GRAND JURIES

REPORTERS SHOULDN'T GET SPECIAL TREATMENT

David Shapiro's July 6 column exemplifies the reason the public has lost respect for reporters.

Shapiro's assertion that reporters deserve special treatment with grand juries is rubbish. Grand juries are a fundamental cornerstone of the judicial system, and no one — especially self-appointed reporters — can be allowed to stand above them. What credentials, other than working for the press, would Shapiro recommend to allow these people special considerations?

Tom Rush | Hawai'i Kai

BAD SYSTEM

BOTTLE LAW WASTES WATER, TIME, MONEY

What is the true cost of our present recycling system for cans and bottles?

At the beach, you see the showers being used to clean the cans and bottles, but recently I also passed a few homes where the families were using their hoses to clean out those cans and bottles. Gallons and gallons of water down the drain — not just a quick rinse of the container as it is supposed to be.

Water is Hawai'i's most precious commodity, and not a drop should be wasted. The present system requires you to sort, clean, drive to a recycling depot (time and money), stand in line (cost of time) ... frustrating. Recycling is a must, but the state should adopt systems similar to other states and countries where it is taken care of with the garbage and is mandatory.

Ruth C. Heath | Pearl City

ENVIRONMENT

MASS TRANSIT BETTER THAN REDEMPTION LAW

Ecologically, mass transit is much better for the environment than the dysfunctional bottle law and will help boost our economy and lower our overall taxes.

The bottle law has a built-in 20 percent tax or fee on the consumer and an excise tax on the company that returns your 5-cent deposit. The bottle law barely provides any real ecological benefits, as there are more efficient and more effective means of recycling. Furthermore, garbage collection is a county responsibility and the additional tax and consumer fees go to the state.

Mass transit would boost our economy, as it has done historically every time and in every place. Mass transit would reduce our dependence upon oil and all its toxic and economic consequences.

However, we need a functional mass-transit system, not a patchwork "corridor" approach that would interface with, not displace, existing transit systems. If the system is designed well to serve the entire community, it will get broad-based community support.

If the transit system is properly designed and convenient, people will want to ride. This will take cars off the street and save individually thousands of dollars a year by not needing a car, car insurance and gasoline. In addition, with fewer car accidents, we will have fewer car accident injuries and reduced healthcare insurance costs.

Myron Berney | Honolulu

AKAKA BILL

LINGLE'S SUPPORT OF POTENTIAL CHAOS BAFFLING

How can Gov. Lingle support the Akaka bill? How can giving those with any amount of Hawaiian blood a status not allowed those without Hawaiian blood benefit the state of Hawai'i? Declaring Hawaiians a separate "tribe" even though they are interspersed throughout the state creates all kinds of questions.

Neighbors using the same services, utilities and schools may have a very different status. One will pay taxes and charges, while the other, as a member of the "tribe," may be able to "negotiate" these taxes and charges. How can the governor know where these "negotiations" may lead? In the meantime, those without any Hawaiian blood would probably pick up these tabs.

Gov. Lingle's strong support of the Akaka bill absolutely baffles me. Shouldn't she represent all of us?

Bob Henninger | Honolulu

BREAK-IN

JOYOUS HOMECOMING MARRED BY CRIMINALS

After relocating to Las Vegas in January 2004, we were so excited to go back to Hawai'i to attend our grandson's graduation from Wai'anae High School. The ceremony was nice, especially since it was held at the school field with the ocean as its background. Lots of pictures were taken of family and friends. It was a beautiful day. More pictures were taken at his party, the family picnic at Barbers Point, the visit to my brother's new home in Ka'a'awa, Chinaman's Hat and the beautiful beaches.

All these wonderful memories were taken away when we stopped to have our favorite saimin at Boulevard Saimin in Kalihi. Our van was broken into in broad daylight while we were having dinner, and all my daughter's luggage was taken. She had celebrated her 21st birthday in Hawai'i, and all her gifts, including gifts she had bought for her co-workers, were taken. Our camera was also taken and all our memories with it. Of course we were angry and disappointed and hoped the police might have recovered some of the items, especially the camera.

It may be a while till we go back "home" again, but I hope other former Hawai'i residents never go through this experience.

Jan Monroy | Las Vegas

TAX HIKE

AMBIGUOUS PROPOSAL SMELLS LIKE A RIP-OFF

Our elected officials want to enact the largest tax grab in years, but nobody has anything more than a vague idea of exactly what they're going to do with the money. They can only say that somewhere around "here" they're going to build a transit system of an as-yet-undetermined nature, going to someplace about "there," via a route still to be decided upon, with stations at places they'll figure out later.

A primary tenet of fiduciary responsibility is to know what you're going to do before you arrange financing. Yet recent issues of The Advertiser have been filled with arguments, none of which address this.

On June 24, Rep. Ryan Yamane, D-37th (Mililani, Waipio), pointed out that no specific plan has evolved, but calmly assures us that we shouldn't let that scare us, just go ahead and fork over the cash; they'll figure out what to do with it. Sure they will! On June 26, a Page One story chronicled a continuing history of government misspending on projects that had not been properly planned.

The main difference between the past rip-offs and the current issue is the scope — they were just for millions; this is for billions. Also, they were the result of poor planning. This venture has no planning whatsoever. We must dump this plan, and dump all politicians who back it.

Don Powers | Kahuku

TRAFFIC

START USING THE BUS BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS

Isn't it simply amazing how much less traffic there is during the summer months when school is out?

The reason for this, most people would say, is that parents are not having to drop off children at school. Hmmm, this does not make sense. These very same parents are still driving to work, right? They did not quit work just because the kids are out of school.

Ahhh, I get it. Mommy and Daddy gave little Joey or Suzy a brand-new Honda or Toyota Tacoma as a birthday or graduation gift, so therefore these are the vehicles you are not seeing as much on the road these days, right?

Utilize the bus, people. I dread the day when school starts again.

Scott Leeper | 'Ewa Beach

'ADMOBILES'

ROLLING BILLBOARDS MUST BE CURBED

Just a couple of comments in reference to the article about The Outdoor Circle in Sunday's Advertiser. In the subheading of the article, it said that the Outdoor Circle was 78 years old. In fact, The Outdoor Circle is 93 years old, and it was 78 years ago that it finally succeeded after 15 years of relentless hard work to relieve Hawai'i of the visual pollution of billboards

Second, a new major concern that the article spoke of was the "Admobiles." These rolling billboards are apparently operating through some loophole in the billboard law. What the article did not mention is that these trucks do not serve any other purpose than advertising, adding to our already-congested roadways and burning gasoline. They are not used for transporting goods, people or offering any other services.

On July 5, we celebrated Gov. Lingle signing a bill prohibiting airplanes from pulling "flying billboards." Hopefully we can soon have the same success with the "rolling billboards."

Alan R. Wehmer | Outdoor Circle, North Shore Chapter