CROSSWALKS

PEDESTRIANS MUST ALSO BE ACCOUNTABLE

Here we go with another knee-jerk reaction by the governor: Increase the penalties for vehicle operators who violate the pedestrian crosswalk laws.

Perhaps the governor fails to see that the large majority of pedestrian injuries and fatalities occur outside the crosswalks or when a pedestrian is using a crosswalk improperly (crossing against the pedestrian light, etc.).

Why is it always the driver? Why are the pedestrian laws not enforced?

There was a quote on the number of pedestrian citations issued by HPD, but I would like to see how many of those were issued during the "trial/test phase" of the present new law.

Drivers need to be penalized for violations — but the same applies to the pedestrians, and there seems to be little concern or emphasis there.

HEE, WATERS

LEGISLATURE WARNED ABOUT MICROMANAGING

One has to wonder why Sen. Clayton Hee and Rep. Tommy Waters attempted to blatantly micromanage the university when the accreditation team from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges criticized the Legislature for the practice.

Either they do not want the university to keep its accreditation, or they are not aware of the WASC warning.

In either case, Hee and Waters have shown that they are not qualified for the position of leadership to which they have been elected.

Let's hope that their constituents will recognize this disgraceful Third World mentality at the polls.

LEND A HAND

REMEMBER, WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

I am asking people to join with me in celebrating a Day of Oneness. Please take a moment to honor that we are all human beings on this planet going through this journey called life, each of us with our own struggles and challenges.

Imagine if we all had compassion and forgiveness for one another, what a difference that could make in the world.

I was just at the Hawai'i Kai post office where an elderly man, who could not walk, was trying to get his scooter back into the trunk of his car. I, a 53-year-old grandmother, immediately tried to help him. Dozens of people walked by; no one offered assistance. We struggled for five to 10 minutes before we could get it into his car, which was parked in the handicapped spot.

I forgive all of you who walked on by, but remind you that that could have been you, or a loved one of yours.

Again, I ask that we all take a minute to remember that we are all in this world together, and together we can make a difference.

MORE EDUCATION

SOME DRIVERS BECOME KILLERS BEHIND WHEELS

How horribly ironic that B. Shawhan's letter regarding "geezers" trying to cross Beretania Street was printed on the very day that yet another O'ahu pedestrian was struck and killed crossing a street.

The person was elderly and probably qualifies as a geezer. However, I think the family would not call this beloved family member a geezer: grandpa, dad, great-grandpa, brother, sister, husband, but not geezer. And I would not refer to the speeding cars on Beretania and other streets as killer cars, but rather killer drivers or perhaps just killers.

People are the issue, not cars. For too long we've referred to cars as the problem when, in fact, it is the person behind the wheel of the car who is responsible.

Too many drivers believe themselves invisible and anonymous once behind the wheel of an automobile. Some otherwise sensible people will speed through our neighborhoods and on our city streets, ignoring traffic signs, traffic laws and common-sense driving manners. They will bear down on pedestrians in crosswalks in a threatening and intimidating manner, refuse to acknowledge that a pedestrian is trying to cross a street, and in general behave in an arrogant, rude and ultimately murderous manner.

My belief is that continuous traffic safety education is the only hope for improvement in this dire situation. In the meantime, we mourn with the family the death of that innocent person simply trying to cross the street.

PROPERTY TAX

CITY OFFICIALS: LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS

Have our supposedly wise city fathers and mothers gone out of their minds? Have they indulged themselves too heavily in fermented spirits?

Instead of reducing last year's absurd tax increase of about 50 percent, they want to raise it again. What possesses them to believe people can afford that?

Back to square one. You adjust your expenses to your income, not the other way around! There are very few people who can arbitrarily raise their income. I don't know any.

By the way, what is the rational connection between rising property values — that is, paper values — and taxes? If there should be any tax increases, it should be when the property gets sold and the paper value gets turned into real — taxable — value.

And one more piece of advice: Any homeowner over the age of 65 should pay only half of the established taxes.

City fathers and mothers, learn to live within your means. This is a good year to start. No tax increase at all, and next year a tax reduction. If you cannot handle it, perhaps you should resign.

ASSESSMENTS

HOME EXEMPTION ISN'T GIVING US TAX RELIEF

Kudos to Mr. Ron Kubota's letter in the Dec. 23 Advertiser.

I, too, am faced with doubling and tripling real property assessments and tax payments, as well as a huge decline in the value of my home exemption.

In 2001, my home exemption was valued at 29.7 percent of the property assessment; in 2006, it is a mere 10.5 percent — a 65 percent decline.

