Posted on: Monday, June 13, 2005

Letters to the Editor

Iwilei should not be end destination point

I am writing in response to a recent news article on designating Iwilei as the end destination point of the rail system. I hope that was a typographical error in selecting Iwilei as the end point.

Can you imagine if it were true that Iwilei was the end point in the rail system? One would drive from Kapolei riding the rail system into town only to stop in Iwilei. There would be a huge glut of people getting off, only to wait for a long time to board a bus to get to their destinations. No one will ride the rail if it ends in Iwilei.

Ending in Iwilei would be akin to having the H-1 end in Iwilei or traveling on a 747 bound from L.A. to Honolulu only to land on a field 50 miles short of Honolulu, where you would deplane and continue your journey by ship to Honolulu.

A poll is definitely needed to assess ridership in a system ending in Iwilei or one out to UH-Kapahulu.

We certainly don't want to repeat the fiasco when the state funded a ferry system between Iroquois Point and downtown Honolulu.

Bush is turning into reverse Robin Hood

In the news recently, President Bush revealed plans to eliminate grants that help the poor. For the casual well-to-do observer, it appears that Bush has fair and balanced policies — tax cuts for the rich, and funding cuts for the poor.

Many Americans don't realize that if tax cuts (welfare) for the rich were eliminated and the wealthy didn't have so many other tax loopholes, Social Security wouldn't be in trouble. If you look closely, you will notice that George Bush is making Richard Nixon look more like a candidate for canonization.

Parents should instill basic values in kids

I wholeheartedly agree with Alan Kim's June 4 letter on teen crimes. Parents are responsible for their children and must teach them certain values to be able to live as good citizens.

Some of these qualities are the other three R's (not Reading, Writing and Arithmetic normally taught at school). These other R's that all children should be taught by parents, guardians, etc., are to Respect people and things, to be Reliable, and to take Responsibility for their own actions. With these qualities would come less theft, graffiti, injury to others and other criminal activities.

After reading his column on medical marijuana, I think David Shapiro is smoking something stronger than pot. Shapiro blames the "ruling social conservatives" for upending medical marijuana laws in 11 states, including Hawai'i, but the "upending" was done by the liberal wing of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The 6-3 decision saw the court's four liberals (Justices Breyer, Ginsburg, Souter and Stevens) joined by conservative Justice Scalia and so-called moderate Justice Kennedy (who usually votes with the liberals). Voting to preserve the states' right to set their own policies on medical marijuana were moderate Justice O'Connor and conservative Justices Rehnquist and Thomas.

Those are the facts. Shapiro should stick to them.

Medical marijuana program is still alive

Hawai'i's medical marijuana program is absolutely not "essentially dead," and neither is that of any other state ("State's medical marijuana program 'essentially dead,' " June 7). Last week's Supreme Court ruling did not overturn any state medical marijuana laws or take away any of the protections these laws provide. It simply maintained the status quo, under which patients protected under state law still remain vulnerable to federal prosecution.

That's an imperfect situation, but it's precisely the way things stood on June 5. Nothing has changed.

U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo cannot prosecute doctors for recommending medical marijuana. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals firmly upheld a physician's right to make such recommendations, and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the government's appeal of that decision.

If Kubo goes after doctors, he will be breaking the law — and he will suffer the consequences.

Waikiki a scary place for drivers, pedestrians

I ride the bus regularly from one end of Waikiki to the other. I am constantly appalled at the number of pedestrians who cross against the light right in front of the bus.

Local people are followed by tourists who think it is OK to cross against the light. Bus drivers stop suddenly and wait patiently while these violators cross in front of them. You have to constantly be alert as a bus driver. I have to hand it to them for their patience.

But as a pedestrian myself, I have found in crossing in a crosswalk mid-block, I have to hurry because impatient automobile drivers do not slow down for me to cross.

Community against short-term rentals

Contrary to the sub-headline of your article of June 5 concerning vacation rentals ("Unlawful hospitality: Many vacation rentals operate illegally, but solving issue is splitting a community"), the Kailua community is solidly opposed to all short-term vacation rentals in our residential community.

Bed-and-breakfasts and transient vacation rentals (TVRs) are equally incompatible with a residential community for many reasons. Just the one problem of tourists on different time schedules staying up late hours when you have to get up at 5 or 6 o'clock to go to work is reason enough.

The current zoning that prohibits them is appropriate.

The "Keep It Kailua" group is, thankfully, leading the charge against legalizing these rentals. Also, the Kailua Neighborhood Board voted overwhelmingly (on June 2) to oppose Councilwoman Barbara Marshall's resolution 5-187 to legalize B&B and in favor of resolution 5-186 to regulate the advertising of "grandfathered in" TVRs.

