RECYCLING

IT'S A SHAME WE ALL CAN'T FIND A SOLUTION

Mahalo for your excellent article Wednesday on the demise, or at least indefinite postponement, of the city's recycling program. All we can say to the administration, the private companies and the lawyers who contribute to the "legal problems" undefined in the article is: Shame on you. Why can't we put greed, rancor and inertia aside and do what's right for the island?

UARC

RESTRICTIONS COULD HURT DEFENSE RESEARCH

Our good colleague Paul Lucey (Letters, Oct. 20) has observed, probably correctly, that the proposed University of Hawai'i university-affiliated research center cannot be opposed on the grounds that it would simply fund additional defense-related research.

But this observation does not justify the conclusion that the UARC would be an asset for UH. In the strategic relationship that the recently released draft contract would establish, UH would be obligated to act as an impartial adviser to the Navy in the role of a "trusted agent of the government."

To avoid the possibility of organizational conflict of interest in this relationship, UH would be compelled to restrict or terminate all commitments, partnerships and funding agreements that might be construed as giving UH a monetary interest in any matter that might be referred to it by the Navy.

For those of us who are working with our colleagues, government sponsors and private sector on the development of new technologies and products for defense, homeland security and the civilian economy in the "core competencies" of the UARC, such restrictions would constitute a serious blow to our ability to continue the services that we currently provide to Hawai'i and the nation.

Now that the draft contract for the proposed UARC has been released, we hope that appropriate consideration will be given to the adverse impact of the terms of that contract on UH's existing defense research programs.

CAR THEFTS

PUNISH PARENTS WHO LACK COMMON SENSE

This letter is directed mainly to parents who leave their children unattended in a running motor vehicle. Having this happen four times in a year is very disturbing.

Every parent should use common sense, especially when it comes to running errands with children on board. It reaches a point of disgust whenever there's a news story about parents leaving their children unattended in a running motor vehicle — even if it's just for a second. Parents should be held accountable for their actions. They should not get away with things like this. Perhaps a fine and imprisonment would wake them up, and, as a bonus, they would get to attend parenting classes.

Something should be done to prevent these situations before it's too late.

FELONIES SOLVED

POOR RATE SHOWS THAT MAYBE CRIME DOES PAY

"HPD unable to solve 90% of felonies in '04."

And probably 100-plus well-known hookers throughout Waikiki.

But I have 10 or more friends who have tickets for jaywalking, riding a bike without a light, sleeping on bus stop benches and seat belt violations.

We are living on an island of only about 120 miles the whole way around and everyone knows everyone else. How is it possible that only 4.8 percent of motor vehicle thefts got solved?

About two months ago in a letter to the editor I poked fun at the criminals for stealing cars, saying the same thing: "island small, your neighbors know you, you're going to get caught."

I guess I was really wrong.

So statistically you have less than a 10 percent chance of getting caught doing crime.

Maybe crime does pay?

Interesting.

GROWING PROBLEM

O'AHU MUST SET LIMITS ON STREET SPORT EVENTS

The recent International Triathlon Union JAL Honolulu World Championships shed light on a growing problem for East Honolulu residents and visitors. World-class events, such as the triathlon and the Honolulu Marathon, are staged in the picturesque and densely populated sections of O'ahu. Race promoters and supporting advertisers know that this area is made for television and print media. Can you imagine the triathlon or the marathon taking place in beautiful Kaka'ako, Mapunapuna or Sand Island?

Problems with these large events are that they require massive amounts of land area to compete in. Our roadways, beaches and parks become the coliseum for the events and are reserved for the athletes hours at a time. The Pro Bowl, professional soccer and Laker basketball require only a field or gymnasium.

As a resident of West O'ahu, my family and I are not directly affected by these events. However, there should be restrictions on the number of world-class events each year and a time limit to road closures.

KAWAI NUI

SOLUTION REGARDING MARSH SEEMS SIMPLE

The recent article on the Kawai Nui Marsh and the excellent and informative letter to the editor from Linda Paul ("Marsh suffers as city, state play hot potato," Oct. 16) appear to indicate that the director of the city Department of Facility Maintenance is missing the boat.

Let's see if I got this right: The city is currently responsible for flood control in the area. The state wants the land to build a waterbird habitat; however, the city would still be responsible for flood control just as it is currently. The community would get an improved public area that could become an interesting place for visitors to watch various water fowl.

So what is the problem? Did I miss something? Or are we playing a child's game — "I won't give something to you unless you give something to me"? Let's think like adults.

UH FOOTBALL

'HOMECOMING' SAYS NOTHING ABOUT TRADITION

Why does the University of Hawai'i even bother to have "homecoming" football games? For the past two years, UH has done virtually nothing to make it a special event for alumni. The highlight of the halftime show — and I am not making this up — was a silly mock football game between corporate mascots.

