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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Letters to the Editor

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BEV HARBIN

LINGLE APPOINTMENT NOT FAIR TO RESIDENTS

The residents of the 28th representative district have been shortchanged by Gov. Linda Lingle's appointment of Beverly Harbin to fill the House seat left vacant by Ken Hiraki's resignation.

Harbin only recently moved into the 28th District, having changed her residence from Hilo only after Ken's announcement. Additionally, it appears she made a deal with the governor that she will only serve one year.

She knows nothing about the issues concerning our district and lacks legislative experience to help solve them.

In reality, the governor has merely made a deal to prevent a Democrat from properly serving our district and is really trying to help her own candidate win the next election.

Carolyn Wilcox
Honolulu

IT'S VS. ITS

ONE GRAMMATICAL ERROR CHANGES WHOLE MEANING

On Saturday, Sept. 3, I noticed a very common grammatical error. We (my mom, brother and I) were laughing about it, but I thought that you should be notified.

Do you know how the word "it's" is a shortcut to "it is"? My newspaper tells me that you have incorrectly used this word:

"The floor of Houston's Astrodome was covered with cots and evacuees yesterday. The arena now has it's own ZIP code — 77320 — so people can send letters and care packages to family members there."

If my nerdical senses are correct, this sentence is saying, "The arena now has it is own ZIP code ..."

Isn't it funny how one little thing changes the entire meaning of something? There is this book called "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss. On the back cover there is a story. I'll tell you it because it is really funny.

"A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.

'Why?' asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes toward the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

'I'm a panda,' he says. 'Look it up.'

The waiter turns to the relevant entry, and sure enough, finds an explanation.

'Panda. Large black and white mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.' "

Well, I really liked that story — just passing it on. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings. Anyway, according to this book, I am a "stickler" and proper punctuation is an endangered species.

Tamaki Ueno
Seventh-grader, Niu Valley Middle School

TRANSPORTATION

THEBUS SYSTEM WOULD BENEFIT FROM FEW FIXES

With the current cost of gas being high, we should try to take advantage of the cost, traffic and likely environmental advantages of using TheBus; this is an opportune time for people to find that TheBus can serve them well.

The system needs a couple of convenience fixes, however:

  • Make the purchase of annual passes accessible at all sites that sell monthly passes (currently only available at Middle Street).

  • Make schedules that encourage use (e.g., you can't get a bus to Windward O'ahu after 10:30 p.m., even on weekends — so if you want to be out late, you have to drive. After 6 p.m. the frequency of service rapidly drops to once an hour, effectively forcing those of us who would choose the bus to drive instead.).

    If we are to be serious about reducing congestion on our roads, reducing the use of fossil fuels, then let's get real about our "award-winning" TheBus service!

    Mary Ann Antonelli
    Kailua

    ZIPPER LANE

    MONITOR CARS FOR NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS

    Concerning Pat Smith's comments on the zipper lane (Sept. 18), and his desire to keep the minimum number of two people per car: What time and what zipper lane is he using?

    Can't possibly be talking about the same zipper lane we use at 6 a.m. from Waikele.

    We have been tracking our travel time and now it takes us an additional 10 minutes since they implemented this.

    What was the zipper lane intended for in the first place? To encourage carpooling and get cars off the roads.

    Since there are only two people in his car, why can't he utilize the HOV lane instead of the zipper lane?

    Careful monitoring of both these lanes is crucial as I must have noticed numerous cars with only one occupant.

    Susan Viloria
    Waikele

    VACATION RENTALS

    REAL ESTATE TIES BRING SLANTED VIEWPOINT

    I read with amusement Peter Osborne's letter of Sept. 16.

    Speaking of average occupancy rates on vacation tourist rentals, he stated: "That means that the home is vacant for five months out of every year."

    I live across the street from a vacation rental that has never, in the past three years, ever been unoccupied for more than one month in any year. Average just doesn't cut it when you live next to it.

    He also stated: "Furthermore, with just one rental car per three people, there is a net decrease in local traffic."

    Just last month 13 people arrived in three large vans at this unit. One car went in the garage and two were parked on the street. Somehow, we didn't get a "net decrease in traffic."

    However, we cannot fault Mr. Osborne for his views. A check of his Web site reveals the following:

    "With over 28 years experience in Hawaiian real estate ... in ... quality, investment residential properties, my focus has primarily been on real estate that has the potential of generating both above average returns and capital appreciation."

    When seeing a viewpoint in letters to the editor, please consider the source.

    My viewpoint is being sick and tired of living next to and near several tourist vacation rentals. If we had wanted a resort atmosphere, we would have purchased in Wakiki.

    John Nolan
    Kailua

    SAFETY

    WHITE LIGHTS WOULD BE BETTER AT CROSSWALKS

    The lighting at intersections and crosswalks should be changed to a white light from the current yellowish lights.

