Tailgaters better off living in Los Angeles

Regarding Russel Noguchi's April 23 letter "Don't like tailgating? Then get out of way": As much as we really enjoyed our first vacation in Hawai'i, it seems that the inspections at the airport are incapable of preventing the import of the deadly disease known here in L.A. as the Me First Syndrome.

This insidious disease is marked by incessant tailgating, rash and rude vehicular maneuvers and speeding for no apparent reason other than selfishness, usually performed with a cell phone attached to the ear with no regard for the safety of other people on the road.

We would inform Mr. Noguchi that speed limits are just that, a safe limit and the law. If Hawai'i's police aren't inspired to enforce these laws, then at least common civility should. If he is insistent on this type of driving behavior, perhaps he would be more comfortable living in L.A., where everybody drives like that instead of in the beautiful state of Hawai'i where being laid-back seems to be the rule instead of the exception.

We hope Mr. Noguchi will consider this invitation and desist from ruining the reputation of the Islands. Thank you all for a lovely week.

Unemployment rates interpreted differently

Letter writer Doug Nusbaum (July 2) criticizes commentator Robert Rees (June 2) for misrepresenting U.S. unemployment rates under Ronald Reagan's presidency when the economy was, to paraphrase, a "slowly turning supertanker."

Still, truly, during eight years of Reaganomics, no two years saw U.S. annual average unemployment rates below 6 percent, and in six, the unemployment rate was at least 7 percent. (Essentially the same could be said of the Carter years.)

During Hawai'i's so-called recession of the 1990s, in no year did the state's unemployment rate exceed 6.5 percent. The Reagan years were so good, they were worse than Hawai'i in the 1990s?

Data are what they are; only interpretations vary.

Off with their heads simply isn't working

Regarding the "new look" Advertiser: I hope that you have a deep freezer where you are keeping the tops of the heads that you have cut off each of the writers. The ones that look as if they are peeking out of the pass-through slot in the cell door.

Can you imagine the confusion if you decide to go back to the old Advertiser and try to restore the heads to what they should be? I hope they are all properly labeled so that you don't get Lee Cataluna's top on Wayne Harada's.

Please be kind and put them back, now.

Healthcare criticism doesn't reflect reality

I am a former long-time Hawai'i resident and current resident of Tennessee, back in the Islands for a visit.

As a Republican, I am not inclined to be overly supportive of Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen; however, in all fairness, I must admit that he has done a credible job in the 18 months he has been in office, including his approach to "fixing" TennCare. While Arthur Caplan in his July 2 commentary ("Healthcare for the rich, not poor") bewails what he claims Gov. Bredesen is attempting, he offers only hand-wringing — no constructive recommendations.

Nor does Mr. Caplan even allude to the problems with Tenn-Care that threaten to bankrupt the state. Gov. Bredesen's first step was to retain an independent firm to analyze the TennCare system. One of the facts that was revealed was that TennCare was spending more for mood-altering drugs than on the University of Tennessee Medical School. This tells me that doctors (and probably pharmaceutical companies) are a part of the systematic abuse that has brought TennCare to its knees.

I'm quite sure I do not want to turn TennCare totally over to these same doctors, as Mr. Caplan seems to suggest.

Another well-documented problem with TennCare is that it discouraged employers from offering adequate medical benefits. After all, why shoulder the expense if the state will do it? Additionally, job-seekers tended to disregard medical benefits as, at least until recently, the attitude was "I can always fall back on TennCare." My adult step-daughter actually took a "fun" job with no benefits instead of a more responsible offer with full benefits for exactly this reason. So, this is not idle gossip or speculation but firsthand experience.

Whenever there is no apparent cost for a desirable service or good, demand will exceed supply. To my knowledge, no one has yet adequately come to grips with this aspect of state-sponsored healthcare. If, on a state or federal level, we continue to implement programs with no economic or other form of rationing, our economy will be devastated.

Witness Medicare — it should be a warning shot across the bow of the nation.

Navy should take over control of waterways

Strike actions by tugboat and longshore union members are supporting terrorists who wish to harm the people and the economy of the United States of America.

As a Navy veteran of the Korean War, it is my opinion that, with the increasing threats by the various enemies of our nation, Congress should enact laws to have the Navy take direct control of all harbors and waterways in our country. The Navy, with its Seabees and Marines, can better operate and protect harbors and waterways in the immediate future. The Navy can charge the users for the cost of providing uninterrupted services.

Both sides in tugboat strike deserve kudos

I am not a union person nor will I ever support such crippling organizations; however, I must give kudos where they belong. I thank the Young Brothers management for not being too tight with its wallet, and I also thank the union members for not taking advantage of the situation. All is well, and prices on our shelves should not be affected very much, if at all.

I hope TheBus management and union members look at what Young Brothers and its union members did to rectify the matter expeditiously, fairly and with little inconvenience to all of us. Remember, we have only a few years to plan countermeasures in the event TheBus management and union decide to use their 'okoles instead of their heads.

Traffic problems should be addressed

I am not a highway engineer nor a traffic planner, so pardon my ineptness; however, I would like to present my thoughts for whatever it's worth:

• Kalaniana'ole Highway at Castle Junction: With the whittling of the hillside at the junction nearing completion, I do hope the Kalaniana'ole outside lane heading toward the junction is widened enough and with a shoulder to provide runoff space during heavy rains in the area.

The Kane'ohe-bound lane was originally narrow and dangerous for too long. Trucks whose width is nearly the same as the width of the lane barreled through there and became too close for comfort in the middle lane. It was scary.

Also, the merging angle into the Kane'ohe traffic on Kamehameha Highway should be reworked so you don't have to twist your neck nearly 180 degrees to check for oncoming Pali traffic to get into the Kane'ohe lanes at the merge.

• Ke'eaumoku Street between Kapi'olani and King streets: It took me nearly 40 minutes to get from Ala Moana Center to Beretania Street in pau hana traffic. I am sure the driving public must be frustrated by the inaction of responsible parties in improving the traffic through-put in this Ke'eaumoku corridor.

Between Kapi'olani and King, the city should ban all left turns in the inner-street junctions from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Also, all street parking on Ke'eaumoku between King and Kapi'olani should be eliminated now. Do not wait until the Wal-Mart/Sam's Club complex opens, which will further worsen the traffic congestion.