TRANSIT

RAIL A BOONDOGGLE THAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED

The rail transit idea that Mayor Mufi is advocating is a complete disaster in the making.

I have been here for close to 10 years and I have seen enough to predict cost and time overruns, shoddy workmanship, increases in taxes, low usage, and system deterioration because of lack of maintenance.

Does anyone think it will be anywhere near completed even 10 years from now? The Kalaheo sewer project in Kailua will take nearly that long before it's finished, so how long do you think 13 miles or more of fixed rail track will take? And then if it is ever finished, with the horrendous record of infrastructure maintenance shown by the city, how long will it be before safety concerns arise?

Even aside from that, we don't have the population density to support a rail system. Few people will be close enough to a station to get on a train without driving there, or taking a bus.

People want to use their cars. Accommodate us. Spend some money to fix the flawed freeway designs. Try the HOT lanes. Try to improve the bus route efficiency.

I will not vote for any elected official who supports fixed rail transit for O'ahu. If enough of us feel the same way, we may just be able to avoid this boondoggle, not only for us, but for our kids and grandkids.

ELECTION 2006

CASE OPPOSITION TO LEGAL AID SHOCKING

The more I learn about Hawai'i's ambitious "blue dog" congressman, the more I shudder at the thought of Ed Case vigorously representing me in the U.S. Senate for the next six years. Perhaps most appalling is his opposition to programs that provide legal services to the poor. One of the most rewarding jobs in my 30-plus years in the legal field was working for the Legal Aid Society of Hawai'i (LASH).

Despite all that has been done by opponents to kill or cripple programs for legal assistance to the poor, LASH today provides low- or no cost services to nearly 10,000 Hawai'i residents annually. It is shocking that Ed Case, who is a licensed attorney, has supported legislation that would cripple LASH. Case knows that many local residents cannot afford the fees charged by large law firms such the one he formerly worked for. Senator Akaka vigorously supports the delivery of legal services to the poor. Why is Ed Case opposed?

TRAFFIC

KEAUNU'I NARROWING NOT AN IMPROVEMENT

Thanks to the engineer or officials who contributed to the Keaunu'i Drive road narrowing in 'Ewa. Because of you, the traffic in the area is even more messed up and congested than before. I see more disgruntled faces and an occasional child darting between the cars as they wait to turn in to Holomua School.

What was wrong with the previous two-lane scenario? There are crosswalk guards at every crosswalk and the new Iroquois intersection stoplight made crossing the street a lot safer. This is another example of the need for an alternate entrance onto the freeway instead of using the Fort Weaver parking lot.

TOURISTS

JAPAN IMPLEMENTING SMOKING RESTRICTIONS

S.K. Kim's explanation for the decline in Japanese tourists (Letters, Aug. 3) ignores the fact that Japan is no longer the smoky place it used to be.

The percentage of Japanese who smoke has fallen for 10 years. Less than one quarter of Japan's population now smokes tobacco. Consumption of cigarettes in Japan plummeted 16 percent over the past eight years. Since Japan's first nationwide law to prevent tobacco smoke exposure became effective in May 2002, Japan has been rapidly changing toward stricter restrictions on smoking. Any visitor to Japan today sees smoking bans becoming the norm in airports, railways, public buildings, private businesses, private homes and even urban streets. With these dynamics, increasing numbers of our visitors from Japan will desire smoke-free environments in Hawai'i as well.

Most smokers comply with effectively communicated smoke-free rules. Thus, our task is to implement the new law through media messages, training for hospitality and retail managers, and clear signage.

MIDDLE EAST

HEZBOLLAH SHOULD BE CONDEMNED, NOT ISRAEL

Mr. Gedan condemns the cruel, disproportionate response of Israel to Hezbollah's kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers (Letters, Aug. 4). Where is his condemnation about the rockets coming down on innocent Israeli citizens for many years? Where is his condemnation for years of Hamas and Hezbollah strapping bombs to their youth and telling them to go to crowded Israeli locations and kill more innocent civilians? Where was his condemnation when the families of those killers were paid a bonus of $25,000 for those terrorist deeds?

