STATE JUDGES

ENDING RETIREMENT AGE PROVIDES NO BENEFIT

David Shapiro ("Volcanic Ash," Aug. 2) highlighted a critical issue facing voters: a constitutional amendment to end the mandatory retirement age of state judges.

It is obvious the Democrats in the Legislature want to prevent Governor Lingle from appointing judges during her second term in office. Arguing that there should be no mandatory age limits does not make sense since other public service positions have long since had age limits, such as federal law enforcement agents and commercial airline pilots.

In November, the voters need to not only replace the Democrats who put this amendment on the ballot, but they also need to vote against the amendment itself since it provides no benefit to the judicial process.

NATURAL RESOURCES

OVERDEVELOPMENT HARMS ENVIRONMENT

I read with interest the letter in from G. Gonzales (Aug. 6) regarding Kailua.

I have been a Kailua resident for more than 15 years and I agree with all the points in the letter and am just grateful that the changes in Kailua have not been as bad or drastic as in other parts of our island. Later in the day, I took in a showing of "An Inconvenient Truth." The movie helped me realize that there was a common thread between that letter and other articles in the paper that day, namely on beach erosion and rising gas prices, over population, and environmental destruction/mismanagement.

As long as we continue to have a local and national government that supports unbridled development for the benefit of a few and to the detriment of our environment and natural resources, all the issues raised in those articles will continue to get worse and we will ultimately pay the consequences on some level.

AIRPORT

CELL-PHONE LOT OPTION ALREADY AVAILABLE

Thanks to Elizabeth Uhr's letter about a cell-phone lot for Honolulu Airport (Aug, 10), I can tell her and anyone else who reads this section about the spot where I wait for arriving passengers. There is a parking lot with a decent number of stalls at the Ke'ehi Lagoon Beach Park right off of Lagoon Drive and Aolele Street. This lot is always open (unlike the rest of the park at night), it's free and it is just minutes away from the baggage claim areas.

The airport's baggage claim areas can be accessed via Aolele Street, and you'll avoid the busier thoroughfares like Nimitz Highway or H-1.

With the infrastructure already in place in an ideal location, no additional money needs to be spent for another lot.

Give it a try. And don't forget to bring your cell phone with you.

TRANSIT

NOT BUILDING LIGHT RAIL WILL BE COSTLY, TOO

Opponents of mass transit write about its costs as if doing nothing would be free.

The state just added one lane of freeway in Pearl City: 1.5 miles at a cost of $60 million. How many more lanes can we squeeze onto our little island and what about the cost of maintaining them?

We sank a totally inadequate $140 million into road upkeep last year and the more roads and cars we have, the higher those costs will go, especially as the price of asphalt goes up with the price of crude oil.

We can't afford to go on as if we were still in the days of cheap oil and endless room to build. The hidden costs of roads and cars need to be considered, from the oil that washes off our streets into our streams and ocean, to the carbon that brings coastal flooding that much closer to the ugly coat of asphalt that makes our home look like every other urban sprawl in the country.

Not building light rail 15 years ago when we had the opportunity cost us. In the end, if we don't build it now, it will cost us more.

OCEAN RESOURCES

NUMBER OF FACTORS AFFECTING MARINE LIFE

Gill net fishermen are being made the scapegoat for the depletion of fish stocks in our nearshore and coastal waters. Many other marine species have also become scarce such as limu, 'opihi, oyster, crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.

Clearly, the problem cannot be blamed solely on gill netting. The real problem is that there are too many people impacting our near-shore ocean resources. Whether we fish, recreate on the ocean or live on the shoreline or mauka of it, we have an effect the marine environment.

Instead of banning one method of fishing we need to consider absolute limits on the taking of marine species of all types within a defined area based on its sustainability. When that limit is reached, all taking must cease. We now know that a given area's ability to sustain marine life is affected by a multitude of different factors, including fishing and pollution.

It is pointless to single out one type of fishing and do little or nothing about other factors. Gill nets will simply be replaced by some other method of fishing.

REWARD WORK PROGRAM

NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING NEEDED

On behalf of the state Department of Human Services (DHS), I want to thank The Advertiser for its supportive editorial (Aug. 9) about our new Reward Work program, which provides financial incentives to needy families with children as their parents transition from government assistance to gainful employment.

As the editorial pointed out, this is a proactive way of meeting the federal government's heightened work requirements for people on welfare.

Reward Work encourages DHS clients to seek and maintain employment by allowing them to keep more of their welfare grants for two years as they earn a salary. The program also offers cash bonuses for parents who voluntarily exit welfare within the first two years and enter the workforce, as well as bonuses for staying on the job for up to two years.

This initiative complements other innovative programs launched recently by DHS, including SEE Hawai'i Work: Supporting Employment Empowerment, and Upfront Universal Engagement.

SEE places welfare recipients in subsidized job-training programs where they gain valuable skills needed in the workforce. To date, clients have been matched with more than 400 employers statewide, in jobs ranging from telecommunications to mortgage banking. Upfront Universal Engagement helps clients find employment when they initially contact DHS, meaning they avoid the welfare system entirely.

The Advertiser editorial raised the issue of how much Reward Work will cost taxpayers. I am happy to report that no additional funding will be required because the program taps money the state has already budgeted for welfare families. Moreover, DHS can switch to 100 percent federal dollars for Reward Work payments beginning Oct. 1. And over time, Reward Work will save the state millions of dollars in reduced welfare dependence.

Our goal with Reward Work and the other programs is liberating families with children so they can move more quickly from government assistance to self-sufficiency. We also want to stimulate the economy by turning welfare recipients into taxpaying citizens and helping employers meet their labor needs in a tight job market.

SENATE RACE

SHIPPING LAW COSTLY FOR HAWAI'I RESIDENTS

Sen. Akaka mocks trickle-down economics yet defends the Jones Act, which requires cargo between U.S. seaports be shipped on a U.S.-owned, -built and -crewed vessel.

Sen. Akaka says the impact on Hawai'i's people is "very little." What? The Jones Act costs Hawai'i households more than $4,000 a year (1998 GAO study).

Who likes the Jones Act? Special interests that benefit from this virtual monopoly, shippers, unions and Sen. Akaka.

Akaka says the Jones Act brings in jobs. Sen. Akaka, you mock trickle-down economics, yet the $4,000 price tag Hawai'i households are forced to pay for Jones Act jobs is worse. After Hurricane Katrina, President Bush temporarily suspended the Jones Act because the act would dramatically increase the cost of Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts.

Lower the cost of living in paradise and vote for Ed Case in the Primary election.

SENIORITY IMPORTANT IN CONGRESSIONAL RACE

The forum Tuesday provided an excellent opportunity to contrast our congressional candidates and their approaches.

I was particularly struck by Ed Case's penchant for putting himself first in frequent use of the phrase "between me and Sen. Akaka."

More importantly, I thought Sen. Akaka's point regarding experience and seniority was well taken.

Having spent a number of years in Washington, D.C. before permanently moving to Hawai'i, I understand how things get done "inside the Beltway." Seniority is more than simply a concept; it directly impacts the work our congressional delegates do on the Hill.

In fact, if I recall correctly, seniority was an argument used by Ed Case when running for the House seat during the last election.

I believe that Sen. Akaka has served our state very well and I support his re-election.