Letters to the Editor
Please pay attention while you are driving
My friend Sue is gone. She perished in a head-on collision when another vehicle's driver fell asleep and crossed into her lane.
I know most of us don't feel this way about it, but driving carries the same responsibility as holding a loaded gun. Somehow we have grown complacent about our driving habits. We're so comfortable and confident traveling in our mobile "shells" that we subconsciously believe nothing bad can happen. So we talk on our cell phones, drive when we are tired, drive when we are drunk, paint on our faces, read the paper, yell at our kids, play with the radio, eat, fight and more.
We all just need to stop because if we are doing anything other than driving, we're not paying enough attention.
If you give it any thought at all, you'll conclude that none of these activities is worth the loss of your life or the life of another.
So please, do give it some thought. Then pay attention while you drive. Your precious life and the lives of others deserve your full attention.
Sharon A. Suzuki
Wal-mart must be afraid of something
Why is Wal-Mart so afraid of a public hearing for the Ke'eaumoku superblock? Maybe it doesn't want people to know until it is too late that it is building the world's largest box store in the middle of a densely populated neighborhood with only narrow residential streets for access.
Why is Wal-Mart so afraid of an environmental impact study, which is required of every other building in this city? Maybe it doesn't want people to know until it is too late that it will cause gridlock for miles around with 22,000 cars and huge delivery trucks every day endangering our kids and elders, creating pollution and noise around the clock and killing local businesses.
Roy Nakamura
Landlord liability will dry up market
Very soon there will be no residential places to rent in Hawai'i.
Look in the places-for-rent ads. There are fewer and fewer places to rent. Imagine no houses, no condos and no apartments for rent. No place to live — even if you have lots of money. Why? In the state of Hawai'i, an owner or landlord is 100 percent liable for everything a tenant does.
If the tenant falls down, the landlord pays. If the tenant's dog bites people, the landlord pays ... and how. If the tenant does not clean the unit and claims health problems due to "mold" in the bathroom, does the landlord pay?
Hawai'i is a tropical place and has mold somewhere in every structure within some time period. So, coming very soon to Hawai'i: no place to rent.
Jack Martinez
Kapolei
Gingrich 'quote' false
In his Oct. 31 article, "Clinton stumps in Hawai'i," Dan Nakaso attributes the quote to President Clinton that "Newt Gingrich once told me, 'I'm sorry we have to be so mean to you, but if we fought fairly, we'd lose every time.' " Of course, this is false. Speaker Gingrich never said that or anything like it to the former president.
Rick Tyler
Director of Media Relations, Gingrich Communications
Students need more than just 'the basics'
I read your cover article on the DOE's decision to reduce P.E. requirements with disbelief. How can there be less than the paltry amount occurring now?
My son's school regularly cancels the one P.E. class per week on the schedule. Our public schools are slowly but surely cutting everything but "the basics."
This is where our over-emphasis on SAT-type scores has brought us. We know that kids need to develop the habit of physical activity, yet we cut P.E. from the curriculum.
Kids also need music and art and the theater and a dozen other subjects that have been dropped. Kids need to learn to create and be active or they will end up only being couch potatoes and spectators.
Jim Smart
Why cut back on P.E.?
After all the media blitz to exercise on a regular basis to maintain a healthy lifestyle, our Board of Education wants to cut back physical education to only half a year? Now our kids really will have a well-rounded education.
Bernard Keane
Evan Dobelle has blown his credibility
In watching the whole, sorry episode of Evan Dobelle's endorsement play out, a couple of thoughts come to mind. First, I fully agree with Gov.-elect Lingle's characterization of Dobelle's actions: inappropriate. A university president should remain above partisan politics, if for no other reason than to protect the interests of the university.
However one interprets Lingle's reactions, I take her at her word that the university will not be affected. Clearly, she recognizes UH as a major player in the recovery of our state.
But I'm not sure I can take Evan Dobelle's word again. His claim that he alone made the decision to appear in the ads just isn't believable. Dobelle has an extensive history in Democratic politics at the national level. That means political smarts. His fig-leaf explanation about such an obviously bad decision just doesn't wash. So much for the truth.
That raises the question about the real reason he appeared in the ad. Might there be some political baggage somewhere that makes him vulnerable to political coercion? Might he make other bad decisions that affect the university?
I think Evan Dobelle has blown his credibility. And we have to do what he should have done — protect the interests of our university.
Robert Kessler
Lingle has proven she doesn't hold grudges
Evan Dobelle need not worry about any adverse reaction from Gov.-elect Linda Lingle because of his endorsement of Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono. Lingle has too much class for that.
Soon after the 1998 campaign, I was elected the Hawai'i County Republican Party representative for East Hawai'i. I, and several Hilo members, had disagreements with the state party chair (Lingle) over the collection and distribution of future campaign funds. I circulated a memo to the Hilo team that challenged Lingle's position. She e-mailed me saying the memo was inappropriate. It was the way she crafted her e-mail that made me decide to apologize and resign my position to preserve harmony in the party. I did not have to, since I only had to answer to Big Island Republicans.
