Letters to the Editor
Rail system is only way to ease traffic
The Dec. 18 article "City bus plan far from certain" reported officials as saying opposition to the Bus Rapid Transit System at the state and City Council levels could delay or derail the project.
I found the use of the word "derail" very ironic and sadly prophetic. It should be painfully obvious by now that any kind of proposed "bus rapid transit" system that does not service a "rail rapid transit" system is bound to failure. These ridiculous proposals that suggest adding more buses to already congested roadways make absolutely no sense at all.
For those who have never lived in a city with rail transportation, please allow me to explain. Here in Honolulu, as in other cities, every day, all over the world, a rail transit system works like this:
Step 1: In the morning commuters make their way to the nearest bus stop. Yes, almost all of us on O'ahu live within walking or biking distance of a bus stop. And yes, these bus stops are equipped with bike racks for those who prefer to ride a bike rather than walk. Perhaps one may even choose to be dropped off at the bus stop or train station by car.
Step 2: From the bus stop the bus takes us directly to the nearest train station.
And, as an added bonus, there are many shops and cafes there.
We get our morning coffee, read the newspaper, perhaps have breakfast with our friends and co-workers. We could even do a little early morning shopping before work. (hmmm ... helping the local economy?)
Step 3: Board the train that takes us to the station nearest to our workplace. We arrive on time, relaxed and ready for the day's work.
Step 4: Repeat the above, only in reverse. Oh, and don't forget, on your way home please stop at the supermarket at the train station to pick up those items on the grocery list.
It seems very simple, really. And, having lived in Japan for nearly four years I can assure everyone that the above mentioned daily transportation ritual works, and is the only viable way to get from here to there in the least amount of time and using the least amount of energy and resources.
Furthermore, for the Japanese people, bicycles and walking are an essential part of everyday life, and just coincidentally, Japan has one of the healthiest populations on earth. Hmm ...
Michael J. Lauck
Dual-transit system works
Chip Nakagawa, who wrote letters regarding mass transit, wants to keep things the way they used to be. No new untested developments. Force the car drivers to use the trains. They are convenient for Nakagawa, so they must be OK for everybody else.
I think people know very well what is best for themselves. Today the car is the most convenient solution, even if many people face terrible congestion every day. The trains cannot substitute for cars. New ideas are desperately needed.
Cars however may learn something from trains. Many people use the same part of a highway every day to get to their work. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the car could safely drive itself along this part of the trip while you can relax or work, perhaps via the Internet? This is what can happen when RUF is implemented. RUF cars are silent, nonpolluting electric cars that are able to drive both on the streets and to enter the monorail and become part of a train.
One such car has been built and tested in Denmark. It works.
This way you get the best of both worlds. You get the flexibility of the car combined with the efficiency of the train. On top of that, since the car runs automatically on the monorail, there will be no congestion on the monorail. The flow is well controlled (visit www.ruf.dk/rufsim.doc and www.ruf.dk/rufsim.exe).
To get to this very attractive situation, it is necessary to start the system as public transport using the maxi-RUF as a bus/train system. Once the monorail network has been established, people can start buying cars and using the monorail instead of the highway.
RUF is not far away from reality. We have a test track in Denmark. CNN visited the site in 2001 and the reporters were very excited.
RUF development is supported by the Danish government and European Union. Why wait until we have built it in Europe? Why not be the first to solve the problems? Normally the United States leads when it comes to technology. Why not give this new idea a chance? Why stick to solutions developed in the 19th century?
I think Honolulu should invite me to present the RUF solution as soon as possible.
Palle R. Jensen
Inventor, RUF System
HPD officers find better benefits elsewhere
I concur with former Honolulu police officer Jim Grindey's Dec. 23 letter. I left the Honolulu Police Department in 1975 for a better paying job in Oregon.
Needless to say, I missed everything about HPD, my family and the Islands. In retrospect, the benefits then, and now, as I move toward retirement, have made the sacrifices well worth the move. Those responsible for effective law enforcement will have only themselves to blame as more officers look east and elsewhere to secure better career and pay opportunities.
The old saying used to be, "Go west, young man," while now, at least for HPD personnel, the words have changed: "Head east, Brah!"
Tony Santos
Pendleton, Ore.
Bush has yet to chastise Lott for racist remarks
It's sad and unacceptable that Republican President Bush has still not appropriately chastised Republican Sen. Trent Lott for his recent racist remarks or the racially intolerant voting record that he and other GOP leaders hold.
It's another example of the GOP saying one thing but doing another — professing to reach out to minorities, but undermining all types of programs and legislation that would prove beneficial to them.
In fact, the Republican Party continues to support policies that hurt minorities. Just two examples: Under the Bush administration, African American unemployment reached its highest level in nine years at 11 percent, almost double the national figure. And the congressional House Republicans went home for the holidays and refused to extend unemployment benefits to millions of Americans, whose coverage ends three days after Christmas, despite congressional Democrats' pleas months ago to do the right thing for unemployed working families.
