We don't need more distractions on roads

I absolutely agree with City Councilman Charles Djou's guest column “;Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel”; (Star-Bulletin, Nov. 30). Accidents are horrible occurrences, and preventable ones are even more upsetting.

As a young driver, I am often overwhelmed with the amount of detail I must pay attention to in everyday driving. What is that person thinking; where is that car going? While I realize that scanning the area becomes easier with more experience and practice, I also know that the amount of activity on the roads never decreases and is in need of just as much attention whether you have been driving for two months or 20 years.

Attention to the road is vital. Outlawing texting and playing video games while driving will hopefully stop people from putting themselves and others in danger. I hope that this bill will stop at least a few avoidable accidents.

Lingle's schedule isn't busier than others

Forty-eight governors attended Tuesday's meeting with President-elect Barack Obama. Of the two who did not attend, Bill Richardson was probably very busy gearing up for his new Cabinet position as commerce secretary. That leaves our own Gov. Linda Lingle. Her senior communications adviser tells us we must “;understand”; the governor's schedule. And what? The 48 other governors have nothing to do in their own states? Please don't insult my intelligence.

Lingle doesn't deserve barrage of criticism

There has been a lot of criticism lately of our governor for not attending the national meeting of state governors with President-elect Barack Obama. Considering the flack she received for taking time off to campaign for John McCain and attend the Republican National Convention while our own state was dealing with financial turmoil, wouldn't yet another trip to the mainland be overkill? I mean, where would the money come from?

So why not practice the nonpartisanship that Obama preaches and support Lingle as Republicans have agreed to support Obama despite having voted for McCain.

Community pitched in for Mayor Wright youth

The tenants of Mayor Wright Homes recently finished building a youth recreational area in our community. This project was born out of a community process that started back in 2005 when tenants gathered together to develop goals and objectives on how to address youth violence and improve our quality of life.

Supporters, volunteers and tenants, along with students enrolled in a community-based planning course at the University of Hawaii-Manoa, designed and built a recreational area for the youth as part of a beautification project. Local businesses, community organizations and eager volunteers threw in their support for the project. The outpouring of generosity has built hope and empowered our community.

We plan to thank and acknowledge those who have contributed and participated in this long process at a dedication ceremony planned for 10 a.m. tomorrow.

Easy to push ideas that haven't been studied

It's ironic that Panos Prevedouros used his Gathering Place column Tuesday to “;educate”; the public on review procedures for rail documents. His self-promoted freeway plan has never been peer reviewed, much less subjected to the rigorous public review that rail requires. His plan, apparently partially completed by University of Hawaii students, was used by mayoral candidate Ann Kobayashi as the “;alternative”; to rail. We saw the result of that effort on Nov. 4.

With their usual hubris, anti-transit folks have vowed to continue to oppose transit. Thankfully, former rail opponents are now sensibly advocating routes to the airport, UH and Waikiki.

The draft rail report is now available and should be reviewed by all. The public's concerns also can be addressed at the planned public meetings for rail. Unlike Prevedouros' freeway scheme, the rail process must be supported by facts and data, responsive to public concerns and open to peer review. Failure to do so jeopardizes federal funding.

So, let's work to ensure the best possible rail system and let's quit spending resources providing a platform for anti-transit lobbyists of yesteryear.