Letters to the Editor

Did sub’s captain follow procedures?

My condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the recent tragic accident between the submarine USS Greeneville and the Japanese ship Ehime Maru. Being a husband, a parent and a grandpa, I know how I would feel if I lost anyone of my immediate ‘ohana.

Human beings are not perfect. Accidents, therefore, are a reality. Still, I do wonder whether Cmdr. Scott Waddle, the captain of the submarine, precisely followed established procedures, whatever they are. And if he did, do those procedures provide for separate wartime and peacetime operations? Or is there only a single procedure?

During wartime conditions, I’m certain, a commander of a submerged vessel would be extremely cautious to ensure that there were absolutely no surface vessels in proximity that would jeopardize the safety of his vessel before surfacing. This same caution should occur during peacetime — even more so.

Were the procedure, technology, equipment and crew skill adequate and operational for the commander to have prevented this tragedy?

Manuel K. Baptista

Subs must give way to surface vessels

By law, any submerged vessel is considered burdened, and must give way to any vessel on the surface.

Mike Binder

Letter that opposed bay plans inaccurate

A Feb. 7 letter to the editor regarding the improvements proposed for Hanauma Bay Nature Center contains many misleading statements and inaccuracies:

The 6-year-old buildings being torn down will restore open park space overlooking the bay, while the new building will be set back from the rim and view areas. The present office building is insufficient and inadequate; more space is needed for desks, files, computers and other equipment required to handle city business and provide proper fiscal security.

The education program has its display space in what was designed to be a snack bar and its office in what was designed for a small kitchen, complete with industrial hood.

The public and City Council are comfortable that the funds generated by the parking and nonresident adult admission fees will be sufficient to pay the costs of construction, plus the renovations on the beach and demolition of the abandoned Job Corps site across the highway.

The Hanauma Bay project is part of the master plan for the bay begun in 1990, so it is not a new project, though the plans to be approved by the parks board began circulating for considerable public input in 1998. Several Hawaiian, environmental and community groups participated in the planning, support the project and have provided valuable cultural and environmental insights that have been incorporated into the plan, particularly in the education exhibit material.

Laurel Anderson
Kapi ‘olani, Dillingham

‘Nightmare’ extends to two other roads

Fred Fukamizu mentions his "favorite" nightmare at Moanalua Road (Letters, Feb. 8). I would like to add two similar spots that I travel frequently: Kapi‘olani at Kalakaua, and Dillingham at King. These sites have been under repair for years, it seems. Why can't the work be finished once and for all?

Giv Cornfield
Hawai‘i Kai

State administrators don’t merit pay hikes

Gov. Cayetano has stressed the idea of merit pay for both professors and teachers, yet I wonder why that is not a consideration in his desire for pay raises for his department heads.

I have not seen an increase in the quality of government. As a matter of fact,the Cayetano administration has repeatedly been given bad report cards by the auditor.

To say the governor is inconsistent and capricious is self-evident.

What will his legacy be? Maybe buildings, but it will not be good will.

Dolores Duchene-Kim

Forget the benefits, focus on the problems

Just think of all the grand benefits offered in the press and the very expensive full-page newspaper ads presented by the gambling interests in Hawai‘i. Now, would it be unfair of me to ask for an equal number of full-page ads offering the other side of the picture?

You see, this way, we as citizen taxpayers could possibly make a better assumption as to where the reality of it all would be, such as:

How about the increased crime scene, which would require a significant increase in our police force?

How about the increased drug problems, which already cost a fortune to try to control?

How about the little guy (by the thousands) who can least afford to lose at gambling?

How about increased prostitution?

How about the increased problems for people trying to raise a family in an already-expensive environment?

How many scholarships would this pay for?

The list of "how abouts?" goes on and on. Could there possibly be any public figures or former public figures who have been enlisted to help promote gambling in Hawai‘i? For heaven’s sake, I would hope not. Perish the thought.

I think Hawai‘i has enough problems to solve right now without adding gambling to the list. Viva Las Vegas forever. That is the best solution to our problem of gambling in Hawai‘i.

Jim Gunn
Kalaniana‘ole

Highway roadwork could be done faster

With only days prior to the start of the Kalaniana‘ole Highway roadwork near Kalani High School, the Department of Transportation has yet to determine the actual schedule.

In an effort to satisfy both daily commuters and area residents of this vital corridor, if the required permits allow and those involved concur, work could be performed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

For commuters, this would free up Monday and Friday. For residents, noise would end at a reasonable hour, and only on three nights per week. For contractors, this would allow 36 hours of work per week, compared to only 30 hours per week if work was done between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily. For construction crews, the time to mobilize and demobilize would occur three times per week, offering valuable time for actual roadwork.

