Mediation is great for 'average' person

Although the Dobelle/UH mediation includes a "dream team" of attorneys with published hourly rates that most of us cannot afford, it distorts the real point of mediation for an "average" citizen.

The mediation process is designed to be a very simple way to resolve disputes. Its focus is on solutions, not on the conflict. It is cost-effective, simple, fast, private, fair and flexible. It diminishes the need for government regulation (settlements or fines) and litigation; for most businesses and consumers, it is a safety net in any customer relations' efforts.

The Better Business Bureau is one of the most recognized and most used third-party complaint-handling programs in the nation with more than 90 years of experience in resolution of disputes. Mediation doesn't get much simpler. Concerns and issues are clarified at the outset; no attorneys are required; and a trained mediator works with both parties to reach a mutually sound agreement. There are no rules of evidence, discovery or precedent.

Fair decisions are based on information provided by both parties at the hearing. Each party may pay a flat service fee to cover the costs. (Hourly fees may be incurred depending on the complexity and length of the hearing.)

Many in the judicial system welcome or mandate mediation in an attempt to lesson the burden on the tax-supported court system. Despite how much attention or team building the Dobelle/UH affair generates, let's keep in mind that mediation — if not the best solution for everyone — should be considered one of the first, simple, access-to-justice options anyone can use.

Several others also served in the military

George Dela Santos of Honolulu doesn't know what he is talking about (Letters, July 27) when he chastises legislators for not volunteering for the military.

His comments are offensive to those of us in the Legislature who served our country.

In addition to the three elected officials mentioned in his letter, several others also served in the military. Among them are Rep. Ken Ito, Rep. Joe Souki, Rep. Jerry Chang (Green Beret), Rep. Mike Kahikina, Rep. Guy Ontai, Rep. Mark Moses, Sen. Robert Bunda, Sen. Cal Kawamoto and myself (who served in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps).

Americans should share their wealth

Your Saturday editorial dealt with low U.S. PR in the Middle East and suggested we could "project a broader, more benign picture in Arab lands by letting people get to know us better." This cannot be accomplished just by Fulbright fellowships, U.S. libraries abroad and exchange programs.

Americans have the ability and responsibility as the leader of the Free World to spread our aloha to the people and really help them raise their standard of living. Much, much more effort and emphasis must be devoted to these endeavors. Time is of the essence. The longer we do not devote our resources and share our wealth among those less advantaged peoples of the world — case in point now the Middle East peoples — the larger the problem will become.

It's time we wake up and smell the coffee.

Herman Lau is a hero for saving my sister

Mahalo to a gentleman named Herman Lau who helped my sister on the H-1 Freeway.

My sister's car stalled at 4:30 in the morning. Her car was rear-ended by a car afterward. She was lying on H-1 Freeway in critical condition when Mr. Lau stopped his car to attend to her and gave assurance until help arrived. His action probably saved my sister's life, and I thank him greatly for what he did.

Stryker demonstration received plenty of spin

On July 27, William Cole reported about ordinary people supporting the Strykers. I wonder which kind of "ordinary" civilians go out to see a Stryker demo. None of my neighbors did.

Politicians liked it? I know they like the military monies that come with the Strykers that help solve economic problems politicians cannot.

A soldier admitted in the article that he drove the Stryker 70 mph on a public highway on the Big Island. Would that be an example of how the military is concerned with community safety?

A politician in the same report said that the vehicle is not for combat. Why is it called a Stryker?

Ikaika Hussey says in the article that it is "spin week" for the Stryker. I think he got that right.

Huge talent going to waste with no UH team

Hawai'i was well represented on Sunday when the Honolulu Bulls under-19 men's soccer team won the most prestigious amateur competition in the nation — the U.S. Youth Soccer Association National Championships. It is the highest level of amateur competition available to our youth and underscores the level of talent throughout the state.

With the talent we have within the state, people on the Mainland are surprised to learn that UH has not figured out how to fund a men's soccer team.

They are amazed to learn we ship all this talent off to the Mainland.

