Chaining up a dog can make him vicious

The time has come for Hawaii to prohibit the chaining of dogs 24/7.

I used to live next door to a family who chained their dogs. Even though they had a large fenced backyard, each dog was tied on a short rope to a separate tree.

Not able to exercise or play with each other, these two dogs slept most if the time. They appeared frustrated and depressed.

After less than a year one of the dogs was found dead. He was still tied to his tree. The other dog was later turned into the Hawaiian Humane Society when the family installed a burglar alarm and no longer needed him.

Like humans, dogs are social animals. They need interaction with their “;pack.”; Chaining up a dog every day of its life deprives it of this very basic need. Socialization to people and other dogs is critical in developing a safe dog that will not bite unprovoked.

I would encourage everyone who wants safer neighborhoods to support the current anti-tethering legislation. To reduce the number of dogs bites each year we need to eliminated the inhumane practice of tethering dogs full time.

Who will step up for tourism crash?

“;Heads in beds”; in Hawaii dropped to 60 percent in December. Projections are that the drop in visitors and their spending will exceed last year's numbers in 2009. Everyone from our governor down to our mayors knew that the slide was gaining momentum as it accelerated downward.

Blame is real, assignable and the true measure of a person's character. The sort of character that all should cultivate—but especially people with power and political position—consists, first of all, in the strength to say, “;I did it.”;

Our political representatives and appointed officials claim they took all “;prudent and appropriate measures”; and “;mistakes were made.”; Just as our pro athletes coolly insist that their steroid-tainted urine is a result of innocent mistakes.

Who among our politicians and political appointees will declare, “;I did it! I saw the vacation industry crisis coming and continued to operate and spend the way we have and did not make unpopular choices.”; (Perhaps there is more than one who can make the claim?)

There are no “;lessons learned”; for resuscitating the future of Hawaii's vacation industry without “;I did it. The buck stops here.”;

Fairness turns down heat on toxic stew

Concerning the Fairness Doctrine that allowed voters to hear important sides of major issues, letter writer Richard Rees (Feb. 1) forecast President Obama's stimulus package as toxic stew that will fail. Keep in mind that Obama is trying to revive the economy that George Bush threw under the bus while engaging in a unnecessary war, exporting American's jobs and giving tax cuts to the wealthy.

Before Bush invaded Iraq, millions of Americans heard TV host Bill O'Reilly say “;Jesus would attack Iraq!”; I was one of them and didn't hear any opposing views. Fairness Doctrine means when propaganda is presented as fact, opposing views will be allowed a short time afterward, not seven years later.

During discussion of the Akaka Bill, Rush Limbaugh claimed that native insurgents, not the U.S., overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy, and I didn't hear anyone on his station expose that fib. Who's been cooking toxic stew, that's already failed?

Contact your congressional representatives to restore the Fairness Doctrine that was eliminated by the Republicans who wanted you to hear only their propaganda!

Nimitz flyover would be most cost-effective

The city is seeking bids (Star-Bulletin, Feb. 6) to build a 6.5-mile rail (two-lane) viaduct for $600 million ($100 million per mile). The Oahu Regional Transportation Plan 2030 estimates the cost of the 2.2-mile, two-lane Nimitz flyover at $250 million ($125 million per mile). Tampa built a 10-mile, three-lane elevated reversible expressway for $320 million ($32 million per mile). Brennon Morioka of the state Department of Transportation recently said that the 2.2-mile Nimitz flyover will be $600 million ($270 million per mile).

One wonders why Morioka is inflating the Nimitz cost. The Nimitz flyover will substantially reduce the Middle Street bottleneck and eliminate the need to provide an additional $60 million H-1 lane from Middle Street to Vineyard Boulevard. A three-lane Nimitz flyover reversible ($240 million) between Keehi Lagoon and Hotel/King /Alakea/ Halekauwila streets should be part of the president's stimulus plan strongly supported by the local state and city administration.

Go! speaks Hawaiian—yes, and so what?

Go! Airlines advertises a first-ever flying schedule in Hawaiian. Give me a break. What a gimmick! As if this authenticates their place in Hawaii? Less than 1 percent of Hawaii's population is fluent enough to utilize it with certainty and an even more infinitesimal percentage who are fluent and fly.

If Go! wants to appear more local, how about spending that wasted money on Hawaiian-language Web links and advertising lowering our airfares or flying the needy cheaply?