KAWELA

NORTH SHORE COASTLINE SHOULD BE PRESERVED

Once again our elected policymakers are at a crossroad to either develop a large stretch of Hawai'i coastline for the tourist industry, or preserve it for the keiki o ka 'aina.

On O'ahu, Kawela is the farthest place from Waikiki both geographically and in spirit. If we want to get away from crowds and commercialization, where can we go?

So many of the prime coastlines in our state have been desecrated by the visitor industry that now even the tourists are seeking out vacation rentals in neighborhoods to get away from the hotels they are supposed to be staying in. If that isn't a sign we are killing the goose that laid the golden egg, what is?

The law of supply and demand rules, which means that there is huge value today and will be greater value in the future in leaving land the way our creator intended it to be. Never mind that for a parent, it is almost impossible to take our kids, to an undeveloped beach, but more to the point, our culture of throw-net and surfboard is being replaced by golf carts and Rolexes.

Stop building hotels.

BAD BEHAVIOR

SEX BIAS BILL WOULD HURT BUSINESS OWNERS

Legislation designed to prohibit discrimination of individuals based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression is just plain wrong.

This bill would create a protected class of people who would use it to attack business owners who "do not treat them fairly." It would attack business owners' rights to protect their customers from immoral, inappropriate or dangerous behavior.

Rep. Blake Oshiro is foolish to think "this bill is not meant to hurt anyone." Good intentions do not make effective legislation. This nice-sounding bill does nothing but expand litigation opportunities for lawyers.

Homosexuals, transgender and transsexual persons (never mind those who want to "express themselves") have no right to disrupt a business due to their lack of self-control. And it is a self-control issue.

CONSUMERS

IF OIL COMPANIES WANT GAS CAP GONE, BEWARE

I'm sorry, but could someone explain to me what's wrong with the gas cap? What's wrong with pegging the price of gas in Hawai'i to the price of gas on the Mainland? What's wrong with having the price of gas go up in Hawai'i when it goes up in the rest of the country, but more importantly, what's wrong with having it come down accordingly when it goes down on the Mainland?

The folks who want to repeal the gas cap must have short memories of what it was like here when gas prices would never come down after a hefty increase went into effect. We would watch the prices come down on the Mainland and wait for our prices to do the same. And wait. And wait some more. But they never did.

Just remember this: The crocodile tears the oil companies are shedding over this issue portend the utter delight they will have upon repeal. If it's good for the oil companies, it can't be good for the consumers in Hawai'i.

GAS PRICES

WE'VE LOST BEING NO. 1

As the cost of gasoline continues to rise all across the nation, for the past several weeks Honolulu has not been announced as having the highest prices at the pump. I suspect that we have lost our top spot due to the way our gas cap law presently controls wholesale pricing. This gas cap law should be repealed immediately so that Honolulu can quickly regain the reputation of having the highest prices in the entire U.S.A.

WAIKIKI

USE BUDGET SURPLUS TO REPAIR SEWER LINES

What to do with the state's budget surplus is a no-brainer. The money should immediately be given to the City and County of Honolulu to fix the long-neglected infrastructure.

Is that fair to the Neighbor Islands? Yes. Because the residents of O'ahu make up 80 percent of the state's population and therefore have paid the major share of the tax surplus.

Also, the entire state benefits from the tourists who flock to Waikiki and pay all sorts of taxes during their visit. They stay in hotels and are major contributors to the sewage flow.

If there is another severe sewer line break in Waikiki and tourism drops off as a result, the entire state will lose. So, the entire state should help pay to fix Waikiki's sewers. The least painful way to do that is by using the budget surplus.

The worn-out pipe problem is not going to go away, so let's get started.

SCHOOLS, FLOOD

FORGET TAX REBATE, FOCUS ON PROBLEMS

Gov. Lingle must have a tin ear. Hawai'i citizens want better government services, not a puny tax rebate. Her proposed $125 million rebate comes to about $110 per person. Whoopee.

What could the DOE or the university do with that money? The Health Department could use it, as could Human Services or any other gasping public service. We got hit with floods since the budget was first proposed, so maybe extra funds can go to flood repair.

Democratic legislators at least are thinking a really tiny rebate, but they should think about what $30 million could do for the Harbors Division or Parks and Recreation.

Come on, politicians, you were elected to spend money wisely, not pander for votes.

INTEGRITY

AKAKA HAS COURAGE OF HIS CONVICTIONS

I appreciate Sen. Akaka for his integrity, his statesmanship and his courage to stand for what he believes even if this stance seems unpopular.

Popularity and gamesmanship are not important to Sen. Akaka, and this is seen by some as political weakness. That says more about our current political system than it does about Sen. Akaka.

I wish we had more political leaders willing to stand for what is right rather than what will garner the most votes or bring the most money into re-election campaigns.

KAKA'AKO MAKAI

WATERFRONT PROJECT MUST SURVIVE

A House-Senate conference committee has shot down Alexander & Baldwin's proposed Kaka'ako Makai project that would have provided more homes for our low-income residents in an extremely tight housing market.

"The Legislature listened to the voices of the people," said Rep. Ezra Kanoho, D-15th (Lihue, Koloa), who co-chaired the committee that passed House Bill 2555, which would prohibit residential use of the Kaka'ako Peninsula (Advertiser, April 27).

The "people"?

The committee members listened to perhaps 10 hard-core opponents and a fringe collection of perhaps 40 more, and took their objections to be the "voices" of the 1 million other citizens of our state.

The opposition is against the proposal to construct two 200-foot buildings that they claim to be on the "shoreline," but which would actually be placed three football fields away from the ocean.

If the full Legislature manages to stop A&B, there will be carnage:

What would we stand to gain?

At least another decade of a stinking, toxic dump adjacent to our medical school gem. And if, by some stupidity, a park is ever put in, we'd acquire a budget-draining haven for crime and the homeless.

Is that what we really want? Because unless the majority of the "people's voices" are heard, that's exactly what we're going to get.

I urge you to contact your legislative representative.