The board has also established a committee to look into more effective enforcement of existing laws relating to these vacation rentals.

For decades, city zoning has recognized that these uses are incompatible with residential neighborhoods. The zoning allows TVRs in Waikiki resort zoning, and that is where they should stay.

Body doesn't need any more protein

In the June 9 Island Life article "The Skinny on Milk," I found a comment by Dr. Chiyome Leinaala Fukino, our health director, to be quite sad. Dr. Fukino said that milk was a good source of protein and calcium and drinking it posed no problem.

The problem with that statement is that with all the protein consumed with the SAD diet (Standard American Diet), the body needs calcium to counterbalance the enormous quantity of protein coming in. The most logical place for the body to get this calcium is from the bones. In doing so, the bones slowly become less dense and more brittle. To sum it up in one word, osteoporosis.

In all fairness to Dr. Fukino, how could she know this? After all, she's a doctor who would mandate us to drink fluoridated water if she could.

Increased pay will attract more substitute teachers

It is true that some substitute teachers are not as qualified or as effective at their jobs as others, which is typical of employees in any industry. Unfortunately, the Department of Education is faced with this basic problem, since attracting qualified people is extremely difficult with low entry-level pay.

For example, a person receiving $7 per hour earns an annual income of about $13,400 plus benefits. The average sub, in contrast, working at the current $112 per diem, earns $15,000 per year with no benefits; after paying $3,600 for medical insurance, he ends up with $11,400. Thus, a substitute teacher in Hawai'i often earns much less than a fast-food restaurant worker.

Los Angeles pays subs $156 per diem ($211 after 21 days), even providing some with health insurance. Adequate pay and benefits have subsequently attracted former aerospace engineers, curriculum designers and authors as well as over 1,000 prospects to its substitute teacher waiting list.

On the other hand, the DOE has a severe teacher shortage and spends $100,000 to attract one Mainland teacher, who often leaves after one year.

Some full-time teachers start off as substitute teachers, but many do not sub because of inadequate pay or zero benefits. Consequently, it makes sense to raise the entry-level pay to attract local people, who would stay in Hawai'i.

That is why the Legislature, Gov. Lingle and the DOE should be commended for wisely increasing the sub pay, despite a critical shortage of funds during this legislative session. Hopefully, this pay adjustment will attract and retain more qualified individuals in the teaching profession and provide the DOE with a better selection of employees.

Here's why Route E was canceled

I would like to clarify our decision to discontinue operating the Route E bus transit line (downtown to Waikiki).

As the director of transportation services promised in a Feb. 18 letter to this paper, a public hearing was publicized and it was held on March 28 at the Ala Wai Community Park. Several individuals expressed their concerns at the hearing and by mail.

Revealed at that hearing and in the documents related to that hearing (which were available to the public a month in advance) were the following:

During our early review of TheBus service, we determined that it would not be possible for us to continue operating Route E within our budget.

We found Route E was initiated by eliminating a large percentage of Route 8 (Ala Moana to Waikiki) service; no additional funding was provided.

We found that Route E largely duplicated service already provided on existing routes.

The facts are:

• Route 8, whose riders were sacrificed for Route E, carries about 60 passengers per hour.

• Route E averages only 40 passengers an hour on a route with six buses an hour. By comparison, Route 42 averages about 47 passengers per hour with only three buses per hour.

• We are unable to find any survey that helped to institute Route E.

As a result of the hearing, we recognize that some individuals have indeed benefited from Route E; therefore, along with restoring Route 8 to its former level of service, we are sending Route B to serve Kalakaua Avenue, eastbound through Waikiki.

• We are also sending Route 65 (Ala Moana to Kahalu'u) on Ilalo Street to provide service to the Kaka'ako Waterfront area and the new UH Medical School. I'd like to point out that the medical school is only one block away from heavily served Ala Moana Boulevard.

Addressing the writer's other concerns:

• Route 6 provides a link to downtown from Ward and Ala Moana Center.

• Chinatown, 'A'ala Park and Aloha Tower are served by Routes 19, 20 and 42, and Route B provides a fast connection between Waikiki and Chinatown.

• Routes 2 and 13 also connect Waikiki and Chinatown, operating on Hotel Street.

We continue to review TheBus service and in the future we will properly plan and budget for limited stop services within Honolulu's urban corridor.

I'd also like to point out that many city employees, including upper management staff in the Department of Transportation Services, ride TheBus regularly.

This is not political retribution; it is simply this administration trying to serve the most riders within available resources.