AIRLINES

ALOHA PART OF ISLANDS, MUST STAY IN BUSINESS

It is very unfortunate that Aloha Airlines declared bankruptcy. While competition is good for all, when it comes down to who must leave the Islands my choice would be go!

Aloha is a part of the Islands and go! is not. Aloha has always been good to the people of Hawai'i. All Aloha is trying to do is survive in these extremely trying times while still providing the people of Hawai'i good service.

I have never flown on that other airline and I will not unless there is no other choice. I hope that will never happen. Aloha and Hawaiian are Hawai'i. The other one must go!

WAIMEA

HI'IPAKA MAKING VALLEY A LIVING PU'UHONUA

Mahalo to Michael Rethman (Letters, March 16) for visiting Waimea Valley for the first time. Perhaps Mr. Rethman was expecting a manicured garden like he had seen in Japan. Waimea Valley provides a more natural setting that our visitors often describe as "beautiful" and "awesome."

Since we began stewardship of Waimea on Feb. 1, Hi'ipaka LLC has spent thousands of hours and tens of thousands of dollars catching up on deferred maintenance.

Those who visit often tell us how pleased they are with the improvements. But beyond just repairing the buildings and tending to more than 5,000 different plants in our collection, we are pursuing our vision to make Waimea a place of Hawaiian culture, a living pu'uhonua for and by kanaka, for Hawai'i and the world.

I hope all Hawai'i residents will come, enjoy the valley and be part of bringing our new vision into reality. And I hope Mr. Rethman does not wait five years to come back. For more information, please call 638-7766.

RAIL

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME — DEPEND ON IT

When the H-1 Freeway was completed going to the Leeward area in early 1960s, the freeway was already deemed obsolete by both state and federal surveys in regard to the volume of traffic it was supposed to handle during peak hours. This is when all you had between Waipahu and 'Ewa Beach was sugar cane fields and the 'Ewa Mental Health Clinic and you had nothing between Waipahu and Makakilo.

Fast forward to 2008 — you have all that development in the 'Ewa plain, Kapolei and surrounding areas of our "second" city, with the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu and major big-box stores also moving in.

The fixed-rail system should be built and in place as soon as possible to help move the masses of people to and from this area. Can you picture San Francisco without BART or segments of New York's subway system being shut down? It would be chaotic because area residences depend on this cheap and safe mode of transportation.

With the cost of gas reaching $4 per gallon and rising fast, ridership is a reality. The cliche will hold true for the fixed-rail system: "Build it, and they will come."

WHY IS CHARLOTTE'S COST SO MUCH LESS?

Setting aside what the cost overruns might be for our light-rail line, how did Charlotte build its light-rail line of 10 miles for less than $500 million when Honolulu is budgeting more than $3.5 billion for a 20-mile line? Seven times the cost for two times the distance.

ABERCROMBIE

OLYMPICS SHOULDN'T BECOME POLITICAL TOOL

As reported in the March 21 Honolulu Advertiser, Rep. Neil Abercrombie is pushing for a resolution for the U.S. to boycott the Beijing Summer Olympics.

The athletes have been preparing for the Olympics by working endless hours, seven days a week for years to become the best they can be in their particular discipline.

They prepare in the hope their hard work might culminate in a trip to the Olympics and possibly an Olympic medal.

Athletic events should not become a place for political agendas.

Memo to Rep. Abercrombie: Please introduce legislation that might actually help the people you represent, not penalize them.

People of Hawai'i, please do what I did, call 808-541-2570, or his Washington, D.C., office at 202-225-2726 to let him know how you feel.

RADIO

WHY SHOULD TAXPAYERS PAY FOR CITY'S SHOW?

Did I read right? We taxpayers have to spend $2,400 a month of our money to push Mayor Mufi Hannemann's imprudent fixed-guideway idea ("City brings rail 'truth' to radio for $2,400 a month," Advertiser, March 18).

Why our money? Why not his own money for his chosen path to glory? What possesses him to reach into our pockets for his personal benefit, to be remembered for an unaffordable $5 billion folly?

How about doing the important things instead? Repave most of our streets with proper material. My street needs its potholes to be refilled for the third (!) time in as many years. Replace our decrepit sewer system, and keep our pools in working order.

Wake up, Mr. Mayor, your dream would turn into a nightmare for all of us.

In the meantime, may I get equal time on his chosen — and paid for — radio station? I could give an earful.

COPPER THEFTS

STATE SHOULD SWITCH TO ALUMINUM WIRING

Hawaiian Electric Co. uses aluminum wire to move power around the island and into our homes.

Aluminum wire is a lot less expensive than copper. So why does the city or state insist on using the more-expensive copper wire for streetlights?

Copper wire gets stolen. Aluminum wire does not. It has worked well for the power company for decades, so let's try it.