HA'A

TEAM CONGRATULATED FOR CREATING WAR DANCE

I wrote a letter to the editor of this newspaper last year to express my view of the inappropriate use of a Maori haka by the University of Hawai'i Warrior football team.

I write now to congratulate the Warriors for doing the pono thing and creating their own unique war dance, the ha'a.

What a wonderful example of kuleana they have shown, and what makes it even more special is that the new chant was written and choreographed by three of the current players. I hope it is a legacy that will continue with the team long after these guys have moved on.

I also hope that all the other schools and teams here in Hawai'i and around the world that continue to perform haka that they have no right to, will follow the example of the Warriors and create a chant that is unique to their team.

SUPERFERRY

CLEAR MESSAGE IS DON'T INVADE KAUA'I'S SPACE

The Kaua'i protesters have convinced me that neither the Superferry nor any carriers of people or cargo should be allowed to invade their space.

Also, the hotels and car rental agencies presently on the island should be closed down, as they only encourage Hawai'i's people as well as people from all parts of the world to visit the island, and heaven knows what kinds of pollutants, insects and crime those people might introduce to that fair island.

If isolation is what they want...

FERRY MUST LEARN TO DO THINGS THE PONO WAY

It seems like a benign idea. Take a ferry between islands. Take your car. Create competition for airlines.

Meanwhile, empty trucks cruise without regulation to the Neighbor Islands, where they load up their beds with river rocks. Destroying watersheds. Enabling erosion.

Visitors can happily await unrestricted access to native plants, depleted from O'ahu by the wasteful overuse of its own resources. But, lucky us, we have the Superferry to provide us passage like modern-day pirates pillaging the resources of Kaua'i, Maui and Hawai'i Island. We can raid the shores for fish and 'opihi. Because who is going to stop us? We're on the Superferry.

This isn't just about an environmental impact statement. It's about respecting laws. Our long-standing rule in Hawai'i has been this: It's not necessarily what you do, but how you do it. How can the community be anything but outraged by a business that asks the community to follow the rule of law when it has not?

There are possible solutions to the Superferry's problems. Create regulations that protect the natural resources of the Neighbor Islands. Control the impact of vehicles from O'ahu. Work with the community; not against them.

Until the Superferry learns to do things the pono way, their catastrophic problems will continue.

PROTESTERS' BEHAVIOR IMMATURE, ATROCIOUS

After watching the immature and atrocious behavior of the Superferry protesters the last few weeks and listening to their rationale to defend it, I say let's just cut off all ocean craft going into their harbor.

Let them fly to O'ahu for all their supplies and needs. As one who often travels on ferries all over the world in whale-populated waters with no incident, I have seen how beneficial a ferry system is to the local population.

If they are so concerned about such a dramatic change to their land and lifestyle, I suggest they pay more attention to fighting the development that favors all the luxury building that drives up their property values and forever changes the landscape and lifestyle they so cherish.

One ferry boat is not the enemy, and their horrible behavior after Gov. Linda Lingle's visit has just eroded any sympathy I might have had left for their "cause."

ADVERTISER

KOBAYASHI PRAISED FOR COVERAGE OF COURTS

Former Advertiser reporter Ken Kobayashi should be commended for his many years of comprehensive and accurate reporting on cases from Hawai'i's courts.

His articles have been insightful, and his analysis thorough. He made many of the complex legal concepts involved in court decisions from both the trial and appellate levels understandable to the public.

His articles were informative and educational in a way that met not only high journalistic standards but also provided an important public service. The articles he wrote gave our citizenry a clearer understanding of our legal system and benefited our community as a whole.

O'AHU

TRANSIT MODE SHOULD BE PUT ON THE BALLOT

In Gordon Pang's article on Sept. 26 regarding the transit station, Mayor Mufi Hannemann is quoted saying, "it has to be what you want."

I suggest that if the mayor wants the people of O'ahu to "have what they want," then the issue of the mode of mass transit should be put on the ballot.

It seems we are destined to have a "train to nowhere" as he continues to ram this concept down the people's throats rather than letting us vote on what is going to be used by the majority to benefit the majority.

MOVEON AD

SENS. AKAKA, INOUYE DO SUPPORT MILITARY

I feel compelled to respond to Dana Clevenger and Ray Gagner (Letters, Sept. 24) regarding the recent vote on MoveOn.org's ad.

