Hawaii needs better elected officials

For only $950 I can leave Hawaii, or for $84 I can go to a neighbor island. "Lucky I live Hawaii, eh?" as we Canadians say.

The free hula show is gone. Hanauma Bay is controlled by environmentalists, but views are still free. What's up, Hawaii? Elected officials are killing our state.

Maybe somewhere in Hono-lulu is a person of quality who will stand up and do what is right for us citizens. A little bit of akamai effort here and there and the state would be healthier. But over and over we sendthe same old boys and girls back to the arena of automatic pay hikes andprestige and power. If anyone out there can read, write and is honest and well spoken, please step forward and save Hawaii now.

Bill should up Hawaii voter participation

Although it was a tight budget year, the state Legislature just passed a bill giving permanent absentee ballots to seniors, people with disabilities and anyone who prefers to vote by mail.

This is a historic change. Maybe now Hawaii will stop having one of the lowest voter participation rates in the nation.

Once applied for, voters will automatically be mailed the ballot for each election. To stay on the permanent absentee ballot list, you must vote in every primary and every general election. If you drop off, you can reapply.

It took two sessions to get this bill passed, but it never would have happened had not Sen. Roz Baker worked with the Office of Elections and found matching federal funds to pay the cost of implementing the change.

Thanks to Rep. Tommy Waters for drafting the wording needed to overcome objections to the bill, and thanks to Sen. Russell Kokubun and the AARP for unwavering support for this election law change to help seniors and other citizens vote.

Voters need to evaluate session before balloting

Now that the 2008 legislative session is done, it is time for the electorate to evaluate every legislator and ask if we are getting the best bang for our tax dollars. Some legislators can change but some cannot, and voters really need to pay attention come fall elections. Voters also should support a constitutional convention.

Change will come only if we all register and vote.

Banning plastic bags would create hardship

This is my plea to our legislators not to ban plastic shopping bags. Every week, I have great difficulty carrying groceries from my car into the house. I carry one bag in each hand while holding the handles of my crutches. This method requires many trips from car to house.

Use of cloth bags presents a monetary and physical burden. Cloth bags, while not heavier to most people, might add more weight to the groceries for others. For sanitation purposes, I'll wash them separately after each use, which causes added expense of resources (soap, water, electricity and gas dryer).

When it rains and sometimes pours, groceries and sundry items get wet.

I ask the public be provided the opportunity to demonstrate appropriate recycling and/or disposal of plastic bags. My bags are donated to church thrift shops that always welcome them. Bags not donated are recycled in the Safeway recycling program.

Please provide us the opportunity to demonstrate appropriate recycling instead of an outright ban.

Why does Saint Louis tolerate bad behavior?

On May 8, I attended the baseball game between Saint Louis and Waiakea high schools. Both teams played very well, and it was an exciting game. However, I was appalled by the behavior of Saint Louis' team members in the dugout. The jeering and loud noises made by and directed toward the opposing team's pitcher during his windup were uncalled for to say the least. I have difficulty understanding such behavior as these students have parents, teachers and coaches to guide them toward exemplary conduct in a public stadium.

I ask you, the responsible overseers of such behavior, are you proud of your team? It appears that the egg-throwing mentality continues to prevail in the midst of your fine school.

Rules are very clear: Use your turn signal

Where's the aloha? I am as frustrated as Brian Guenthenspberger, "Considerate drivers use signals, keep right" (Letters, May 9). The regulations clearly "require that you display a turn signal for at least 100 feet before you can make the intended turn or lane change.

I have seen countless drivers make a turn or merge without a signal or make the signal as they are making the turn or merge! This includes members of the police department. I have seen near misses as drivers merge without making a signal or making a signal as they are about to collide. Making the signal as the turn or merge is being made is dangerous and unacceptable.

The Hawaii Drivers' Manual states that "Failure to use a turn signal properly indicates driver ignorance, arrogance, or uncertainty and shows a lack of consideration and courtesy toward others." I wonder how these drivers got their licenses. Are the examiners ignoring this important regulation, or is this regulation forgotten after obtaining their licenses?

The manual lists three important rules about turn signals.

» Signal every time you intend to make a turn or lane change.

» Begin signalling well in advance of the intended turn or lane change so others have time to see and understand what you intend to do.

» The signal only indicates your intent; it does not give you the right of way to make the movement.

These simple rules will facilitate safety and the smoother movement of traffic.