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POSTED: Sunday, November 30, 2008

Lingle is blowing it

Where is Gov. Linda Lingle's hooponopono? First she campaigns against Barack Obama as governor of his birth state, claiming he's not from Hawaii, and then snubs him publicly by not responding to an invitation to meet with all governors (Star-Bulletin, Nov. 27). When the president, or even the president-elect, extends an invitation, you make your schedule fit it in! Lingle is history with Hawaii's voters for the duration. Talk about lame ducks. Auwe!

Oahu's noise level is off the charts

I just read a Nov. 25 letter from Ralph Bishop about his concern about the lack of enforcement of noise laws on Oahu. Amen!

The worst offenders are motorcycles that emit eardrum-smashing noise that can be heard for miles; boom-boxes on wheels that throb with bass boosters that would register on a seismometer on the Big Island; mopeds that produce an ear-piercing sound like Godzilla-sized mosquitoes; and tricked-up cars and trucks with after-market mufflers that can destroy any peace and quiet in the dead of night for square miles.

How do they get away with such flagrant violations of existing laws? I'm half-deaf myself, but the noise from such vehicles gives me a splitting headache.

These illegal sources manage to produce more noise than much larger buses, trucks or even jet planes - although in their original factory condition, they are reasonably quiet. If nothing is done to reverse the increasing noise from vehicles, the quality of life on Oahu will surely deteriorate even further.

Council, give the gift of safer roadways

Thank you, City Councilman Charles Djou, for opening up the discussion. Thank you, Star-Bulletin, for the information in your Nov. 22 editorial, “;Timid texting ban could have unintended effect.”; Is there anyone out there who has not seen someone talking on their cell phone who almost or actually caused an accident?

Most of the people I know believe using their cell while driving is not safe, but they still do it. It is not yet illegal here, so they and I do it. We might tell ourselves it is just occasionally for important calls, and maybe we have a hands-free device, so we rationalize we are being safe.

There is ample research demonstrating the danger, not just of using cell phones while driving, but even with hands-free accessories, as your editorial made clear. Does anyone honestly believe that it is OK to be propelling vehicles weighing thousands of pounds down the road while simultaneously conducting business or visiting with friends and family members?

Vehicles are already a primary source of unnecessary deaths in the community, most often caused by inattentive drivers with little regard for the safety of others. Council, please do the right and the smart thing. Help me and everyone else stop using our cell phones while driving, hands-free or not. Give the gift that keeps on giving - safer streets and highways.

Sentence too light for child abusers

Circuit Judge Virginia Crandall brought disgrace to the Judiciary with her sentence of the couple in the recent child abuse case (Star-Bulletin, Nov. 25). The sentence of one year in prison is disgusting. My wife and I could not discuss the specifics of the case during dinner because they are so revolting.

This was not a case of an occasional abuse of one child. This was the constant abuse of five children over many years. The couple chose to abuse only their adopted children. Their natural children were, apparently, left alone.

For this, Crandall sentenced them to one year in jail. She concluded that the couple were sorry. I would like to add that the couple would be sorrier serving a 10- to 20-year sentence. Crandall then concluded that the couple serve their sentences one at a time “;in order to keep their family together.”;

WHAT? She also sentenced the couple to “;anger management”; classes. Unbelievable. What does this sentence say to the other people who abuse their children? If you only abuse a few children once in a while, just make sure you get Judge Crandall. Not only will you almost certainly not get any jail time, she might give you a “;best parent award.”;

Paulson is missing only the red suit

I think it's time to replace Santa Claus, the fat little chubby cherub-like man with whiskers, with a bald Henry Paulson, the secretary of the treasury. Paulson has shown that he can give billions and billions more than Mr. Santa Claus, and it ain't over yet!

Get on the good side of this man with the U.S. government checking account, and he will give and give and give, making your Christmas wonderful and opulently perfect. Rather than white snowflakes, we can have greenbacks floating through the air landing at every large corporation's doorstep, bailing them out. Hmmmm? Can you top this Santa Claus?

Money and wallet aren't on speaking terms

Used to be, “;Money talks.”; These days, it goes without saying.

The squeaky wheel can be really annoying

In politics, civic organization, business corporation, athletic team, church congregation, or any other club or organization, if one officer or official is too independent-minded and strong-willed, that person might prove to be more of a detractor than a benefactor.

Army should protect us from depleted uranium

Three and half years after depleted uranium was found in Hawaii, who knows if we're breathing it? Not the Army - it hasn't started the air-testing set for last summer. Not our Department of Health - in nine months it hasn't replaced broken air-testing devices. And both Army and DOH devices might be the wrong type to detect airborne DU compounds.

DOH says it's doing background radiation readings. But readings with portable instruments only run five minutes.

The Army said DU can't migrate far because it's in “;large fragments.”; But now Army officials admit the spotting rounds exploded on impact and the DU is “;fine particulate matter.”;

The Army reported only about 700 spotting rounds in all of Hawaii. But Sierra Club said there might be 2,000 at Pohakuloa alone. Now the Army admits more research is warranted.

The Army reports spotting rounds only in four small areas at Pohakuloa. But it admits “;no range was specified ... in the available historical documents.”;

A resolution by our county council called for a halt to live-fire and practice bombing until the Pohakuloa DU is assessed and cleaned up. The Army's reply? “;It's just a resolution.”;

Speak up if you don't want a hotel next door

Bed and breakfast operations have a place in tourism, but tourism has no place in our residential neighborhoods. Our City Council is on the brink of rezoning our residential neighborhoods to provide tourism-zoned homes often referred to as “;mini-hotels”; or “;B&Bs.”; If City Council Bill 6 passes its third reading in January, the land rush is on.

Ask yourself, who are the entrepreneurs who will bring tourism to your neighborhood? You should know that some could be your next-door neighbor, who might decide to sell to a mini-hotel operator. The price they can get for a commercial operation is significantly higher than the price they will get from someone who intends only to be a resident neighbor.

Don't let the mini-hotel developers fool you when they say B&Bs make good neighbors. They only make good neighbors if you want tourism operating next to your bedroom.

Bill 6 is designed to produce new B&Bs; it is a zoning bill. If you do not want tourism in your neighborhood, call your Council member right away. Call the mayor.

Most of the legal B&Bs are in Waikiki where they belong. Keep them out of our residential neighborhoods. Kill Bill 6 before it kills our neighborhoods.

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