Letters to the Editor

City, state aren't being fiscally sound

The city is spending $60,000 for a "demonstration project" and $635,00 for a permanent "solution" at Likini and Ala Napunani. Stop signs on metal poles would have cost under $1,000.

Is this a "make-work" political payoff project? This is just one of the many so-called "traffic calming" fiascos in progress. Add up the dollars. It could have paid for the police raises.

People want the state to include surfing in the curriculum when we can't even include termite treatment to prevent having to replace woodwork at 30 times the expense. Do you perceive incompetence and misplaced priorities? Surfing will cost much more than people think. Even if students bring their own boards, there is always the possibility of litigation for injury or death of participants and liability if a participant injures or kills a non-participant.

Give Earhart monument attention it deserves

As visitors from North Carolina, we were pleased to attend the Hawaii Aviation Celebration held at Kalaeloa Airfield with the aircraft displays, exhibits and air show. We have visited the Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kill Devil Hills, N.C., several times so it was very interesting to learn more about aviation history here in Hawai'i.

At the crest of Diamond Head Road, there is a modest monument commemorating the flight Amelia Earhart made on Jan. 11, 1935, from O'ahu to California, making her the first person to fly solo from Hawai'i to the Mainland. There is a semicircle planter around the Diamond Head marker where nothing has ever been planted, and has become a place for smokers to toss their cigarette butts.

In this year when we are celebrating the birth of flight, and will soon observe the 69th anniversary of Amelia Earhart's accomplishment, it would be wonderful to see this area cleaned up and brightened up with some beautiful Hawaiian plants.

The lookout is a popular place for people to watch the sunrise and the sunset, and a busy stop for tourists with its view of Diamond Head above and the ocean below. I think the small monument there would receive more attention if it were maintained better than it is at present.

Have police officers catch speeders in act

Whatever the politicians do, I hope they don't bring back the van cams. It cost the people of Hawai'i hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to a Mainland company. The majority of residents hated them. They caused distractions and more traffic.

Every time someone dies from speeding, you can't say that the van cams would have prevented that. No matter what we do, there will always be traffic fatalities from careless driving and accidents.

If a person drowns, do we ban going in the water? There are all kinds of risks around us. If you want to prevent speeding, there is a really simple solution: Just place motorcycle police officers in areas where there is speeding. Place them in a different area every couple of days so people will never know where they are. Take away the driver's license and auction off the car of speeders who are caught going 30 mph-plus over the speed limit.

Many years ago, there were more officers ticketing speeders. Now I hardly ever see police officers looking for speeders.

Poor sportsmanship found in the stands, too

What a game. Both teams played their hearts out, and like everyone else, I was disappointed to witness the total lack of discipline and sportsmanship at the end. But what about the rats at the tunnel?

Did you see them, too? If you didn't, you just weren't paying attention. These rats threw trash, drinks and whatever was available to them on the University of Houston players as they were exiting the field through the tunnel following the fight.

But as the police were racing to the aid of our visitors, they scurried away just like the nasty little rodents they are. Not only did we once again witness poor sportsmanship on the field, we witnessed it once more in the stands.

You know, terrorists like to shoot at our troops and scurry away to their little holes, too — just like rats!