TRASH

MAYOR SHOULD WALK THE TALK ON RECYCLING

Isn't it time the mayor walked the talk?

I have been to two city-sponsored events this summer. The Book Fair at City Hall and Kapolei Mele, an Aloha Week celebration. Thousands of people attended each of these events where entertainment, food and drink were available.

I did not see a single receptacle for recyclables at Kapolei; I saw one container at City Hall several hundred yards from the center of activity.

People wanted to recycle — piles of recyclables sat on the side of garbage cans with nowhere to go.

The city has to get serious about recycling. Start islandwide recycling now — maybe we can show the mayor how it's done.

HOTELS SHOULD RECYCLE ALL DISCARDED PAPER

On our last visit to Hawai'i, we picked up every interesting magazine, brochure and pamphlet we could find at the airport.

Once at the hotel we found other booklets we didn't have and took them also.

While visiting, we read them and took advantage of some coupons. When it was time to leave, the majority of the booklets went into the trash can in our room.

Hotels should put in some kind of recycling plan to stop this waste. Every day, on every island, every visitor probably does the same thing.

All this paper waste has to be damaging to this beautiful paradise.

CURBSIDE PROGRAM

RECYCLING PLAN SHOULD MEAN END OF BOTTLE LAW

The city's pilot curbside recycling program is scheduled to begin in late October for Hawai'i Kai and Mililani residents. The state should do away with the bottle-law program, which charges consumers 6 cents for each beverage can or bottle and returns 5 cents for each recyclable item at redemption centers.

The resident who participates in the city's curbside recycling program for cans, plastic and glass containers shouldn't have to lose the deposit fees to the city.

If possible, we should return to the days when we were able to take our aluminum cans and bottles to the Reynold's Aluminium Co. truck, where we received 25 cents a pound for aluminum cans and a lesser amount for glass bottles.

If the Reynold's truck idea is not possible, and the state does away with the required deposit fee, the resident can use the city's curbside recycling program for cans and recyclable items. The city can hire a company to do the sorting, and the city can receive the money for the aluminum, glass, and plastic without feeling guilty of depriving the resident of his deposit fee.

TRAFFIC

TRANSIT WILL CUT TIME SPENT IN COMMUTES

Thank you for the article "Cost of gridlock at $434 per year per traveler" (Sept. 20).

While these statistics are eye-opening, they are not surprising. And I, for one, do not agree with them. I put the value of my free time much higher than the $14.60 per hour, or $434 annual figure. determined by the Texas Transportation Institute.

What is the value of your time for missing your son's or daughter's school play, first football game or hula recital because you were caught in traffic? What is it worth to you to spend an additional hour with your elderly parent, sick child or spouse, or just relax at home rather than being stuck in bumper-to-bumper highway traffic? These moments are precious and can never be recovered.

That is why I support the mayor's transit plan. I would rather see my $434 a year spent on a light-rail system with bus connections that provide real transportation options, than spending it lost in traffic.

There is no guaranteed silver bullet to solve traffic congestion. But if we do nothing, we are guaranteeing that our quality of life will be diminished more and more each year as we spend more time stuck in traffic gridlock.

And my time to me is priceless.

UH FOOTBALL

NEVER ANY EXCUSE TO BOO COLLEGE PLAYERS

I regret that I was not able to attend the University of Hawai'i Warriors' last home game, but it displeases me to read about the conduct of Hawai'i fans.

Perhaps things were a little shaky at the beginning of the game, but frustration is a part of what being a real fan is about.

In no situation will it ever be excusable for fans to boo and deride players of the home team or the opposing team. After all, aren't games played at the Aloha Stadium?

I remember when Timmy Chang used to hear it from fans. It was wrong then and is just as much a disgrace now.

Expectations for Warrior football are high this season, and rightly so. However, let's never again make the mistake of booing or chanting counterproductive statements when our expectations are not met.

Positive support is so much more appropriate and is probably more effective.

GEN. PETRAEUS

SENS. AKAKA, INOUYE MISSED THE POINT ON AD

I am amazed that Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka have missed the point of MoveOn.org's blatant and unwarranted attack on Gen. David Petraeus.

Citing the Swift Boat attack on Sen. John Kerry just goes to show how out of touch with America these two are. The ad attacking Sen. Kerry was on a political candidate, not a noble and honorable soldier who has spent his life protecting this country.

