A West O'ahu college need not be entirely new from the ground up. A few years ago, the Barbers Point base closed, leaving behind empty buildings and barracks. With a few upgrades like Internet access, a coat of paint and air conditioning, those buildings could be part of the new school.

S. Pang | 'Ewa Beach

WITH BIKEWAY

MASS-TRANSIT SYSTEM SHOULD CIRCLE ISLAND

Here's the design big picture: Build a rail system like the new one in Las Vegas. Run it right down the center of the right-of-way on the highways and freeways from Makaha to Hawai'i Kai, a loop encompassing the Second City and Waipahu, and a loop from Likelike into King Street, downtown and onto Kapi'olani, up University and tie it into UH. Branch off to the North Shore, go around the Windward side, east through Waimanalo and around to Hawai'i Kai.

This would obviously use land that is already a right-of-way, saving gazillions in land acquisition costs and political manipulations.

Make rapid transit available to the entire island, and a tourist attraction all by itself. Residents would be able to buy a pass at reduced rates; tourists would pay more. The system is quiet, comfortable and efficient.

Yes, there will be people complaining about their view plane, but that will happen no matter where the thing is put. But it will save a lot of heartache and impact on Hawaiian lands in terms of disturbing grave sites, etc., as was encountered with the H-3.

If you really wanted to get crazy, you could build a 10-foot-wide elevated bike lane on either side of the support system with a $1 daily unlimited access entry fee. This system would provide rapid transit for a huge portion of the people who commute to work and a safe place to ride a bike to work.

Art Simpson | Former construction project manager, Honolulu

NO RAIL

MAKE BUS RIDES FREE

When and if the city gets the increase in the excise tax, it should be used to make it free to ride TheBus. What a great incentive to increase ridership, and it would benefit all of O'ahu. We don't want to cover our beautiful island (which is shrinking) with rails, rail stations, etc. Too bad if a lot of people thought they would make money building all that.

Mary Moore | Kailua

DEFENSE

COAST GUARD SHOULD BE REUNITED WITH NAVY

Our hard-working Coast Guard has been shortchanged for years ever since it was separated from the U.S. Navy and placed in the Department of Commerce.

The solution is to put it back in the Navy, where it rightly belongs. As a marine engineer, yachtsman, fisherman and cruise ship enthusiast, I urge everyone who goes to sea to write to our congressional delegation, urging it to put the Coast Guard back in the Navy.

As an island state, we need a strong, well-financed Coast Guard equipped with state-of-the-art ships, boats and technology. The need for homeland security demands it, and so should we. (Perhaps one of your reporters could revisit the reasons for removing the Coast Guard from the Navy.)

Harry Boranian | Lihu'e, Kaua'i

LEVITICUS

BIBLE IS QUITE SPECIFIC ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE

William Woods' and Lance Bateman's outlandish statement in their July 13 letter saying that "Jesus made absolutely no statements about marriage and homosexuality" is absurd.

Jesus was very clear on marriage when he said, " ... at the beginning the Creator made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh" (Matthew 19: 4-5). Or, how about God saying to Moses, "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable" (Leviticus 18: 22).

Gay activists can try all they want to reinterpret the Bible for their own selfish purposes. But it won't work. They might win a few victories in the courts, but the people will never accept or condone gay marriage. Seventy percent of Hawai'i residents said no to gay marriage with a constitutional amendment in 1998. Now, 17 other states have done the same. Another 14 states are in the process of passing similar statewide amendments protecting traditional marriage.

If Woods and Bateman want to live happily ever after as a married couple, I suggest they move to Canada, Spain or the Netherlands.

Keith Ahina | Kailua

STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT LAB OPEN WITH COMMUNITY

Openness and transparency have been a key component to this administration, and we were disappointed in The Advertiser's position that the state has not been forthcoming in its activities.

The Department of Health provided and will continue to provide information openly about our state laboratory activities (plans to build the BSL-3 laboratory were included in the original building plans discussed during public hearings held around 1991). Laboratory staff have presented information at neighborhood board meetings and have invited board members and legislators to tour the laboratory at various times. As any good neighbor, we welcome the chance to keep our community informed and involved.

Earlier this year, the state laboratory accommodated a Waipahu High School group of about 60 students studying epidemiology and a group of 100 St. Joseph's School of Waipahu seventh- and eighth-graders. We opened the facility to these students to encourage our youth in the study of laboratory science.

The state Health Department strongly agrees that the public has the right to know how and where the state provides these critical services. We have never refused legitimate requests for information. As part of the National Laboratory Response Network, we are also mindful of the kinds of information we release to protect the security of our state.

Safety and security have always been at the forefront of all state laboratory activities. Nationwide, no public health laboratory has ever had an incident that impacted its neighboring community. In addition, many of our state laboratory staff are Pearl City residents and take pride in the important and safe work that takes place there. To suggest that these priorities are in any way being ignored is a disservice to our laboratory staff and Department of Health.

Chiyome Leinaala Fukino, M.D. | Director, Hawai'i state Department of Health

REDEMPTION CENTERS

RECYCLING HAS BECOME BIG HASSLE

My first experience was with the Mo'ili'ili center, a dirt lot with people standing in the dirt dragging their bags of bottles and cans. Although it is posted to be closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch, I arrived there at 1:30 p.m. and found a sign, "Back at 1:50."

I drove to the Hawai'i Kai center near Costco, but it was closed on Monday.

Back to Mo'ili'ili, and about 20 people were in line dragging their bags or shopping carts in the dirt. I passed since I didn't want to eat dirt to collect my deposits.

The next day I drove to Pu'uhale Road center without a line and weighed in my collection of bottles and cans after some additional sorting for the right color and size for weigh-in redemption. I collected about $63 for a five-hour or more experience over the two days. I do work for a living and tried to remind myself this is good for the landfill.

A week later I returned to Pu'uhale center, but a different attendant this time scrutinized my bottles more. Although I collected more from my building and presorted it better this time, I received less, after learning 2-liter plastic bottles aren't redeemable. I collected $43 for about a four-hour experience.

I worked for about two hours bagging and sorting yesterday. Today I drove to the Kailua Enchanted Lake reverse vending machine location and decided not to wait in line. I watched as a few people fed the machine and had to wait about 10 seconds between each bottle before being able to put in the next bottle. I have about three garbage bags of cans, five bags of beer bottles, some green, some brown, and three bags of plastic bottles. I figured that with feeding each one at a time at three different machines, I would be there at least two hours.

I decided I will go back to Pu'uhale and weigh in instead. I won't collect as much money, but I already invested three hours in this lousy business and it's not a good thing. I've had the smelly beer bottles in my van since yesterday and, hopefully, I'll get rid of them tomorrow for another 40 bucks or so. What a lousy way to spend a Sunday morning.

I hope the system gets better somehow because I would like to continue doing my share for the environment. I also had to buy additional trash cans and plastic gloves. It's just not worth the hassle.

Bill Emmerson | Waikiki