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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, January 16, 2002

Letters to the Editor

Camera complainers should grow up

I am amazed at all the whiners and crybabies on this island concerning the laser speed violation program.

  • Our elected officials have the right and obligation to control the public roads by use of police, signs and, yes, laser. If you don't like this, take the bus and don't drive.
  • A driver's license is a privilege, not a right.
  • No one has any expectation of privacy on our public roadways. If you want privacy, stay at home.
  • All violators must be ticketed. Police, who are frequently seen speeding and running red lights, stop signs, etc., must follow the law unless they have their lights on.
  • Laser cameras should be set up at stoplights as soon as possible. People running stoplights place others at risk and should be off the roads or face increased fines and insurance premiums.

Grow up, people.

Joseph Alexander


O'ahu highways weren't built for high speeds

A friend recently returned from a visit to California where he hadn't been for several years. He told me that the first thing he noticed when he came back was how narrow our roads are and how fast people are driving.

He also said that when he first left California, the speed limit was 55 mph on the freeways. It's now 65. He said that he always obeyed the speed limit and that other people passed him as if he were standing still.

My point is twofold. First, Hawai'i's roads were not built for the kind of speed people are now driving (especially the Pali and Likelike highways).

The second point is for politicians: Learn from California.

When it raised the speed limit to 65, drivers soon began going 75 and 80. I promise you that those who are going over the speed limit today will still be going over a higher speed limit by the same amount.

Brook Bone
Kunia


There's simple way to avoid tickets

To all you mental midgets out there who keep caterwauling and belly-aching about traffic cameras:

  • Don't speed.
  • Don't run red lights.
  • Don't forget that driving on our streets is a privilege, not a right.
  • Do set a good example for your kids.
  • Do obey all traffic laws.
  • Follow the first five and guess what? No ticket.

Tom Gartner
Mililani


Unshackle the police

I have a novel solution to the problems at the Kailua boat ramp: Let the citizens' patrol take over the police duties of watching the many road-construction sites in the area. The citizens can talk story with the workers and, over time, will develop that same slack-jawed sleepy look as they stare into the hole instead of watching traffic.

This would free up the police to do ... police work.

Robert Becker


Lawsuit will contest merger of airlines

As the newest candidate for Honolulu mayor, I am simply appalled that most of our political leaders have already gone on record in support of the Aloha-Hawaiian airline merger.

There are just too many questions that remain unanswered, and no one appears to be that moved with the consumers' interests.

In this regard, I and my supporters in the "I Luv Hawai'i" committee are preparing to file our own pro se lawsuit to prevent this merger from going through. If any of your readers wish to join us in this campaign, they are most welcomed to file with us at: ILuvHawaii@royal.net, or they may call us at 561-4826.

Norbert Perez


Encouraging breeding of birds a bad idea

Although the Jan. 9 letter from Z. Zolo about encouraging the breeding of wild parrots brings up points that might look good on the surface, adding to Hawai'i's alien-species problems in this way is more costly than beneficial.

Most of Hawai'i's residents may be unaware that Hawai'i's native plants and animals represent one of the wonders of the world, with thousands of species that are found nowhere else on Earth. Thanks to efforts by enterprising teachers, nonprofit groups and concerned individuals from all sectors, this is slowly changing.

It will be far more beneficial for Hawai'i's people, in terms of both economics and quality of life, to make all possible haste to stop the spread of alien species here and preserve the native plants and animals that make this place unique on the planet.

Jobs, healthy watersheds and a stunning island home that is the envy of snake- and weed-infested islands everywhere can result from a policy of preservation rather than short-term exploitation.

Mary Ikagawa


State growth story was under-played

I was dismayed to see that you chose to "bury" on Page B7 the story about the very slow growth in state spending.

When the governor, his administration and legislators work hard for eight years to control the growth of spending, such "good news" doesn't seem important.

Also, please note that "doing more with less" is hard for all government employees, not just our leadership. However, when the legislative auditor points to even a minor mistake, you splash it all over the front page.

Too bad your newspaper can't give credit where credit is due and support all of the thousands of state government workers who work hard to make this state great.

Gregory P. Barbour
Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism


Property assessors are harassing us

I recently purchased my home for less than the appraisal report's $200,000 value. The city Real Property Assessment Division's value that year was $231,000. My certified appraisal, along with the property's small 750-square-foot house and severe condo declaration expansion restrictions, verified the lesser value; therefore I appealed.

The city's appraiser took two hours in measuring every nook and cranny, ignoring plans by the architect and surveyor, and asked questions unrelated to determining market value, such as "Were brokers involved in the purchase?" I felt pressured into accepting their value after being informed of the high cost to re-appeal to the next level.

