Letters to the Editor
Waikiki parking fee discourages revisits
This past weekend, I took my family and some Mainland guests to visit Waikiki. We parked in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and had dinner at one of its restaurants.
After shopping in the center's shops and others along Kalakaua Avenue, we left for home. Imagine my disbelief when I was charged $16 for parking. This is way too expensive for approximately three hours of parking, even with a validation.
Until something as basic as parking becomes more affordable and reasonable, there really is no incentive to revisit Waikiki.
John Nakamura
We tried diplomacy, now we must fight
Regarding John Kingsley's Oct. 31 "Bombing" letter: There is a huge difference between our involvement in Vietnam (or any other military action) and America's fight against terrorists. This time they have hit the heartland of America. The "special interest" is now our interest.
We've tried diplomatic means and did not go to war after our embassies were attacked and our people were killed. We've fought four battles for the Muslims, none for Israel, and we've pushed for peace in the Middle East. We gave the Taliban a whole month to give up their terrorists. No other superpower in the history of mankind has ever tried so hard not to go to war.
But the fact is that even if we turned our backs on Israel, if we got out of every Muslim country in the world, if we bent to every demand of people who killed 5,000-plus innocent Americans and who right now are terrorizing the nation with anthrax, we would not have peace.
The thing that these "peace demonstrators" don't get is that the extremists don't want to change America — they want us dead. The leaders of these extremist groups have made this goal crystal-clear.
Once, the smartest person in the world (highest IQ) was asked, why can't there be peace? Her answer was that some people believed that there was something more important than peace: freedom.
Nani Tavares
Wai'anae
Teacher who's quitting just doesn't get it
If Mary Barnes ("I'm tossing in the towel," Letters, Oct. 28) believes that by leaving teaching she will avoid ineffective, misinformed and defiant people who fail to recognize her worth, she is mistaken.
Many people have worked hard for 40 or 60 years, enduring the same indignities recited by Barnes, and seeing efforts hampered by flawed and messy systems. Nurses, hotel workers, police, teachers — all underpaid and underappreciated; all essential to Hawai'i.
Now it feels as if our economy is trapped in a death spiral. I, like others, am reeling from shock and worry, and dream of a less stressful job. But I have responsibilities to my family, clients and employees. I have important work to do. Quitting is not an option.
My 6-year-old has a jump on Barnes; he already knows life is not fair. Now he must learn to thrive in a world more frustrating and frightening than ever imagined, but still, without a doubt, just as worthwhile. To help him embrace challenges he will face, I must, by example, guide him toward loyalty, discipline and responsibility, and away from whining and tossing in the towel. He deserves teachers who teach those same lessons; reading and arithmetic are not enough.
Perhaps it is fortunate Barnes is leaving teaching to become a student of life.
Elizabeth Ann Ishii
Democrats aren't solution to problems
Will Bob Dye ever stop thinking that things will change if only we put the same old Democrats into ever-increasing positions of leadership?
Dye's Oct. 28 commentary on Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono becoming the new school superintendent is an example of the old definition of insanity: "keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."
Hirono has certainly had every opportunity to "do something" about education. After all, she has worked with the "education governor" for the past seven years; why hasn't she made her mark in improving our school system?
For Dye to continually play his propaganda message of our Hawai'i Democrats being the solution to our problems every Sunday in The Advertiser is an attempt to "dumb down" the masses and make them believe that the Democrats are the answers to our prayers. If that were true, with our overwhelming number of Democrats already in positions of power, we would be the greatest state in the union and the greatest power on Earth.
It just ain't so, Bob.
Garry P. Smith
'Ewa Beach
Transmission lines must go forward
A recent Advertiser headline screamed: "200,000 phones down." Again, a month ago, a ruptured gas line in Waikiki caused a traffic jam and evacuation of people, tourists and businesses because of the possibility of a major explosion and fire.
