ECOTOURISM KEY TO HALTING EXTINCTION

When Jimmy Hall captured the first and only video of a 17-foot great white shark in Hawaiian waters during a shark tour, he made national headlines not only by providing some of the first real proof of great white migratory patterns, but because he got out and swam with it. His years of experience with sharks taught him something members of our City Council still doesn't understand: Sharks don't attack people except by accident.
Palau has just become the first Pacific region to create a shark sanctuary, while Hawaii continues to allow thoughtless gillnetting and is working to ban shark-centered eco-tourism. That's environmentally dyslexic. Shark tours have done much in the Bahamas and South Africa to advance research and show the public the beauty of these creatures and why the Hawaiians revered them as aumakua.
Sharks are now being pushed to extinction by illegal finning and wholesale slaughter. Ecotourism is key to stopping this. Those who are thinking of banning shark tours need to first go on one. It will be a life-changing experience. It was for me.

Dale M. Glenn | Kailua

B&BS

RESTRICTIVE ZONING LOSES JUSTIFICATION

On Sept. 22, the city zoning committee passed Bill 7, version 2, sending a new draft of the B&B reform to the full council for review. Since 1989, local owner-operated B&Bs and vacation rentals have been illegal in places like Kailua and Haleiwa due to zoning restrictions to protect public safety and improve our general welfare.

Opponents claim that increasing the number of visitors staying in locally owned B&Bs on Oahu will damage tourism and cause cutbacks and slowdowns in Waikíkí.

Other testimony at the hearing made Bill 7 sound like the best thing to happen to jobs and tourism on Oahu in 20 years.

Unfortunately, all this increased public safety and improvement in the general welfare licensed under Bill 7 will be limited to 300 or so B&Bs on Oahu.

The thousands of vacation rentals here will wait for licensing until after the 2010 elections and planned increases in real property taxes for residential properties used for commercial purposes.

With these guys paying more taxes to the city, there's no justification for restrictive zoning any more.

Will Page | Kailua

BUDGET CRISIS

TIME TO TAKE CHANCE ON A STATE LOTTERY

For so many reasons, it's time to have a state lottery.

Let's try it once, then assess the positive and negatives effects on our residents and economy.

The tax revenue will help everyone in Hawaii.

Our legislators shouldn't be contemplating raiding our hurricane relief and other funds.

My bet is more Hawaii residents favor rather than disfavor a lottery.

Quincy Kaneshiro, Realtor | Hawaii Kai

WALK TO SCHOOL

LET'S FOSTER A HABIT THAT'S FUN, BENEFICIAL

"Why do I drive to school when we live so close?" That revelation came from one parent who recalled how much she enjoyed walking to school when she was younger.

Wednesday was International Walk to School Day. Honolulu Waldorf School was one of more than 3,000 schools across the U.S. and approximately 4 million people worldwide who participated in the special event. More than 50 people walked or biked to Waldorf and had fun doing it. On that day, there were fewer cars on the road, and traffic congestion, pollution and our dependence on oil were reduced.

Kids like to walk and bike. It's good for their health, good for the environment and good for the pocketbook. Let's foster that enthusiasm by making it easier for them to walk and bike on a regular basis.

Natalie Iwasa | Honolulu

GUAM JOBS

HELP FOR UNIONS AT TAXPAYERS' EXPENSE

The Advertiser article on the agreement reached to ensure Guam jobs will go to U.S. workers illustrates one thing very clearly: A vote for Abercrombie for governor is a vote for more taxes, more spending and more protection of the labor unions at the expense of all taxpayers.

His proposed provisions to the defense authorization bill would have ensured the construction jobs on Guam will be given to higher-paid union workers, increasing the overall cost of the project significantly — a cost paid for by taxpayers. It would also have denied local Guam companies and workers opportunities in favor of Hawaii labor unions (when did Hawaii start dictating hiring practices to other territories?).

Then Rep. Abercrombie has the audacity to say "This (bill) puts some genuine competition back into play." Does he really believe we are that stupid? It isn't putting genuine competition into play — it is preventing competition and showing preference to the labor unions that obviously fund his campaigns, while sticking the taxpayers with the bill. Haven't we had enough of politicians who will legislate to benefit the few while making the rest of us foot the bill?

Gary Stark | Honolulu