Both writers chided Sens. Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye for voting against a GOP amendment that lambasted MoveOn.

Neither writer mentioned that both senators supported an alternative amendment offered by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., that condemned all attacks on those who serve with honor in the military by any person or group.

In addition to specifically mentioning MoveOn's ad, the amendment also condemned attacks on the patriotism of former Sen. Max Cleeland, a triple amputee Vietnam veteran, and the infamous Swift Boat tactics used against another decorated Vietnam veteran, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

It is revealing to note that 46 Republicans who voted for the Cornyn amendment, voted against the Boxer amendment — thus refusing to support legislation criticizing attacks on Democrats as well as on Gen. David Petraeus.

Finally, it is outrageous to assert that Sen. Inouye, a Medal of Honor recipient who lost his right arm during World War II, and Sen. Akaka, another WWII veteran and the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, "do not support our military."

COMMUTING

ARE HANNEMANN, APO RIDING ON THEBOAT?

Wouldn't it make a great story to find out if Leeward Councilmember Todd Apo and Mayor Mufi Hannemann are riding TheBoat, which they spent $1 million of city money to fund?

I know Mufi rode it around Waikiki, but did he ride it to Kapolei to attend his meetings out there?

What about Apo? He lives out here. Is he riding it each day?

ADJUSTMENTS MIGHT ATTRACT MORE RIDERS

It does not surprise me that TheBoat gets very little ridership. However, I do hope that some adjustments can be made to attract more commuters.

For one, the last ferry arrives Downtown at 9 a.m. Most Downtown commuters start work at 8 a.m.

The next reason is the amount of time spent getting to Kalaeloa harbor. True, it only takes 50 minutes from Kalaeloa to Aloha Tower. But what about the shuttle time from either Kapolei or Makakilo that takes about 30 minutes? By the time we get to Kalaeloa, we could be halfway to Downtown via Express buses or C-Express.

Unless these two things are resolved, I am afraid ridership will be low.

MILILANI

CHANGES NECESSARY IN RECYCLING PICKUP PLAN

Mayor Mufi Hannemann's recycling plan for Mililani is a reduction in service.

Under the current system, Mililani is getting 11 pickups this month (nine regular and two green waste). Under the Hannemann plan, we would have only gotten nine pickups, a reduction of 18 percent. While this represents a service reduction in itself, it creates further problems. In the current system, green-waste pickup is the day after regular pickup. This makes it possible to use not only a green bin, but also the blue and gray bins. In the Hannemann plan, green-waste pickup replaces a regular pickup, meaning that the blue and gray bins will normally not be available for green waste.

Hannemann's solution is to allow homeowners to obtain additional green bins, if they can "prove" they need them (exactly how you prove need isn't clear).

Finding room for the current three bins is difficult enough. Having to store additional green bins is going to take over our yards.

The mayor should at least consider moving recycle/green-waste day to the day after regular pickup, as is done now, if he insists on this service reduction plan.

RECYCLING

HI-5 SURPLUS SHOULDN'T BE WINDFALL FOR STATE

The Advertiser's editorial, "Taking HI-5 funds can't solve Wai'anae needs" (9/22/07), misses the point when it suggests that I am attempting to raid the special fund to spend on a single community.

There is a direct nexus for the city asking for a portion of the state's recycling deposit surplus and our desire to provide additional funds for the Leeward Coast community benefits package.

During the last legislative session, I encouraged the introduction of a measure that would allow the city to be able to receive a portion of the surplus from the state's account.

When recyclable beverage containers are bought on O'ahu and not returned to redemption centers, it is the city that will ultimately deal with the disposal of those containers, either through our curbside recycling program, our white-bin program, H-Power or the landfill. Each of the counties that operate solid-waste programs that deal with unredeemed containers should be able to utilize the surplus for their recycling/disposal operations. The surplus should not be considered a windfall for the state.

It is patently unfair that one community bear the brunt of a landfill for the entire island. That is why I insisted on a community benefits package for the Leeward Coast; the city has provided more than $2 million a year.

To the extent that the state provides the city with its pro rata share of the surplus, I am committed to then offer additional funding out of our solid-waste fund to further benefit the Leeward Coast.

The people of the Leeward Coast deserve equity and relief. Providing them a portion of the surplus of the state's HI-5 funds to maintain healthy and safe communities, provide programs for children and kupuna, or to improve their quality of life is the least we can and should do.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann