Letters to the Editor
Helmets do 'work' in protecting riders
As a neurologist who is confronted daily with the devastating effects of head injury, I must respond to the June 23 letter in which a reader states that there is no proof that head injuries occur more commonly in motorcycle accidents than in vehicular accidents or that helmets "work."
This remark misses the point. It is not that helmets reduce the number of motorcycle accidents, but rather they reduce the severity of head injury when an accident occurs.
As regards proof, I suggest the reader conduct a simple experiment. Step to the curb with a hard-boiled egg and a golf ball and throw each hard against the pavement. The benefits of a hard outer covering will be evident.
By the way, there are more head injuries in vehicular accidents not because the risk is greater, but because more people drive cars than ride motorcycles. Riding motorcycles is risky business.
Let's do everything we can to reduce the impact of head injuries in our community. Helmets do "work."
Peter W. Rossi, M.D.
Medical director, Neurotrauma Rehab Services, Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific
Cline Kahue's case shows need for action
The Cline Kahue murder and assault case sent chills up and down my spine.
I work on South King Street, and from my office window I see at least half a dozen homeless and obviously mentally ill "regulars" walk past my building every week. Some mumble to themselves while others gesture wildly and scream obscenities at unseen demons.
The fact that there are so many people like this just roaming the streets in McCully is unsettling enough. But having to worry about random acts of violence like in the Kahue case is very disturbing. How can we ever feel safe walking down the street again? We won't until these people are taken off the streets and given the help they need.
This is an election year: Are any politicians listening?
Laurie Okawa Moore
Kane'ohe
H-Power works now, will continue to do so
H-Power should be running for us, and it is. Last year the plant was "closed" (or all trash diverted to a landfill) for a total of only 51 days, not 180. Twenty-eight days is about normal. Some days there are partial diversions of waste because there seems to be more waste than H-Power was designed to handle.
H-Power handles 2,000 tons per day of O'ahu rubbish. It is a proven way of reducing trash volume and saving landfill space, and it produces enough electricity for 40,000 O'ahu homes.
It was a good idea in the days of former Mayor Fasi, and it still is. Since 1990, over 7.5 million tons (15 billion pounds) of trash has been converted into energy. How is H-Power doing now? May 2002 had the best daily production rate month in plant history. It is performing at the same rate for June.
The city has announced a plan for waste management, and it is multifaceted. Some types of waste must go to the landfill, if there is no other cost-effective and environmentally proven disposable technology available. Technologies must be proven — and not waste our tax dollars.
The big solution is to reduce the dependency on landfills. The biggest solution is expanding H-Power and ensuring that the facility continues to run as well as possible. H-Power is fulfilling its designed purpose.
Robert Webster
Kapolei
Go after the owners who abandoned cars
I read with interest the article on abandoned cars in the June 22 paper. I wonder why we, the taxpayers, have to pay to have these "wrecks" towed.
Doesn't the state have a record of who owned these cars and can't it identify the owners by the registration? Why are the owners not fined for abandoning the cars instead of properly disposing of them?
When I lived in Los Angeles 15 years ago, the city would fine the registered owner of any car abandoned on public property. Can you imagine what L.A. would look like if everyone could just abandon their cars anywhere they wanted?
I do not understand why the state cannot do they same thing here. It would put an end to most cars being dumped anywhere someone felt like it — ruining our views, beaches and tourism sights.
Dorothy Umeda
Herman Frazier isn't what UH needed
When the University of Hawai'i first announced it would be searching for a new athletic director, I was excited at the possibility of someone new coming in to inject some spark into an up-and-coming program. But now with the hiring of Herman Frazier, former University of Alabama at Birmingham athletic director, I ask if he is the best UH could find?
I'm sure Frazier is a nice man, but he comes from a program that was in deficit that during his tenure. He was not liked by donors in Birmingham and he was not even considered for the AD job at Arizona State while he was assistant AD there. It blows my mind that this is our new guy.
Evan Dobelle is a politician making a statement — that's my only explanation.
Robert Wilson
Provide incentives to bolster police ranks
We want the best security and police force in the country. Alert, intelligent, honest people who truly like their work. Let's talk about more than salary to bring experienced police and state-of-the-art procedures here.
Give them down payments on homes here and then give low mortgage payments. Give the officers and their families tuition waivers to the private schools and the colleges. Work with the Justice Department and Legislature to hand out stiffer sentences for crimes. Make drug and alcohol offenses more of a social welfare problem and build better social programs.
It is dangerous to have so few well-trained police. Who wants to be a policeman if a criminal thinks nothing of running over you or shooting at you? Enough is enough.
Helen Eschenbacher
Quarantine system should be audited
The nonsense of Hawai'i's animal quarantine policies would be laughable were it not for the considerable inconvenience and expense caused the victims — both animal and human.
If it were not for the likelihood of throwing good taxpayer money after bad, it would be interesting to have a qualified independent management consultants evaluate past and present practices. I think all would be surprised if the results didn't show the overwhelming motives (for decades) to be political and job-creating/retaining.
I think no professional, whether medical, legal, agricultural, political or journalistic, would find comfort in what would likely be exposed as scientifically unreasonable and nonsensical practices that have been perpetuated far too long. How much longer must Hawai'i visitors endure the idiocy of the bureaucracy holding the hammer? It's no longer 1902, guys and gals.
I suggest the studies or reviews that have been done have been designed to support the status quo. And that seems likely to continue until victims won't take it any longer.
Gene Leupp
Visiting Russians won't learn anything from us
It is a pity that the visiting Russian business people are being subjected to Hawai'i as a host-example of free enterprise in action in the United States. Sure, they'll have a great holiday, and I know they'll appreciate that. As a learning experience, though, Hawai'i will come up lacking.
After all, most of them are already quite familiar with socialist governmental systems. The policies put forward by Comrades Cayetano and Waihe'e and the rest of their Duma will seem all too familiar to these sons and daughters of the former Soviet Union.
They are also quite familiar already with the corruption permeating big state-supported business, utilities and banks and the politchik that comprise their (so far) unelected presidents and CEOs.
My advice to the Russians is to enjoy the beach and the sun as much as possible. Until the Cossacks revolt in some future election process and demand a real change to our system, there is little for them to learn from visiting the Pacific U.S.S.R. (United Sandwich-Isle Socialist Republic).
Ron Kienitz
Peace Department idea a personal commitment
Creating a Department of Peace, as the June 16 editorial suggests, might sound strange in the midst of a war against terrorism. But consider the experience of my father, U.S. Sen. Spark Matsunaga, who year after year introduced legislation to establish such a Cabinet-level department.
All his life my father taught peace, yet he volunteered to serve in World War II. He consistently supported a strong military, yet he worked for two decades to establish a national peace academy. He saw no contradiction, believing that peacemaking began not with pronouncements to the powerful, but as a personal commitment.
The lesson? We can deal with the realities of our world without losing our ideals. That lesson remains timely. We can't allow the need to fight terrorism to blind us to the overwhelming need to act to promote peace on Earth. And, as the song says, " ... let it begin with me."
State Sen. Matthew Matsunaga
Man and his instincts
Instinct No. 1: self-protection and self-preservation.
Instinct No. 2: to mate.
Therefore, is it not a reasonable assumption to believe that to impose a mandatory celibacy, whether to a man of the clergy or of the laity, is contrary to the laws of nature?
T. Ono
Hilo
Whither Astro Turf?
My question to the Aloha Stadium Authority: What will be done with the almost-new Astro Turf when it is removed from the stadium?
Victor Weisberger
Kailua
