Letters to the Editor
Neighborhood board to hold candidate forum
Your Dec. 25 and Dec. 29 article and editorial on O'ahu's neighborhood boards cited apathy as one possible reason for the erroneous perception that the boards have become irrelevant.
Perhaps this state of affairs could be remedied if citizens knew in advance what issues were to be addressed in upcoming board meetings.
The Makiki-Tantalus board, for example, will be holding a candidates' forum on Thursday, Jan. 17, for all those running for Andy Mirikitani's City Council seat. The forum will be at the Makiki Park meeting hall beginning about 8 p.m. This will offer an opportunity for area residents to find out where the candidates stand on a host of issues, including development in the Makiki area.
I hope The Advertiser, with its interest in neighborhood boards, will help get the word out.
Greg Shepherd
Citizens Against Irresponsible Development
Traffic cameras are nerve-wracking
In the Jan. 6 Advertiser, I read about how unconcerned the Dallas company was about the effect of its speeding camera system on our island.
A friend who was visiting the island for the first time and reading the headlines about the new cameras really had a miserable time driving around by herself for the first time Saturday because of the real deviousness that is built into this "Big Brother" approach by the government agency that decided to use them.
This visitor just had a very nerve-wracking trip around the island, not spending too much time out and about and not stopping to shop too much, I might add.
Patrick Janow
Kailua
Limits must be raised to safe-driving speeds
I, for one, would sign almost any petition writer Kathryn Kane might draft addressing Hawai'i's absurdly low speed limits (Letters, Jan. 9). Just tell me when and where to sign.
Traffic officials and self-righteous drivers who hog the road confuse speed limits with safe driving speeds. Most drivers do not.
To use her example of Kalaniana'ole, most of us would still drive that at 45 but for the present 35-mph limit, and many do anyway because they know intuitively that 45 normally is a safe speed there.
Few will drive faster anywhere than a speed safe for the driving conditions, and no driver or vehicle should be cited for speeding unless going faster than that, regardless of the limit posted. Limits must be raised to safe-driving speeds, guided not by some mindlessly interpreted manual but by observation of actual speeds safe drivers drive and thoughtful common sense.
Clearly, drivers running red lights and anyone going at truly unsafe speeds should be cited. But road hogs only cause road rage, and citations for safely exceeding speed limits set too low only undermine respect for the police and government.
D.P. Luna
Slower speed means better mental health
Kudos to the state Department of Transportation for its new speed limit and stop-light-enforcement activities.
Not only will the slower and more careful pace make it safer to drive on and walk along our highways and streets, it will also help reduce stress and enhance our community's mental health. 2002 already feels safer and healthier.
Greg Farstrup
Executive Director, Mental Health Association in Hawai'i
We don't want Waikiki looking like the Strip
As one of the hundreds of Hawai'i residents who travel to Las Vegas several times a year to gamble, eat and have fun, I must admit I am opposed to having Waikiki look like the Strip. I'm sure most feel the way I do about that.
I do feel, however, that shipboard gaming on cruise ships coming in and out of our ports makes a lot of sense. That way people would have to plan for it, as we do our trips to the Mainland. It would keep the problem gamblers from just wandering in off the street. We would not have the Vegas look about us.
Anita Carmichael
Hawai'i's sweet smell
I tell people that in Hawai'i, when the trades are just right, we really do have "perfumed air." Except on New Year's Eve, when we deliberately pollute the atmosphere. Just for the heck of it.
Don McDaniel
Kane'ohe