Her e-mail was not bitter or threatening; it was an example of how a leader deals with adversity without offending the opponent. It was gracious and spoke of loyalty with just a slight hint of disappointment. I told her I would still support her next bid and kept that promise with contributions to the state office and her campaign, working again with a new Hilo team this time.
At a Hilo rally this year, she never even brought it up and was as gracious as ever.
David Heaukulani
Hilo
Embarrass winners into keeping promises
Now the election is finally over. I wonder if there is a sign cemetery somewhere where candidates' signs go after the election.
Voters should remember the promises the politicians made. The promises should not be buried with the signs.
Maybe we could embarrass the winners into doing what they promised us.
Blackie Gadarian
Lahaina, Maui
It's not just the gays who were alienated
I am writing in response to the Nov. 9 letter from David M. Walter, who wrote to say that there is anger in the gay community about the election. I wanted to make sure that politicians know that it is not just the gay community they alienate with their anti-gay comments.
I am married with three children and was so outraged by the brochures sent to my house by Mike Gabbard's campaign that I did something I've never done before — I waved signs, for his opponent.
Those of us in Hawai'i who are comfortable and secure in our "traditional marriages" see no reason to be threatened by others wishing to be married as well.
I was greatly saddened by the outcome of this election, but agree with Walter's sentiment that perhaps people who have been uninvolved in politics will now be inspired to make their voices heard. I know I was.
Laura L. Epstein
Kapolei
Get in the race, Mazie
Regarding a replacement for Patsy Mink, I say: Go, Mazie, Go! Run, Mazie, Run!
Emmett Cahill
Volcano
There are others who also served in WW II
Time marches on and is taking its toll of World War II vets. But is it possible that Timothy Hurley's statistics are a bit off, perhaps not including those of us who served in the Allied Forces? There are quite a few here (I served in the RAF).
Then, of course, there are those who served "on the other side." Strictly speaking, they too are World War II vets.
Giv Cornfield
Double-decked toll freeway a good idea
Regarding Michael J. Lauck's Nov. 12 letter: I disagree that a rail transit system is the answer.
Over the past decade, we have seen very limited action to alleviate the amount of traffic commuters see each day of the week. It's gotten so bad that on a late Saturday afternoon, traffic is still backed up heading in from West O'ahu.
Lauck stated that a toll-operated double-decked freeway is an old idea and would be ugly, outdated and obsolete. However, on a recent trip to the Mainland, I saw more than a few double-decked highways being added or upgraded (I even paid the toll).
Honolulu isn't the town of the past. Yes, we are a bustling, dynamic and congested, new Honolulu. Which is why we need a new approach to traffic gridlock. Not a new idea, mind you. As Lauck stated, this idea is old. But I feel a "new" approach is greatly needed.
The streets in town are already overcrowded with cars and public transit. Where are we supposed to find the room to construct a rail transit system on Dillingham, in downtown or on Kapi'olani? And, let's not forget the fact that having only one rail transit system running to and from destinations won't work either. We'd need at least a second rail vehicle in the event of a breakdown, as we've seen happen with the zipper machines. Have you ever found yourself on a broken-down bus?
I feel our transit system is fine where it is. The concerns are geared toward alleviating traffic headaches going to and coming in from central O'ahu, not after we've reached our destination.
As a Hawai'i taxpayer, I support Linda Lingle's proposal for a double-decked toll freeway. It is time for a new beginning.
Michael Sasano
West O'ahu
Build a BART-like system under ocean
Regarding the Nov. 10 article about the double-decker freeway that Linda Lingle proposes: How about keeping the environment the same, lessen the cars on the road and keep the freeway the same? My solution?
Build a BART-like system under the ocean from 'Ewa Beach to Honolulu. If San Francisco can do it, can't we?
It seems the perfect solution, as there would be no congestion building it and it would be a great means of transportation for all concerned.
Of course there would be the question of needing transportation for errands to be run during one's lunch hour, but I have been in Honolulu, and drug stores and department stores alike are accessible by foot, most bills can be paid at your local grocery store or on the Internet, and there are many mailboxes around town. Also it would be a great, healthy way of getting that 20 minutes of exercise that we all need.
Debra L. Phillips
Big Island's energy problems are solvable
Jan TenBruggencate's Nov. 9 story "Lack of power unplugs parts of Big Island" is a great summary of the Big Island's energy situation. Unmentioned, however, was the real key to solving the county's ongoing energy problems.
The biggest electricity users on the Big Island are the Kona Coast resorts. Each has a peak demand of between 3 and 5 megawatts. Many of them have been trying to work with HELCO to install, at their own expense, distributed heat and generation (DHG) plants that would solve the island's problems.
DHG is a power plant installed on-site. It generates its own electricity. The heat from the power plant is captured to provide steam for the laundry, high heat for the kitchen, heat for showers and faucets, and finally, heat for the swimming pools. Because DHGs use the heat that is wasted in conventional power plants, they are about 80 percent efficient, compared to the 30 percent efficiency of the typical HELCO plant.
Why don't all resorts have DHG? HELCO is setting up huge roadblocks. One resort bucked HELCO, installed DHG and is prospering.
If HELCO would switch its policy and work with the other resorts, demand would quickly drop by at least 20 megawatts and the Big Island would rest in peace at no expense to the ratepayers.
Bradley Holhut
