TRANSIT

RAIL OPPOSITION BASED ON MISINFORMATION

One can only assume from Cliff Slater's latest attack on rail transit systems (Advertiser, Aug, 3) that his decades-long opposition is based on a calculated misinformation campaign.

In his second paragraph, Slater says the proposed system's benefit will be "reductions in traffic congestion — if any." Slater either has lost his marbles (for which he can be forgiven) or he's deliberately misstating what he knows to be true — that the major benefit of rail transit is that rail is an alternative to sitting in traffic.

Highway congestion will continue to grow; how can it not, with increases in population and automobile counts? But those who wish to avoid that traffic and enjoy personal mobility will use rail. That's the benefit, and Slater knows it.

Slater concludes his piece with what, to him, is the ultimate slam against rail: "Every single metro area in the U.S. with rail transit has seen an increase in traffic congestion in the past 20 years — every one."

Well, what did he think would happen to traffic when every single metro area has had a population increase? He simply ignores the millions of commuters who zip past traffic congestion in those metro areas each day on their way to and from work.

Slater's Second Opinion pieces apparently fulfill an Advertiser public service requirement, but your newspaper really ought to take a second look at a columnist whose agenda for years has been to obfuscate the facts rather than promote understanding.

JAPAN'S RAIL SYSTEM BENEFITS ITS SOCIETY

l am on vacation in Japan right now and picking up The Advertiser on the Web. After 10 days I am amazed at how well Japan is able to move its workforce, while protecting a huge and vast amount of agricultural and forested lands by keeping higher densities in its urban cores.

The key to this success is clearly Japan's clean and affordable rail system. I am glad the mayor, governor and other elected officials have the courage and intelligence to see this need and not cave in to the anti-rail lobby that seems to care for only its personal needs and not that of a bigger picture and the needs of our entire Island family, especially our Leeward family.

I have now been on rail systems in New York, Boston, Atlanta, D.C., Chicago and Japan. I can't imagine any of those cities functioning without it.

Support rail transit and those government officials that do also.

GOVERNOR'S RACE

CANDIDATE AILA IS A MAN OF THE PEOPLE

For another great governor in the mold of a man of the people, like Police Capt. John Burns, let us support and elect Harbormaster William Aila.

He would oppose Lingle, who described Bush as "our greatest president ever."

HOT CLASSROOMS

DON'T WASTE MONEY ON RAIL, GIVE IT TO SCHOOLS

Instead of wasting $3 billion to $6 billion on a senseless fixed-rail system, let's spend it on our children's education.

I suppose we could hire some expensive consultants to tell us that kids can't learn in sweltering classrooms. We already did this a few years ago, but maybe there is a new twist on this situation. Perhaps knowledge melts into their brains while they are sweating and sticking to their seats. We might call this knowledge osmosis. Knowledge in the air dissolves in their sweat, is absorbed by their clothes and eventually gets to their brains where it fuses with their little gray cells!

If we had any brains, we would realize that any investment in our schools will return a thousandfold. If we don't have the pride or the love required to fund public education, perhaps we could have the smarts to do so.

I guess that principals and other high-up educators have air-conditioning. Boy oh boy! Are they missing out or what?

HAWAI'I COURTS

AGE RULE FOR JUDGES SHOULD BE ELIMINATED

Regarding the Aug. 2 Volcanic Ash column, "Should rule for judges' mandatory retirement end?" Yes. The age cap in the state Constitution was wrong for a number of reasons.

Why is it that federal judges are not subjected to the age 70 mandate? In Hawai'i, federal judges like Judge Martin Pence and Judge Samuel King, just to name two, contributed sterling services way beyond the age of 70. Also, look at the superb services dispensed by the U.S. Supreme Court justices.

Why is the cutoff at age 70 for Hawai'i judges? If there is a reason for the mandatory end at 70 for judges, why not for the governor, the mayor and other elected officials?

We do have a Judicial Selection Commission, which is not perfect, but it is functional. It serves as a fail-safe system. The commission has in the past denied the petitions of judges for retention, rightly or wrongly.

Like many lawyers, I can live with and tolerate the commission. But, I would favor a system where the governor makes the appointment or nomination of judges at all levels of the court, subject to the confirmation of the Senate. Let the governor and the senators be responsible to find the best judges for Hawai'i.

GOLF

MICHELLE WIE HANDLING MISFORTUNE LIKE A PRO

Give Michelle Wie credit. She handles everything like the pro she is. She's a credit to the game and the country.

I've played a lot of golf in my time and I can't recall moss growing in a trap. But, of course, we are now talking about a royal golf course, which compared to most of ours is a cow pasture.

Michelle will learn and will not make excuses. She has been quite unlucky in that her misfortunes have been bizarre. One gets the feeling that she is being looked at much more closely than others on the tour. They seem to be splitting hairs to find something wrong.

RECYCLING

SEWER SYSTEM POURS GOOD WATER INTO OCEAN

Millions of gallons of good fresh water pours into the ocean every day because of our sewer system.

Much of our land on O'ahu is relatively porous, and in the past cesspools and septic tanks were a part of every home. Today most houses are on sewers and as a result all of the non-effluent moisture goes into the ocean.

I would like to suggest that either we place homes in areas where the soil is porous back on septic tanks or we design a product that can be installed in the path of the sewer disposal from individual homes that recycles the pure water or puts it back into the ground or into a reserve tank for reuse.

We need inputs from all of us with alternative efforts to provide a long-term solution.

NORTH SHORE

CITY'S MOWING, WEED TRIMMING APPRECIATED

This letter is to acknowledge and say thank you for the frequent mowing and weed trimming along Kamehameha Highway on the North Shore.

Also, the recent weed trimming of the ocean-view areas such as Waimea Bay expose our breathtaking views. The most recent and very noticeable job was the trimming of the bike path foliage. The piles of cuttings were daunting, but they were picked up within two weeks.

The city and county is doing a wonderful job of maintaining our area and I really appreciate it.

WAIKIKI TREASURE

ZOO A WONDERFUL PLACE, SHOULD BE ENHANCED

We appreciated the article regarding the zoo in the Aug. 5 Advertiser.

We are in the vicinity of the zoo on almost a daily basis. It is one of Honolulu's underutilized gems. On a regular basis we are asked where the zoo is. This is the easiest question to answer since it usually is within eyesight. Even the hala plant positioned near the entrance blocks the zoo sign. This should be corrected. Around the perimeter, visitors know it is the zoo, but cannot figure out where the entrance is located.

Rather than making excuses for reasons not to enhance the zoo facilities, everyone should embrace the zoo as a wonderful treasure. Some smart thinking will make the zoo a more enjoyable place to visit and thereby increase the revenue for further enhancement of this special place.

SPEND THE MONEY TO MAKE ZOO A MUST-SEE

A new entrance to the zoo will improve business, but not substantially.

People do not attend a facility because it is eye-catching. They search it out because they want to go there for the positive experience. The entrance is the icing on the cake. The cake is the experience inside the zoo. If you want to increase interest in an attraction, improve the experience. Make the zoo a must-see on everyone's list by spending the $2.8 million on an exciting, educational and memorable zoo experience.

Then make local people and visitors aware of that great experience through marketing. Note, I didn't say advertising. If you have a truly great attraction, the travel writers love to share the story with their readers. A little initial work to get the editorial ball rolling is all it takes to make an attraction world famous. That is, if the substance is there.