    The current lighting leaves the areas dimly lit and unsafe. I think for the benefit of all who live here, paying a little more for their safety would be well worth the cost.

    Make the change before someone else is hurt. Please call your local representative if you feel the same way.

    Jacob Kunukau
    Wahiawa

    AIRLINES

    HIGH AIRFARE COSTS DETER INTERISLAND TRIPS

    Concerning Rick Daysog's Sept. 18 article "Local carriers feel squeeze":

    I'm always amazed that while working on the Mainland I pay $200 for a five-hour roundtrip flight from L.A. to New York on Jet Blue and when I come home to Hawai'i, I pay the same $200 for a 30-minute roundtrip flight from Honolulu to Kona.

    Hawaiian and Aloha need to realize that the more they have raised fares, the less locals have flown. It's reached a point that a family really needs to think about taking that fun interisland trip and question if they need to take out a loan to do so.

    Maybe if the major interisland carriers lowered fares for kama'aina and loosened up on the rules and regulations of changing a ticket, more people would fly.

    I especially like when you get to the airport early these days and Hawaiian or Aloha want to charge you even more money to get on an earlier flight that has empty seats on it. Now that's real "Aloha Spirit."

    Simple low fares and passenger-friendly service seem to work for Jet Blue quite nicely.

    PF Bentley
    Kailua, Kona

    AKAKA BILL

    HAWAIIANS PLAYING CATCH-UP

    Those who colonized the Americas, who benefited from the sweat off Native Americans' backs and who brought some Native American bloodlines to extinction are still alive and operate in Hawai'i.

    They say anything the government does to help Hawaiians is unfair. They say if the lazy Hawaiian got off his fat buttocks, the Hawaiians would have the same things they have.

    When I was little, I played tackle football with bigger and older kids. Rules were established for the appearance of fairness. However, we repeatedly lost due to our lack of size and what proved to be unfair rules.

    Initially, we didn't understand the rules, so we agreed to everything. When we complained, they said, "You agreed to the rules!"

    After countless injuries and games lost, we got smarter. We didn't lose to the older boys because we didn't get off our fat and lazy buttocks. We lost because they were bigger and the rules benefited them more. Eventually we got together and insisted on two-hand touch football, despite the older kids' complaints. We lost some and won some, but the main thing was ... we won some!

    Maybe the Hawaiians didn't understand the rules before, but we're getting smarter. The older kids are still saying the rules are fair because they apply to everyone.
    But because of these written and "unwritten" rules, their forefathers benefited from the sweat off our forefathers' backs, which forced us into socio-economically disadvantaged positions.

    Why would they want to dictate a private school's admission criteria and the use of willed assets from Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop? Why would they oppose OHA and Native Hawaiian programs to help level the socio-economic imbalance their forefathers created?

    Don't they care we might be like the Timucua Indians, extinct? They want what the older kids I used to play with wanted: advantage.

    I support the Akaka bill because the larger goal is worth it. It's better to be federally recognized as a Native Hawaiian using Native Hawaiian programs than to be recognized in the annals of extinct cultures.

    In many ways the Native Americans are like us. But I envy them because they got together and are now playing two-hand touch.

    Nathan A.T.C. Tyau
    Pearl City

    POST-KATRINA WORK FAR FROM FINISHED IN DAMAGED AREAS

    I recently traveled to the southern states with a number of pastors to serve the people there and survey the far-reaching devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

    With winds over 160 mph, numerous trees came down, but the real damage was caused by the tidal surge. Like a slower version of a tsunami, it reached its watery grasp miles inland.

    Driving up and down the Gulf Coast from Slidell, La., to Biloxi, Miss., our team was able to work, sweat, bleed, cry and pray with the victims who lost everything.

    I spoke to one man by the name of Brian Mollere who lives in Waveland, Miss. He decided to ride out the storm, remembering how he survived Hurricane Camille in 1969. He was 14 then. He and his dog Rocky survived, but shouldn't have stayed.
    His story is compelling in light of the way Waveland turned into a wasteland.

    The main tidal surge was well over 30 feet high and carried him and his dog nearly half a mile before it set him down amid strewn houses and stacked vehicles. Brian's mom was moved to higher ground in Bay Saint Louis, but she perished in the storm.

    Others reported to me that Katrina was 10 times worse than Camille. Terry and Mary Kapulski, who own Dixie Signs, lost everything. We helped them move a trailer out of the rubble. Terry pointed to a pile of steel beams wrapped around some trees and told me it was all that was left of their shop.

    Much of the work is as simple as clearing yards, removing trees, towing cars, pulling up water-ruined carpet, gutting flooded homes, delivering supplies and serving food.

    Having visited numerous aid stations, feeding centers and mobile medical units, I have yet to see any place where the work is even close to being finished.

    In the months to come residents will be rebuilding their homes. They will be rebuilding their lives for years to come, and I pray you will join those supporting them in that.

    Rep. Bud Stonebraker
    Hawai'i Kai