Letters to the Editor
New resident likes the aloha spirit
Lucky I live Hawai'i with its great services.
I moved here last month to take up a senior position at a leading Honolulu advertising agency. Previous career assignments have been in New York, Tokyo, Mexico City and San Francisco.
I've been busy making the logistical arrangements for our new home here: telephone, utilities, newspaper, cable, Internet, banking, automobile, appliance purchases, etc.
I have never had it so easy. Every customer service representative I have dealt with on O'ahu has been friendly, responsive, knowledgeable and efficient. I've had no chance to deploy the short fuse that is my birthright as a native New Yorker.
On a recent Friday night, at home, I was having trouble mastering a small detail of my new online banking service from American Savings Bank. Since it was after hours, I sent an e-mail asking for someone to help me the following week. The next morning, Saturday, I received a call from an employee at the bank who promptly solved my problem for me. I have never experienced service like this.
Many places in the world are friendly; others are efficient.
Honolulu seems to be both. I consider myself very lucky.
Arkie Koehl
Changing lanes in tunnels dangerous
An Aug. 4 letter from Nancy Suske lamented the failure of drivers to use their headlights when driving in the tunnels. The signs outside the tunnels inform drivers to use their headlights, and I had always been under the impression that this was a state law. In fact, I had heard of drivers being ticketed for failing to comply.
While I thoroughly agree with Suske that not using headlights increases the danger of accidents, I was surprised at her final remark about unlit cars being particularly dangerous "when changing lanes."
It seems to me that changing lanes in a tunnel is very dangerous and, in fact, should be forbidden, as that is when surely 90 percent of accidents happen.
Bryan Geoffrey
Kane'ohe
Affordable housing still critically needed
Recent letters advocating discontinuing the affordable housing requirement in Kaka'ako fail to take into account the overwhelming need of Hawai'i's people for affordable rental housing.
Your Aug. 8 front-page article "Homes, rent in Hawai'i top list" points out that rents in Hawai'i are among the highest in the nation.
Not only are elderly, disabled and young couples priced out of decent housing, but also many salespeople, security guards, hotel workers, cooks, social workers and teachers. New, affordable rentals, convenient to work, stores and bus lines, are needed.Ê
To meet this need, Kaka'ako was set aside under the Hawai'i Community Development Authority with an inherent trade-off for builders.
Developers may build in this newly redeveloped urban area if a percentage of the new homes are affordable. An improving economy and renewed foreign investment interest have spurred developers to pressure the HCDA to get rid of all affordable housing requirements.Ê
The question is not whether there should continue to be affordable housing requirements in Kaka'ako; the question is how much the requirement should be. What amount can developers bear and still make a profit? How can we best use this great resource we have in Kaka'ako to serve a broad base of Hawai'i's people?
Kathleen Hasegawa
Executive director, Affordable Housing Alliance
Makua activists aren't concerned about us
Regarding the July 30 letter by Aly Adachi, "Activists concerned about us all": I am also a resident of Wai'anae, for the past 26 years, and hope to be here many more. I, however, do not resent Adrian Silva Jr. speaking out.
He represents many voices on the Leeward Coast who are beginning to tire of the publicity Malama Makua is receiving when they are attempting to speak for the whole community.
Everyone knows that EarthJustice is behind them with the money. We who support the military do not have the money or an organization to front for us.
I also attended the public meetings and had spoken in support of continued training in Pilila'au Range. I am a Vietnam combat veteran. Ask any combat veteran, and he will support readiness. Better yet, talk to our Korean War veterans — those who survived Task Force Smith.
The activists say they are concerned about the health and safety of all the citizens on the Leeward Coast. I say, then, keep them out of Makua. Let it become a military concern for the health and welfare of their soldiers.
I have never felt that health and welfare were concerns in these meetings. The thing that comes across to me is, "Get out of America, not only of Makua, but all of the Islands."
Dan Madeira
Wai'anae
