Letters to the Editor
Hawai'i should be first to go hydrogen
As president of the Illinois Solar Energy Association, I follow with interest Hawai'i's struggle with high gasoline prices. The situation does warrant involvement of the state.
But the answer is not the expediency of price or refinery controls, but to get out of using gasoline and most nonrenewable energy.
As Iceland is becoming the first economy to be based on hydrogen, partnering with corporations like Shell, Hawai'i can become the first American state to go hydrogen.
Don't try to control an inherently inefficient and polluting petroleum infrastructure. Use fuel taxes, registration fees and a variety of funding opportunities to blaze a new trail.
The first stage can be stronger incentives to use hybrid and electric vehicles. By 2010, the beginning of a photovoltaic, wind and ocean thermal-fueled hydrogen system can fuel fleet vehicles. By 2020, fuel cell vehicles using hydrogen can be mainstreamed into the transportation system.
Hawai'i has the geographic and renewable-energy assets; the challenge is whether it has the vision and political capital.
Mark Burger
Oak Park, Ill.
Waipi'o Soccer complex boost to sports tourism
Score one for the home team with Manny Menendez's defense of the Waipi'o Soccer complex.
This jewel of a facility is already a big boost to sports tourism, and when the city finds the right private partner to help market it more aggressively with soccer and non-soccer events, we should only see more money into our economy. There are probably only a handful of soccer parks that come close to it in all of North America. Ours in Hawai'i gives us an edge on the competition.
For all of its potential to generate sports tourism, however, a key to the long-term success of the park will be maintaining cost-free community access as more international soccer tournaments and other events are scheduled. In managing a community resource like this, it's important to balance the need for revenues with the need for prime recreational space. We can't afford to let our desire for revenues crowd out local families who want to use it.
I'm glad to see Menendez emphasize that the city will not charge local kids and community leagues that use the fields. I hope they remember that when the complex becomes more popular as a venue for sporting events from out-of-state.
Casey Cho
Traffic lights set up to waste gasoline
Letter writer David Harrington incorrectly believes it is the Department of Transportation's "ineptitude and incompetence" that causes our traffic lights to be completely unsynchronized. He couldn't be more wrong.
It is clearly obvious that our traffic lights are so perfectly set up to allow for a maximum of time spent sitting at a maximum of traffic lights. Therefore, drivers are forced to use and buy more and more gas.
Whether this is done to benefit the general fund or the gas companies themselves, I don't know, but it is clearly government abuse of the public, which hurts individuals and the local economy. It should not be allowed to continue.
It's no wonder drivers run red lights — they just want to get through one intersection without stopping. It's no wonder drivers speed when they finally get clear of the traffic lights.
Jeffrey Esmond
Kane'ohe
Hard work showed nation we're champs
I would just like to thank and congratulate the University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team for claiming its first national championship on behalf of all the young volleyball players from Hawai'i.
For the past seven or so years, the UH men's volleyball team has been trying to get into the Final Four but was always beaten out by a bigger powerhouse like BYU, UCLA or Pepperdine. It's the university's first-ever men's volleyball national championship, and it's a good one: beating the No. 1 team in the nation in the championship game.
I would also like to thank the UH men for all the hard work they put in because now people around the nation are finally starting to realize how good the players from Hawai'i really are.
Isaiah Chang
Wai'anae
Doctor reimbursement should not be reduced
HMSA's recent announcement of a $19.1 million net profit should signal no justification for future reduction in physician reimbursements.
For years, my fellow physicians in pediatrics and internal medicine have had to provide vaccination services at a financial loss. The same situation exists for pap smear reimbursements for pathologists. Many of my colleagues have had to borrow from their pension funds to meet the costs of maintaining a 2002 practice on a 1980 fee schedule.
Have medical insurance company executives had to experience the same salary reductions?
Malcolm R. Ing, M.D.
Analysis ignored downside of controls
The May 5 headline read "Session favored the people." Kevin Dayton's analysis of the legislative session was that the people won over greedy, price-gouging big business. Dayton then allows the Democrats to portray the Republicans as supporting these price-gougers.
The fact is, The Advertiser is not qualified to analyze whether these government regulations are actually better or worse for the consumer as they relate to the entire economy.
Price controls have been shown to negatively affect the economy and in many instances to make the product inferior or less available. Our biggest problem is that we do not have a diverse economy that would give us the kind of job opportunities we want for ourselves and our children.
As Don Clegg remarked at the close of the article, "What message does that send for somebody else who wants to start a big business here? It says don't do it."
The Democrats actually hurt the future for political reasons and a "quick fix." The Democrats should have been criticized for doing something desperate to hold on to their tenuous grip on power, but The Advertiser put a positive spin on it.
How about reporting the facts, just the facts?
Stan Koki
Forget quarantine, send the dog home
After all the money spent to rescue Hokget from the Insiko, now the plan is to put the dog in quarantine (prison) for three months.
Why not use the money that would be spent to keep the dog in quarantine to send the dog home?
I never considered contributing to the dog's rescue, but I would be willing to chip in a buck or two to keep it out of quarantine and return it to its owner.
Douglas Long
Bring back benches at Fort Street Mall
As a sometime homeless person, I am disheartened by the removal of benches at Fort Street Mall by Jeremy Harris. As a frequent visitor to Fort Street, I enjoyed sitting on the benches there.
The guards at HPU would prevent anyone from sleeping on the benches. They prevent anyone from sleeping on the grass. Since this is the case, I wish the return of the benches at Fort Street Mall.
Jason S. Tom
