 16). I have followed his 19-year career closely and have always taken inspiration from his hard work, dedication to fairness and even-handed decisions. Ken was always among the most ethical and caring of our leaders -- a local boy who gave unselfishly to his community for almost two decades. The people of our state (and especially his district) are losing an effective representative that will be difficult to replace.

We can only wish him well in his new career and hope he is able to enjoy more time with his wife and two lovely daughters. Mahalo, Rep. Hiraki, from all of us who were touched by your service to our state.

Don't worry about viruses, just buy a Mac

In reading the story "Proliferation of malware spins 'out of control'" in the July 18 issue, I note with amusement that the large photo that illustrates the article -- a woman who has bought a new computer to replace her infected one -- clearly shows that the new notebook computer is an Apple. Yes, Apple computers are somewhat more expensive than their PC counterparts, but when a PC user would rather toss his computer out rather than take the "hours needed to scrub the old one clean of viruses, worms and adware," which is really the bargain?

A little research will make bay visit nicer

Occasional letters to the editor have expressed frustration with the difficulty of getting in to Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve. The first thing to remember is that this is a nature preserve, and therefore the restrictions are not placed there to alienate visitors or residents. Restricting access to the bay is simply necessary to preserve the viability of this wonderful yet fragile environment.

The entrance to the bay is in an unfortunate location -- on a two-lane highway. Traffic has to be kept moving for safety's sake. Therefore it is not possible for entrance guards to answer questions from drivers when the lot is closed.

I have two suggestions: First, go to the two Web sites for information about the bay:

Second, all popular venues require early arrival to park. In summer the parking lot opens and closes at varied intervals from 8 a.m. until midafternoon. Some residents come every day and find they have no trouble parking because they do not come at the busiest times.

I hope these suggestions will make your visit to Hanauma Bay more pleasant.

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