While the kidnapping and rain of rockets is not directly done by Lebanon, this had been taking place on their soil and Lebanon had chosen to do nothing to end it.

How dare he compare Israel's response to what Saddam Hussein did to the Kurds! It is not and never has been the intent of the Israeli army to destroy all of Lebanon, only those areas where the Hezbollah terrorists are located.

And if Mr. Gedan says that thousands of Lebanese are displaced, and some have been killed, what about the Israelis who have been killed, displaced or have to live in bomb shelters to protect themselves against the daily barrage of rockets?

Finally, Mr. Gedan, you are saying that the death of innocent civilians (Lebanese) is a "crime against humanity." Have you been looking the other way all these years when this happened to Israeli innocent civilians?

EMPLOYERS

INVESTING IN CHILD CARE WOULD BENEFIT WORKERS

We applaud the Advertiser for spotlighting the critical shortage of child care workers and the impact of the high cost of day care on Hawai'i's working parents. There are only a handful of companies offering child care subsidization as an employee benefit.

In a 2000 American Business Collaboration report, 63 percent of employees reported improved productivity while using quality dependent care. In addition, 54 percent of employers report that child care services had a positive impact on employee absenteeism, reducing missed workdays by as much as 20 to 30 percent.

Rather than operating their own day care centers, Hawai'i's companies would derive direct return from supporting existing day care centers that are struggling with the high cost of operating these critical programs. Hawai'i Kids At Work, a downtown nonprofit child care center, relies on fundraising initiatives to maintain an affordable tuition for working parents and struggles with the painfully low compensation it is able to pay its high-quality caregivers. Even at these competitively priced rates, working parents struggle with the cost of child care. By investing in these programs, employers would be helping their all-too-valuable employees, the community (especially the keiki and caregivers who care for them), and their bottom lines.

ENVIRONMENT

OCEAN BLAME SHOULDN'T BE PUT ON FISHERMEN

A recent article, "Group aims to protect fish stock" touts the efforts of a new environmental group, Fair Catch, preaching "take what you need, not what you can." After conducting a telephone survey on fishing issues, results indicated that 80 to 90 percent of the 1,022 Hawai'i residents surveyed attributed declining ocean conditions to pollution. However, this Mainland-local collaborated group has been focusing its effort on restricting fishing.

This is disturbing and frustrating. Environmental groups have blamed local fishermen for the condition of the ocean and have convinced state and federal agencies to move forward with fishing closures and restrictions in Northwest and main Hawaiian Island waters.

Why aren't they focused on pollution, run-off and marine resource/reef damage caused by development and other ocean users?

They've fooled many politicians into thinking fishing is bad, but it hasn't fooled our residents.

I guess Fair Catch's new slogan should be "Take down what you can, not what you need."

INDIGENOUS RIGHTS

ELECTED BODY NEEDED TO SPEAK FOR HAWAIIANS

The island of Kaho'olawe is a living symbol of our native heritage. Long-standing groups such as Hui Alaloa, the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana and others in the Native Hawaiian community have worked tirelessly to halt decades of military bombing and realized the return of that island to Hawai'i's people.

Dominic Acain's letter criticizing OHA Administrator Clyde Namu'o for his comments regarding the recent attempt by a small group of activists to lay claim to Kaho'olawe ( Advertiser Aug. 3) only serves to underscore the urgent need for the formation of an elected Hawaiian body that can legitimately speak for the majority of Native Hawaiians. Until such a governing body exists, groups with divergent philosophies and methods will continue to disagree about who represents the Hawaiian people, preventing progress and ultimately serving the aims of those who would like to see Native Hawaiians stripped of their indigenous rights as the first people of these islands.

That is why OHA urges all Native Hawaiians and their supporters — no matter what their views — to get involved in the effort to establish a true representative body for Hawaiians. For more information, call 594-1888, or visit www.OHA.org.