Slandering an American hero is wrong, and the senators should have had the common sense to see this.

AKAKA, INOUYE LAUDED FOR MOVEON POSITION

I commend Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka for not condemning MoveOn.org, one of the few organizations to tell the truth about the disastrous Iraq policy.

If Gen. David Petraeus, a fine man, is forced to spew the administration's lies and spin about Iraq or be replaced as commander, that is a choice he has to make.

MoveOn.org supports our troops by exposing the lies of this fascist administration and trying to bring the troops home.

The vast majority of Americans no longer believe the lies of the Bush administration and agree with MoveOn.org.

As an obstruction to the will of the people, Bush must be impeached before he ruins the country completely.

PATRIOT AWARD

ELAINE OTA HONORED FOR USO VOLUNTEER WORK

There are people committed toward spreading aloha to the troops departing and arriving from O'ahu. One such organization is the USO.

The USO has locations worldwide, including two on O'ahu.

While many might recognize the USO name, many might be surprised to learn that they are there supporting our troops departing for their deployments. The USO will organize food and drink donations from local and national companies. These snacks are given to the troops while they wait to board their departing aircraft.

One of these dedicated USO people is Elaine Ota.

Elaine, the other volunteers and all those donated treats are the last things our men and women see before leaving for the Middle East.

Imagine what that last "aloha" means to those departing troops.

If anyone is interested in volunteering or donating something, you can contact Elaine at 448-9966 (Hickam AFB USO).

Congratulations to Elaine for just receiving the American Patriot Award. She is the first civilian to ever be given this honor.

HPD

POLICE CHIEF SHOULD BE THANKED FOR LEADERSHIP

Back in May 2005, Mayor Mufi Hannemann was a passenger in the vehicle driven by his wife, Gail, when she was cited for speeding,

Police Chief Boisse Correa handled the situation with discretion and without public comment, but the ticket did not go away.

Now that the chief is suffering from a back injury, why is Mayor Hannemann making a public plea on the front page of the newspaper (Advertiser, Sept. 28) to "let all of us know the status of his condition?"

I haven't read any complaints from the mayor or anyone else, for that matter, about the job performance of the chief or the police department. Maybe we should all send get-well cards to the chief thanking him for creating such a talented team at the Honolulu Police Department and creatively providing leadership in the face of adversity.

SECURITY SEARCH

TRIP MARRED BY ITEMS MISSING FROM LUGGAGE

This is a letter to all of the residents we may have met, inconvenienced and did business with. A big mahalo for your kindness and graciousness. We visited your island recently and enjoyed ourselves.

My reason for writing this letter is also to address the person at the airport who searched my husband's checked bag. Why did you have to steal all his souvenir T-shirts and hats? Ten of these were destined to the many friends back home who asked for something, anything, from Hawai'i. It was a shock to open his suitcase and see every piece of his old clothing rifled through and his brand-new gifts missing.

We love your island and plan to practice the aloha spirit here in Florida.

ALOHA SPIRIT

GOOD SAMARITAN AIDED BOY WHO WAS STUNG

The aloha spirit still exists. Recently my son was stung by a Portuguese man-o-war and had an allergic reaction. He was unable to get himself home and collapsed on the ground.

A gentleman came by and, after making certain that he did not need to go to the emergency room, took my son and his bicycle home.

I am so grateful for his kindness, and wish I could thank him in person.

TEST SCORES

OUR CHILDREN DESERVE BETTER FROM SCHOOLS

Of course test scores have improved — there's nowhere to go but up.

I am tired of the Department of Education heralding any improvement, no matter how slight, as a successful milestone in the education of our keiki.

Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic to see progress. But how have our scores remained so poor for so long with millions of taxpayer dollars funneled to the DOE every year?

What is so praiseworthy about the fact that our fourth- graders' reading scores are still below the national average and only higher than three states and Washington, D.C.?

It is a disservice to our kids to applaud the system for such minimal achievement, and it is no wonder that Hawai'i has the highest number of students per capita enrolled in private schools.

Our keiki deserve better. They deserve a system that sets the bar high and equips them with the skills to excel rather than to squeak by. We should be demanding a lot more from those tasked with educating our children, and more money isn't the answer—at some point the DOE is just a bad investment of our hard-earned dollars.