America isn't ready, and neither is Obama
Barack Obama might have secured the Democratic nomination for president, but he will never see the inside of the White House except as a visitor.
The majority of the country is still not ready for an African-American, and he's way too liberal for most Americans and Obama changes his position often. Obama does not have a real economic and energy plan. Penalizing and raising taxes on business had never worked in U.S. history. It's a wonder why many of Hillary supports will not vote for Obama. We live in a dangerous world, so Americans can't risk of having a trainee as a president.
Presidential races are won by putting together percentages of constituencies. Unlike the Democratic nomination process, the general election is winner-take-all. In close races, small constituencies can mean the difference between winning and losing a state's electoral votes.
Arsenio Ramirez Pelayo
Aiea
Toll roads charge only those who use them
John Nakagawa's letter yesterday said that in Orange County, Calif., a one-way toll costs $10 to the motoring public and referred to toll roads as "Lexus Lanes."
If you go to the Orange County Toll Road Web site (thetollroads.com/home/images/visor_map_08.pdf), you will be apprised that the highest fare at rush hour peak is $4.50 and we are talking 67 miles of toll roads there as an option to the public and nothing more. Don't ride it, don't pay.
In Hawaii, passengers on an airplane have the choice to embark upon first-class seating that uses state-owned property to come and go. Passengers on the Superferry are using state-owned harbors and permitted to pay more for an enhanced service as well.
It's just a matter of time that anti-tolling folks will exclaim that the Honolulu Symphony has no right to charge more for a seat closer to the stage and the University of Hawaii athletic department no business making extra money off of 50-yard-line seats.
Tom Berg
Ewa Beach
Plastic-bag ban treats people like idiots
I'm just too stupid to know what's best for me and my family ("Plastic bags could be history in Hawaii and Maui counties," Aug. 26). The Hawaii County Council always knows what's best for me. When am I going to learn? It is my foolish childish view that I would know the right thing to do for me and my family, but they once again are going to make me do the right thing for my own good.
I'm just too stupid to know for myself.
You see, I thought it was a good thing for me to put my sticky lychees and mangoes and papayas and guavas in plastic bags when I go Farmer's Market. When I shop Costco and make that long drive back to Hilo, I thought it was a good thing to put plastic bags around my ice cream and frozen stuffs, and those delicious roasted chickens with their leaking oily juices. I thought it was a bad thing to have to clean up all that goo from my car and my clothes and the kids' clothes and my house. And I thought it was a good thing to pay less for my groceries instead of more. Thank goodness once again the Hawaii County Council is setting me straight on that, making me do the right thing. I hope they make me do the right thing soon on something else, before I really screw up again. Like on Maui.
I hope I'm not too stupid to vote for them again.
Keoni Yamada
Hilo
Olympics coverage gave reason to cheer
Three cheers for the terrific coverage of the Olympics by the sports staff of the Star-Bulletin. Not only were the pictures and items dramatically impressive, but the knock-'em-dead double-page outside/inside sports presentation was magnificent. I found myself hurriedly turning to that before anything else each day. Your occasional front-page Olympic standout pictures were frosting on the cake. Great job.
Marion Parmley
Honolulu
Hawaii should create a state police force
I am writing to suggest that the Legislature undertake the necessary research to evaluate the benefits of establishing a state police force.
The recent events at Iolani Palace, the inability of the local police to stop the unlawful Kauai Superferry protest and other incidents suggest that our state should immediately move in that direction. Certainly Hawaii's geography, dependence on tourism and military activities, and clan connections (everybody seems to be somebody's relative) make having a disinterested, competent and up-to-date statewide police force important.
Now comes yet another local police department situation wherein it is alleged that some 100 HPD officers have broken rules to achieve special access to overtime hours. The department is going to investigate itself. Who thinks that anything more than wrist slaps and the "appearance of impropriety" will arise from that investigation?
Such matters as well as modern forensic demands, homeland security requirements, and crime/accident scene procedures cry out for greater sophistication than our county police departments can provide. We need a state police force in Hawaii.
Mathew R. Sgan
Nuuanu