Letters to the Editor

New homeless law lacks understanding

I cannot believe these guys. Who are they that they can make the homeless villains in our society? Why don't we just kick them as we pass? Why don't we just spit on them for all their worthlessness?

I'll tell you why, because we are a people of compassion and understanding.

Who among you, were it not for a few paychecks, would also be running from the police? You have to be kidding. This is a bad law.

Our aloha goes out to Waikiki victims

My heart goes out to the young newlyweds struck by the ultimate catastrophe on that peaceful sidewalk on Kalakaua Avenue.

I visualize a bride in white veils and her formal bridegroom — like the many we see, so youthful, full of joy and eagerness. My wife and I always stop with a smile for them and good wishes for the road. (Over a half-century ago, as impoverished immigrants, we paid $2 for a license and were united by a Manhattan city clerk with a warm heart, and we will never forget.)

A white wedding in Hawai'i — what a lifetime remembrance!

Now disaster beyond redress has struck here in Paradise.

Let us extend our aloha to the bereaved.

Experience shows failure of light rail

A May 28 article by UH's Panos Prevedouros and UCLA's Brian Taylor's Access magazine article "Rethinking Traffic Congestion" should be required reading for those in state and city government who think spending $2 billion on an 'Ewa-Honolulu light-rail system will do anything to eliminate traffic congestion on H-1.

Sadly, H-1 would remain as crowded as ever.

This reality is counter-intuitive, but experience across America shows that a light-rail line would do little other than enrich those who own land along the right-of-way — especially those who own property near stations.

We taxpayers would bear the cost of such a boondoggle. Meantime, how about fixing our existing highways and roads?

Make thoughtless pay for their thoughtlessness

I'd like to offer a different view about the HPD program "Click It or Ticket." It has been supported by news articles and letters to the editor.

I think the HPD should stop the nonsense. The people who get hurt by non-use of seatbelts (and motorcycle and bicycle helmets) are not smart enough or do not care enough to take reasonable care of themselves. I don't mean to call young children stupid who have not been properly taught by their not-too-smart parents about the safe use of bicycle helmets. An emergency room physician told me I am alive today because I was wearing a bike helmet when involved in a crash. I will not ride my bike without my helmet, and I always use a seatbelt in my car.

A better plan would make those thoughtless people responsible for their own medical expenses should they have an accident. Pass a law that allows insurance companies to dramatically increase the deductible on their policies, including the self-pay portion of expenses under our no-fault insurance laws, should they be involved in an accident while not using seatbelts or helmets.ÊMake it really big, say, $20,000. Those of us who do use these safety devices should benefit because our own insurance premiums should decrease.

The "Click it or Ticket" program will raise a few bucks for the government through fines, but is not likely to have a significant impact on making people smart enough to use their safety devices full-time. Maybe realizing they are responsible for the costs of their own carelessness would help more.

Better to put blame on the Palestinians

Your May 28 editorial vilifies Israel as a nation "whose policies are at the core of conflict in the Middle East." The statement is true as you issue it only if one swallows the Palestinian/Arab line uncritically.

This "conflict" has a long history. Conflict has raged around Israel since its 1948 creation by the United Nations. It suffered unprovoked attack by the united armies of its Arab neighbors on several occasions. Only after the third of these attacks, the1967 war, did Israel decide to occupy and hold territories.

Ehud Barak attempted to end the conflict by giving Yasser Arafat virtually everything he was demanding. In reply, Arafat touched off the current round of violence and suicide bombings.

What of this policy? What of the Palestinian failure to advance constructive negotiating positions? What of the Arab and Islamist policies of no agreement unless Israel happily signs up to destroying itself? What of Palestinian breaches of the Oslo Accords?

This "conflict" is extraordinarily complex. There are right and wrong on both sides — a fact you fail to acknowledge at all. As usual, you permit truth to be a casualty of your editorial views and your desire to speak ill of Gov. Lingle.