Now, just weeks after losing last year's appeal, I received my current assessment at $330,000. Now we all know that condos did not appreciate 43 percent last year, but I was informed that I have to pay another fee and appeal all over again because every year is different.

Maybe they should change their name to the city Real Property Harassment Division.

Charles Woods


Police need to change policy on accidents

The article by Eloise Aguiar in the Jan. 5 Advertiser concerning the "Waimanalo crash — lack of evidence" indicates a need for a uniform policy by the Police Department to retain valuable evidence whenever there is a death.

Our prayers go out to the family that lost a wife and mother.

Why is it necessary to place the driver behind the wheel for prosecution? People have been convicted on circumstantial evidence. Who was the driver of the suspect car? Shouldn't the injured individual found at the scene be able to provide this information? I think a jury would be able to come to a logical conclusion.

Just think if the vehicle were available: fingerprints on the steering wheel, DNA of any bloodstains around the driver's side.

Why was the vehicle destroyed? Is it now possible that the Police Department will be sued and the taxpayer will foot the bill?

Funny how some cases are closed quickly as in this case and others drag on for years. Food for thought.

John Gallagher
'Ewa Beach


More bicycle lanes needed in Honolulu

I must agree with Greg Kai from Seattle in his Jan. 8 letter. I, too, commute by bicycle to work and back every day. It is a 3-mile ride each way from Mo'ili'ili to downtown, and not a single day goes by that I don't get a "close call" from some motorist.

Either I get close to being side-swiped by a vehicle trying to squeeze around me in my lane or I get cut off by a car turning right in front of me or some other careless move.

There seems to be no respect or courtesy for cyclists. I'm sure it is frustrating to be stuck in traffic, but please drive safely around us. Cyclists are extremely vulnerable to a 2,000-pound vehicle; getting killed would be pretty easy. We definitely need more bike lanes for streets like King, Beretania, Kalakaua, etc.

If we try to be safe and ride on sidewalks, we get ticketed by police, or at least yelled at by pedestrians.

Derek Bryant


Aloha Stadium just making excuses

Edwin Hayashi's defense of Aloha Stadium safety precautions is typical of obstinate bureaucrats who refuse to listen to the public. He says after the Sept. 11 attacks, Stadium Authority officials "took a long, hard look at their policies." If so, they need glasses.

Nowhere in his Jan. 10 letter does he explain how the new rules actually make the stadium safe from terrorist attacks. The fact that someone can plant plastic explosives in their shoes is ample proof that cursory bag searches merely give the illusion of security.

It's as if the authority thinks a terrorist or warped individual is going to load up a backpack (or large purse) with sticks of dynamite, tape a big ticking clock on it and try to sneak it in under their noses.

Furthermore, how does checking fanny packs prevent some nut from walking through the gates with a knife or gun in his pocket? Are stadium security guards going to start frisking everyone? Or should we ban all pants with pockets, instead?

Hayashi says they allow fanny packs because if they only allowed purses, "our male customers would feel excluded." Huh? Why does it have to be one or the other? Is it faster to search a fanny pack than a small purse? I don't think so.

He goes on to justify their confiscation of water bottle caps by pointing at incidents in Mainland stadiums that involved unruly fans throwing plastic beer bottles onto the field. Um, excuse me, but could that have been a result of what was inside the bottles? Can he cite one example of an unruly fan drunk on water who tossed his bottle at a ref or player?

Hayashi says they check ticket stubs so fans will stay in their designated seating area, and claims it makes the walkways less congested. That is nonsense. The entries to each section are now cordoned off, which backs up lines of fans as they fumble through pockets to find their stubs. Once you're inside, though, you can move between the orange and blue levels from one end to the other in each section anyway.

So what do these checkpoints accomplish? Nothing, except further irritating the vast majority of fans.

For lessons on how to implement sensible security measures, the Aloha Stadium Authority need not look any further than the Stan Sheriff Arena in Manoa. There they allow women to bring in purses. Those who bring backpacks or purses go through a designated entry, so fans without bags don't have to wait in long lines like at the stadium.

And the UH arena even permits fans to bring in empty plastic bottles so they can get water free of charge — unlike the stadium, which does its best to extort every penny it can from fans for their grossly overpriced food and beverages. (To date, there have been no incidents in which capped water bottles have been used as projectiles inside the arena.)

Hayashi seems to forget it's the people who buy tickets to stadium events who pay his salary. He and other close-minded management personnel should either get with the program or get out altogether.

Rich Figel
Kailua