Major accidents? Sure. But nothing compared to the following potential disaster:
Since the 1980s, Hawaiian Electric has been trying to improve the transmission of electrical power across O'ahu. A substation at the end of Palolo Valley is the terminal of two 138kV transmission lines, crossing the Ko'olau from the Kahe plant, that supply power to about 200,000 residents and businesses of East Honolulu. The lines are hung on telephone poles and the system is about 30 years old. If these lines were downed by storm, fires or hardware corrosion due to the elements, Pukele power would be cut off, resulting in a wide area blackout.
HECO's plan is to provide two underground lines from Kamoku station to provide a redundant source of electricity. At the lower UH area, these lines must transition to overhead lines to cross Wa'ahila Ridge to reach the Pukele station. The critics of the project see this as an unmitigated environmental disaster, ruining the scenic view of the ridge.
What would be the consequences of a blackout in this East Honolulu area?
All power would be cut off to residents, businesses, hotels, malls, markets, restaurants, traffic lights in areas including Waikiki, Ala Moana and Kewalo Basin. Gas stations could not sell gasoline and water would dry up for hillside residents.
Leonard K. Chun
Sen. Bunda protected public right to be heard
Three cheers for Senate President Robert Bunda for maintaining the public's right to participate in decisions at the state Legislature.
During the special session, the House passed a harbor-privatization resolution without allowing public testimony. This was a mistake. To get the most information and develop the best policy, the public should be invited to testify on all government proposals, particularly those that involve controversial matters affecting large numbers of citizens and large amounts of money.
Sen. Bunda was right in stopping the resolution until there is an opportunity for public testimony and full consideration. Let's hope all government officials follow his example.
Larry Meacham
Spokesman, Common Cause Hawai'i
New medical center must be first class
If we can somehow build a new, first-class medical school and research facility, let's be unafraid to recruit renowned faculty and run it like the Mainland models of excellence (e.g., Johns Hopkins, UCLA, Mayo, Cleveland, Sloan-Kettering). Hawai'i could become a world-class biomedical venue by 2011.
However, if such a project evolves instead into yet another hackneyed scheme whose occult goals are to massage the egos and line the purses of local power players and assorted labor unions, don't waste our tax dollars.
Dr. Mike Rethman
Kane'ohe
Hawai'i must improve its airport efficiency
My wife and I had a delightful 12-day vacation ending Oct 25. We were on Hawai'i Island and Maui, and in all cases the hotels, restaurants, golf courses and overall service were excellent. Our only disappointments were airport-related:
• For the 20-minute flight from Kona to Maui, we had to arrive before 7 a.m. for a 9 a.m. flight. My personal travel credo now is to avoid as many airports as possible. We will not book interisland trips in the future.
• Kona Airport's baggage-scanning machine was broken, and one employee was assigned to manually check each bag for traces of explosives. Very slow.
• On departure day on Maui, The Advertiser ran an article on airport delays, together with a picture of an awful line outside Maui Airport. You scared us into arriving 3? hours early. Big mistake: Check-in was a snap and we had 2 1/2 hours to kill in the airport.
The flying public must have a predictable, reasonable and functioning air travel system or they will stay home to avoid the hassle.
Robert Robinson
Bermuda Dunes, Calif.
State workers came through during crises
Over the past month, public attention has been heavily focused on the state's response to the economic disaster resulting from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on our nation. However, I would also like to point out the largely overlooked performance of some public servants on the front lines of this crisis.
The Unemployment Division of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations was overwhelmed by the rush of unemployment claims that were filed in a very compressed period of time. Amazingly, they were somehow able to ensure that even the virtual doubling of filings did not result in any unnecessary delays for these displaced workers receiving their benefits — a truly remarkable performance.
Simultaneously, the state had to contend with an outbreak of dengue fever on several islands. The men and women in the environmental health section of the Department of Health acted quickly to contain the situation and kept the public informed, preventing an outbreak of mass hysteria that could have further eroded travel to Hawai'i.
The dedication and commitment of our public servants are often taken for granted until a crisis hits. I extend my personal mahalo to these fine employees for jobs well done.
Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