The reason always given for no men's soccer team is Title IX; however, thousands of other universities across the country have figured out how to fund a men's soccer team and satisfy Title IX.

Come on, kids with this much talent should be able to play for UH, and the people of Hawai'i should be able to watch college soccer without going to the Mainland.

Let's get a men's soccer team at UH.

News story on aggressive driving, speeding misleading

Mike Leidemann's July 26 article gives a false impression about speeding and aggressive driving. He says, "By far, the biggest causes of accidents are inattention and misjudgment, not aggressive driving behavior such as speeding and ignoring traffic signals, the statistics show."

First, "speeding" only shows up in statistics if the police report cites speeding as a cause. It is possible that speeding may not have been cited as a cause, but the driver was still driving too fast for his situation. For example, a tailgater may be within the speed limit, but is driving too fast for his distance from the car in front. He has not given himself enough time to stop or avoid a collision should an emergency situation occur.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that "Speeding reduces a driver's ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway, extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle, and increases the distance a vehicle travels while the driver reacts to a dangerous situation."

Second, even taking the statistics on face value, speeding is still a significant cause of accidents. The NHTSA says that "The economic cost to society of speeding-related crashes is estimated by NHTSA to be $40.4 billion per year. In 2002, speeding was a contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, and 13,713 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes." That is a lot of accidents and deaths that could have been avoided had the driver simply been driving at a safe speed.

Leidemann also falsely implies that you can go over the speed limit in the left lane. He says that according to some experts, a bad habit is "staying in the left lane of a highway or freeway while traveling at the speed limit or just below it." Other letter writers to The Advertiser have also tried to use the "slower traffic keep right" rule as an excuse to justify ignoring the speed limit laws while in the far left lane.

First, who are these mysterious experts whom Leidemann refers to but does not name? Second, there is no law or rule in Hawai'i that allows you to ignore the speed limits. Drivers who are speeding will be ticketed even if they are driving in the far left lane.

Finally, think about this: If you are always rushing, your trip will seem much longer than it is. And you probably won't save more than a few minutes. Chill out and enjoy the cruise, and your trip will at least feel much shorter.

Lingle wrong: sky not falling

There she goes again with her voodoo economics. Gov. Linda Lingle is once more trying to tell us the sky is falling by warning against reckless government spending and a future budget deficit. But what's the truth?

A year ago, Gov. Lingle used 30 minutes of free television airtime to denounce Democrats for creating a budget shortfall. Then she went ahead and spent all the money the Legislature had approved and made no effort to cut spending. The budget shortfall never happened.

Two years ago, the governor promised in her campaign to uncover at least $668 million in waste and fraud in state government. To date she has made no effort to fulfill that promise.

The governor also promised to work with state Auditor Marion Higa to conduct a financial audit of state government. But the governor actually vetoed legislative attempts to make that happen.

In May the Legislature passed a state budget that included a $110 million year-end surplus. Due to positive economic growth, that surplus has grown to $208 million. The state budget is in exceptionally good shape and should continue on a positive trend.

Economic indicators are up. Hawai'i's unemployment is the lowest in the country. Tourism numbers are up. Housing construction is booming. Honolulu's office vacancy rates are the lowest in the western United States.

Let's assume there is a looming deficit. What is the governor doing to reduce it? She has started by picking on the most valuable and defenseless programs — our public schools, communities fighting ice, social services, healthcare programs and the small arts programs. The amounts she threatened to cut are small in the total scope of our state budget, but large in terms of their negative impact on these organizations.

Meanwhile, the Lingle administration continues to spend in other areas. Rather than identify waste and fraud, her Cabinet officers are quick to defend their budgets and numbers of employees. They are as protective of their turf as any of their Democratic predecessors.

The truth is that our sky is not falling. We are fortunate to have a bright economic picture and solid economic growth. Democrats do not want to spend money foolishly. The state must manage its budget with care.

However, we can and should hire more teachers. We should give more resources to communities that are fighting ice. And we should stop misleading the public and using scare tactics when the facts say otherwise.