The Republicans need to learn a lesson from Hawai'i, where the Democratic Party has fought for years to uphold the belief that every American — no matter what race, creed or religion — is truly created equal and to promote true diversity in our state.
Hawai'i Democrats believe in equal opportunity for everyone and believe if you work hard, you deserve a chance at success. That's why Democrats support initiatives such as raising the minimum wage and extending college loan programs to help people help themselves.
While we have pledged to work with the new Republican administration both locally and nationally, we will continue to be unwavering in our fight against racial intolerance wherever we find it.
Lorraine H. Akiba
Chair, Democratic Party of Hawai'i
Hypocritical rant borders on disloyalty
Keith Haugen's Dec. 21 letter is shameful hypocrisy. He condemned some Republicans for making fun of former President Carter's "Nobel Peanut Prize."
How does Haugen respond to the unfair slight? By heaping shame on them and then on our other ex-presidents whom he lumped together as "the war-mongering Bushes (father and/or son)" and other ex-leaders who "start wars, invade other countries, kill innocent women and children, buy drugs from their friends who run drug cartels and supply biological weapons to irresponsible dictators, etc."
Where was Haugen's self-righteous political outrage over the many years when he performed before those following the orders of our shameful ex-presidents at the military's Hale Koa Hotel's Koa Lounge (Warrior Lounge)? Why did Haugen receive blood money pay from the Hale Koa, sell his music tapes to and receive tips from those same military personnel who were the actual ones who conducted "wars, invaded other countries and killed innocent women and children"?
I know Haugen and considered him a friend. Although it's his right, I find his sophomoric, public rant offensive and utterly hypocritical, bordering on disloyalty.
William Jennings
U.S. Army (Retired)
Volcano, Big Island
Many jobs are created by our government
I read Cliff Slater's opinion piece "Government cannot create jobs" on The Advertiser's Web site. To do this, I had to utilize the Internet, which was created by the U.S. government, and the powerful World-Wide-Web software that was developed by government-financed researchers at the CERN laboratory in Switzerland.
These government-sponsored developments are responsible for the creation of entire industries and many, many jobs. The same page that got me to Slater's article also has a link to an article entitled "GPS gadgets make practical gifts for leisure, work travelers."
Some people must be making and selling these gadgets, and I suppose they are getting paid. Their jobs depend on the GPS system that was developed and continues to be operated by the U.S. government. These are just two of many examples of jobs created by government activities.
Stephen L. Olsen
Great chiefs, chiefesses surfed with each other
After reading your article, "Women want equality on waves," I was not very surprised since it is common to have "outsiders" take something of our Hawaiian culture and have it marketed for their benefit only.
If they took some time and really respected the sport and thought about the origin they would fully understand how many of the great chiefs and chiefesses surfed alongside each other.
One woman who was known for her love of surfing was the chiefess Keleanuinoho'ana'api'api, the daughter of Maui chief Kahekili. Kelea was also the mother of La'ielohelohe, who later became the wife of the Maui chief Pi'ilani. Kelea is just one example of the numerous female surfers who ever existed.
These people should think more about the sport itself than concentrate on the best way to cash in on more bucks.
People talk about this so-called "aloha spirit." Well, if they believe that, then the least they could do is have some respect for our culture. Now that is aloha.
Kalani Mondoy
Glendale, Calif.
Hawai'i may end up losing more nurses
I find it incredible that when the stevedores even threaten to strike everyone scrambles to negotiate a raise for them. But in the midst of a worldwide nursing shortage, Hawai'i's nurses at three major hospitals must walk a picket line to get a wage that is at least slightly above the cost of living.
I am a nurse who worked at The Queen's Medical Center surgical ICU for nearly four years. I finally had to move to the Mainland.
I worked grueling hours, rotating shifts from night to day. I often worked on my days off when the unit was short staffed with sophisticated equipment that would rival the cockpit of a jet airliner. I worked in life-and-death circumstances with some of the most dedicated, professional nurses I've ever met. And sadly, the hospital administrator had no idea what I and my colleagues did on a day-to-day basis.
Does Hawai'i not think that it will lose more nurses? Can it afford to?
Lisa Pixley RN, BSN
Palm Springs, Calif.
Prevent further spread of 'world's worst weed'
Lake Wilson may be a warning of what our future can be. An invasive species, known as "the world's worst weed," has carpeted the lake, threatening to kill tons of fish. I live there and saw how fast it took over.
Now our government has decided to do something about it. It plans to scoop it out of the lake and truck it to the fields as fertilizer. What happens when some falls off the truck or is washed from the fields by rain? It goes into our drainage system. It too will be carpeted and clogged by this invader.
Remove the weeds, but don't spread them as free fertilizer. Burn it as free fuel to reduce the price of energy for all citizens. Spray the remaining weeds with herbicide. Don't fool around with the world's worst weed: Kill it.
Michael Westerfield
Wahiawa
