Letters to the Editor

Rail system must have airport-Waikiki route

I am a supporter of many, but not all, public transportation projects. Since I travel a bit and use other cities' and countries' systems, it's only fair.

I support O'ahu's efforts to build a light-rail system. However, the design I am going to support, in this newspaper, at public hearings and with my tax dollars, better have an airport-to-Waikiki direct connection as an integral part of the plan — one of the first constructed parts; one of the parts that forcefully overrun the NIMBYs.

And while the state and city DOTs are at it, get a bridge over the Ala Wai at University (and yes, I have lived on both sides of the canal and will do so again).

Hawai'i's roads are poorly constructed

Asphalt roads, as constructed here in Hawai'i, are not impervious to moisture penetration. Whenever moisture seeps through the layer of asphalt, it comes in contact with the substratum. The substratum material, when wet, becomes viscous, thereby creating soft spots in the road. The result is a pothole.

In the past on the Mainland, I saw many new asphalt roads that were sealed with a thin layer of liquid tar, followed by a thin layer of sand or fine gravel. I don't expect to see this type of road construction here in Hawai'i.

We should have been prepared for storm

So goes another storm, only to find hundreds of people stranded around O'ahu, trees blocking roads, schools closing.

As The Advertiser reported, "The National Weather Service had warned residents for three days about the winds ... " yet what was done to plan for possible impact on driving as well as school closings?

Consequently, it wasn't until 8 a.m., after the winds had been blowing for at least three hours, that schools started closing. This was after parents dropped children off at school.

I am continually amazed after living in Hawai'i for over 21 years that the state Civil Defense has yet to implement pre-emptive plans to preclude possible injuries by encouraging people to stay home and off the roads during terrible weather.

When will we learn?

Discipline is needed to prevent new fights

Congratulations to Herman Frazier, June Jones and the University of Hawai'i for the professional handling of the Hawai'i Bowl incident.

By accepting responsibility and handing out appropriate punishment, they acknowledge that the exhibited behavior had no place on the football field.

Now it will be interesting to see how the University of Houston responds.

Hopefully, the UH administration will teach its student athletes how to compete aggressively without resorting to trash-talking and unsportsmanlike tactics.

As an avid sports fan, I have enjoyed viewing many hard-fought battles on all levels of competition where at the end of the game the aggression simply stops and victors and losers alike shake hands, embrace, congratulate one other and wish one other well. This behavior is simply called discipline, a learned behavior that translates to better performance and fewer penalties.

Coincidentally, it also builds "strength of character," which should be why we play sports in the first place.

As Hawai'i's team, UH should not only strive for excellence on the field, but to be known as the classiest operation in sports. After all, nothing is more demoralizing to an opponent than a gracious winner full of aloha who has just obliterated your butt in competition.

Kamehameha board deserves pay raise

Your editorial on the Kamehameha board of trustees pay raise tells me you've lost your way regarding a full understanding of what this boards does.

First, for you to dismiss the efforts of the compensation committee members and send them on their way says to me you don't fully understand and appreciate the value of such a committee. True, boards should set policy for staff to implement. Unfortunately, we don't all live in a perfect world, and boards often need to go beyond the manual.

Second, you point out the board is already paid at the top 2 percent of public charities. OK. You get what you pay for. Don't compare this board with the previous board's compensation. The $180,000 is a far cry from their million-dollar salaries.

Last, boards bring two basic talents to the table: work and wisdom. If the compensation committee feels this board's work and wisdom justify the proposed pay raises, then quite possibly board members were underpaid for their efforts to date and should now be compensated accordingly.