No recognition of past or present student athletes. No mention of outstanding faculty or academic achievements by the university. Nothing about the proud tradition of Rainbow teams, or memorable games when Aloha Stadium had real sellouts of 50,000 fans who weren't embarrassed to wear green or cheer, "Let's go, 'Bows!"

Now we have a different kind of sellout. The corporate sponsors get to showcase their mascots as "entertainment" and UH tradition has been dumped in favor of a macho "Warrior" marketing mentality by coach June Jones. To a certain degree, it has worked — when they are winning, that is. But the moment they start losing, fair-weather "Warrior" fans opt to stay home where they can suck up cheaper beer and watch the games on pay-per-view.

Meanwhile, longtime Rainbow fans have gone from being passionate and angry about the "image" changes to merely being indifferent. The proof is in declining season ticket sales and sights like the half-empty stadium this past Saturday night, when only 24,000 people turned out.

Perhaps for next year's homecoming game, UH should dispense with the halftime show and take on the corporate mascots instead of another weak team like New Mexico State. Truth be told, the guys in the fake food costumes played better defense than the winless Aggies.

Go 'Bows!

CATALUNA COLUMN

INDEED, WIE INSPIRES US

Lee Cataluna's column on Michelle Wie is so wonderful. Lee is so insightful. And I marvel at Michelle's swift response. I'm proud of them both, though I have never met them personally. Gosh, Michelle, you are an inspiration to us all, grown-ups included. And kudos to her parents who supported her through this travesty.

GAS CAP

LESS DRIVING IS LESS BUSINESS

Ted Meeker's Oct. 14 letter "Gas cap needs time to adjust" misses the mark completely. We can debate whether prices would have been higher or lower with or without the cap, but one thing is certain: The cap has severely altered the way we consume and purchase gasoline. Because changes in the wholesale limit are made public days in advance, drivers now limit their gasoline purchases based on these swings.

This means fewer people dining out, going to the movies, night clubbing, shopping and doing whatever else that drives our economy. As the owner of a small retail establishment, the effects have been dramatic. Since the cap, transactions (foot traffic within the store), have fallen by 30 percent.

As a member of a network of business owners, I am hearing the same story repeated over and over. Less driving means less business. The problem is compounded for us because we sell recreational gear that requires the purchaser to drive to utilize their purchase. I can't even begin to imagine the nightmare service station owners face trying to price an inventory that swings as wildly as it does.

Most families budget their household spending. When prices for a necessity swing wildly, people become cautious. Cautious consumers spend less, keeping a cushion to shelter them from unpredictability.

Meeker suggests that the market will eventually normalize as the weather stabilizes in the Gulf Coast. Well, doesn't the Gulf Coast have a six-month hurricane season every year? The norm is instability in this region. It is plain to see that more frequent and severe hurricanes are ahead. The fact is we should have never tied our prices to a market outside of our own!

The damage is already done. The retailers' slogan "a lost sale is a lost sale" is the absolute truth. The question is whether our legislators have the integrity to admit that they made a mistake. Will the concerns of the public be addressed or will we continue to suffer because of their pride? The stakes in this game are far greater than many comprehend.

UPDATE RULES FOR MOPEDS, CREATE SOME FOR SCOOTERS

The Oxford American Dictionary shows "moped" as a noun, and identifies it as "a low-power, lightweight motorized bicycle. Its origin is from the 1950s, when, in Sweden, the word "trampcykel med" meant "pedal cycle with motor and pedals."

Throughout most of Europe, this is the case; i.e., mopeds are or were a women's-type bicycle with a small (usually 50-cc) gasoline engine. One would pedal the vehicle a short way to start the engine and away you'd go. There were no gears, just a constant velocity clutch that worked on centrifugal force. Furthermore, a moped was designed to transport one person only.

The vehicles belonging to Tony Brancato and Pernilla Persson, shown respectively on pages A1 and A2 of the Oct. 17th Advertiser, are not mopeds, but rather motor-scooters. They are updated (current) versions of the late 1940s and early 1950s American-made Cushman motor-scooters and/or the later Italian-made Vespa and Lambretta motorscooters. These latter two-wheeled vehicles should never be considered mopeds, as they are much larger, more powerful and considerably faster.

I sympathize with the two students above and all who have purchased these motor-scooters, including Juanita Mathews, who received a ticket for transporting a passenger on her "moped" (Oct. 18 Island Voices). Actually, she shouldn't have gotten a ticket because her vehicle, with rear pegs for a passenger, is not a moped but a motor-scooter.

I feel the fault lies with the dealers who are attempting to pass off motor-scooters as mopeds. Also, the state departments of transportation and licensing and the police should draft new regulations for motor-scooters and update the existing one for mopeds.