The home exemption was effected to afford the homeowner some relief to the tax burden; however, recent and current administrations have chosen to ignore this breather, concentrating instead on ever-increasing assessments and tax rates — thus subjecting homeowners to even higher tax payments.

Now, our mayor refuses to consider any serious tax relief to our already overburdened homeowners and even wants to develop a $50 million "nest egg" off the sweat of our backs. I am positive there are many of us homeowners, senior citizens or otherwise, who would love to have just such a nest egg to rely on.

$40,000

HOME EXEMPTION SHOULD BE RAISED

Every homeowner should write or call his or her council member and appeal the 2006 assessed property value, due to the City of Honolulu denying Hawai'i residents a vote or hearing on a bill to increase the $40,000 basic home exemption amount — which is deducted from the assessed property value.

The current $40,000 basic home exemption has not been changed since 1990 — 15 years — and does not meet the intent of the home tax exemption law to provide tax relief to homeowners.

BALANCED

STATE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM COMING ALONG

With the coming of the new year, Hawai'i can foresee a balanced transportation system, with minimum impact on the natural environment.

The Hawai'i Superferry system is both marine transit and marine highway.

We have in being all the necessary airports statewide, and the H-1, H-2 and H-3 intrastate freeway system. A transit system is in city planning, and an interisland ferry system is being generated by private parties.

Still needed is resumption of planning to extend the airport viaduct down Nimitz to relieve the Middle Street merge, and to connect the airport and the ferryport at Pier 19 and downtown Honolulu.

ACCIDENTS

SPECIAL TRAFFIC UNIT MAKES GOOD SENSE

I agree with David H. McCoy that the City and County of Honolulu can and should take steps to help unsnarl traffic jams created by accidents and stalled vehicles.

The special squads he talks about sound like the Hazmat or Oil Spill task forces that immediately assemble when an emergency happens. These task forces are trained to specifically tend to the emergency.

Why can't we have special squads to respond to traffic jams? Are we so shortsighted that we can't realize that something like this could help, especially since we are faced with more traffic jams because of the number of vehicles on the road, and careless and discourteous drivers?

As far as I can see, HPD adds to the snarl by ignoring the citizens — it's not concerned or caring about their well-being. It appears too many of them rush to the scene, park their vehicles and ignore the traffic snarl.

It is expected that the agitated drivers police themselves and get through the snarl. Eventually they do, but with much time lost and frustration.

The craziest and most frustrating traffic-snarling area is the H-1 between the Pearl City and Waipahu off-ramps. Drivers are especially reckless there changing lanes at the last minute to get off.

This being the case, why can't we learn from all these lessons? If we can't help or control these reckless drivers from getting into the accidents, why can't we have special squads to help traffic control?

RUSH HOUR

FREE EXPRESS BUS RIDE WOULD BE BETTER

A solution for mass transit could be to use express buses during rush hours. A special lane only for express buses would be allowed. Offer free rides.

Why should I be stuck in traffic and pay high gasoline prices when I could ride for free?

Also, by having only express buses in special lanes, the trip would save time.

Why would we want to pay billions for rail when only a few people would use it? Then we would be stuck with high taxes to pay for it.

DOE MAINTENANCE BRANCH ATTACKING SCHOOL BACKLOG

James Wataru (Letters, Dec. 20) feels that the DOE Facilities Maintenance Branch should pay its workers overtime to address facilities repairs in Oçahu public schools. However, overtime will fail to best meet the immediate needs of our schools.

The DOE Facilities Maintenance Branch’s primary mission is to work on emergency and minor repairs in Oçahu public schools. Prior to coming to the DOE, Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) workers were authorized overtime using bond funds to do major projects like classroom renovation work. The primary reason for this is that there were insufficient funds in the operating budget for DAGS to attend to all the school minor repair and maintenance projects.

As Wataru noted, the DAGS crews did those jobs well. But because the work crews were not available for minor repair and maintenance, teachers and administrators waited for months to get simple repairs completed, and facilities deteriorated as minor jobs turned into serious repairs. Subsequently, principals began calling in repairs as “emergencies” to get any kind of response.

On July 1, DAGS Central Services employees officially transferred to the DOE. With an increase in the general fund budget for repair and maintenance, the DOE Facilities Maintenance Branch refocused on its mission and, in just the past six months, the reduction in our work order backlog has been substantial.

Our crews have managed to reduce the backlog by 61 percent from 2,949 to 1,156 by utilizing a computerized work order system and by focusing entirely on minor and emergency repairs. In addition, we have also managed to greatly reduce the lag time between when a school submits a work order and when the job gets done.

The employees of the DOE Facilities Maintenance Branch are dedicated to doing the best job possible to improve our school classrooms and buildings for our customers — our principals, teachers and students.