Perhaps then, this project could be completed sooner, saving time, money and convenience for everyone.

Ken K. Inouye
Kapolei

Civil service reform bills are bottled up

Your recent editorials timidly supporting long-overdue civil service reform sadly confirm the unfounded adverse political clout of Hawai‘i public unions.

The plethora of mandatory studies, audits and recommendations remains bottled up in legislative committees, whose members, beholden to union support at the polls, choose not to act on them.

What say you, Gary Rodrigues, when the vaunted U.S. Postal Service now acknowledges the necessity of utilizing Fed Ex (after 226 years without privatization) to provide air delivery of priority, express and first-class mail with a $6.3 billion seven-year contract?

John Kingsley
Member, Public Concern Foundation

Safety behind wheels must focus on alcohol

Catherine Toth's informative article about teens and driving (‘Ohana, Feb. 4) gave parents and their children excellent tips for highway safety. However, there was one glaring omission in the list of ways for youths to be safe behind the wheel. There was no mention of alcohol or other impairing substances and their role in teen crashes.

Highway crashes are the biggest killer of teens, and a high percentage of these crashes are alcohol-related. In 1998, 63 percent of fatalities for youths aged 15 through 20 were alcohol-related.

Even though Hawai‘i and every other state in the nation has a "zero tolerance" law for those under 21 (it is illegal to operate a vehicle with any measurable amount of alcohol in the driver's system), some teens choose to drink and drive.

For those readers who are parents, if the drivers’ education course your teen is taking doesn't talk about alcohol, strongly suggest that an alcohol component be added. Information about alcohol and drinking and driving will help keep young people safe now and in the future. Parents need to reinforce this message when their children begin to drive.

For information about teens and alcohol, parents and teens can contact Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD-Hawai‘i) at 532-6752.

Carol McNamee
Founder, MADD Hawai‘i

Who said tourism is our golden goose?

Isn’t it time the mayor realizes who his constituents are? The tourists neither voted for nor supported him, yet they seem to be the beneficiaries.

In comparing highly residential areas, such as Makiki, with Waikiki, it is clear whom he wants to impress. Don’t the constituents who live here 365 days a year deserve the same kind of beautification? Why them, not us?

This "economic engine" benefits the industry and the tourists, while its growth leads to more low-paying jobs (as any tourist industry does) overcrowding and traffic-congested streets and highways. The tourist tax dollars are mostly put back into that industry for promotion, infrastructure, etc. Overcrowding always lowers quality of life and the standard of living.

Meanwhile, we have sacrificed our best local spots by giving them over to those who do not live here, perhaps spending one day of their lives enjoying Hanauma Bay, etc. It’s too crowded for us to enjoy. Favorite surfing sites are crowded, with no room for our locals, where even parking spots are hard to come by. The Natatorium push makes one suspect it is another extension of tourism that will crowd one of the few spots left for residents, the Kaimana Beach area.

How much of our scarce water is used for tourist laundry alone? We are told our electricity is going to cost a lot more for increased demand. How much electricity is used in Waikiki?

Finally, there is the latest push for ecotourism, which is the worst possible thing to impose upon our fragile environment. Hanauma Bay is the handwriting on the wall. Please keep quiet about our trails.

Carol Metz

What if police received their due?

"What if?" is usually the question posed by Monday morning quarterbacks. So as I reflect on the shooting tragedy that took place at Ala Moana Shopping Center, I began to ask ... what if?

What if the media and the public were able to acknowledge that there were six immediate victims in that tragedy? First and foremost, the woman who lost her life, and then the five police officers who risked their lives and were forced to stop the suspect by using deadly force. Not to mention the several other police officers who were in the line of fire while trying to get innocent bystanders to safety.

What if the media were just as quick to thank those officers as they were in publicizing alleged police misconduct?

What if all the persons whose lives were in harm’s way at Ala Moana were to publicly thank the many officers who risked their lives to save theirs?

What if the media and public were aware of the emotional stress that all the officers involved in such a tragic event have suffered and continue to suffer, but still manage to conduct themselves with courage and professionalism under extreme measures?

The public and media are quick to state that police officers should be held to a higher standard, but what if everyone were to hold themselves to that same standard? What if police officers were paid what they are entitled to because they are held to a higher standard? What if everyone had to feel the anxiety whenever there is a shooting of that magnitude or a daily domestic violence situation, that their spouse who is a police officer may not come home alive while performing his or her job?

In an imperfect world, the media and the public expect police officers to be perfect, and nothing less will do, yet no one realizes or understands that police officers have to make life-or-death decisions in seconds. To this day, no one has come forward to say thanks to the many police officers who are heroes in my eyes for the outstanding job that they did to protect so many at Ala Moana.

To them and all the other officers who protect us each and every day, thank you very much.

Stanley Garcia

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