ELECTRICITY

OTEC COULD BE VIABLE ENERGY SOURCE FOR O'AHU

Advertiser staff writer Sean Hao's June 9 story on the energy aspects of rail transit on O'ahu ignored an important point: Energy systems we now use will evolve.

Extrapolating economic and environmental costs using existing energy economics ignores known threats that over the longer term will induce adaptations to remediate greenhouse gas emissions using renewables.

Powered by baseload electricity, rail transit offers the only mass-transit option that is amenable to early transfer to a renewable source on O'ahu. That source is ocean thermal energy conversion.

HECO planned installation of a 50-megawatt OTEC plant at Kahe Point in the early 1980s, for which I wrote most of a draft EIS. However, then-surging oil prices moderated, and plans for the Kahe OTEC plant were shelved.

Using solar energy stored in warm surface waters, OTEC's renewable reliability makes it unique as a baseload electricity source. With oil prices and climate worries threatening our state's economy, OTEC is both viable and necessary.

Rather than hand-wringing over meaningless short-term projections, our community would benefit from some sound, long-range planning that rationally aggregates risk and opportunity.

CITY COUNCIL

WHAT WAS JUSTIFICATION FOR EXPENSE INCREASE?

I was surprised there was no outcry for more information when City Council members increased their individual expense accounts from $12,000 to $18,000 per year.

What was their justification? Who reviews their expense submissions for appropriateness and reasonableness?

I have no problem with City Council members having an expense account; indeed, they surely need one. Just as surely, some independent review of their expense submission is appropriate.

And they should be open to public scrutiny.

CONCON

HAWAI'I'S DEMOCRATS CLEARLY FEAR CHANGE

When liberal Democrats flock around Sen. Barack Obama, the mantra they sing is one demanding "change."

Yet many local politicians who support Obama fear the change that may come about through implementing a Constitutional Convention. Tax-paying citizens of Hawai'i should take notice.

The Democratic Party of Hawai'i, keeper of status quo politics, higher taxes for residents and infamous for the "we know better than you voters" is simply validating what Republicans have said for years. They hardly represent the little guy anymore.

The party's efforts to prevent any consideration of convening a ConCon is a clear signal to the dwindling number of registered voters in our state. You guys like having things just the way they are; having all the power in your hands and out of reach of the average working man and woman trying to eke out a living.

As a voter and taxpayer, I'm glad the local Democratic elite are waffling on this ConCon issue by taking a "neutral" position. This way, Hawai'i's intelligent citizenry will know with absolute clarity which political party truly has the best interests of tax-paying voters in mind — the Republicans.

Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona has made the ConCon issue a focal point of the next election.

Democrats are already trying to circle their wagons in fear of what "change" may be lurking out there in Hawai'i's future.

DEBT

CREDIT CARDS MUGGED THE AMERICAN DREAM

Regarding "American dream gets mugged by economy," Page One, June 9:

Work hard, play by the rules, and tomorrow will be better than today. But we did not play by the rules.

One of those rules was "don't spend money you don't have." Credit cards and advertising telling us we "deserve" things rather than earn them have mugged the American dream.

Used to be, we bought on layaway if we didn't have the cash up front. The item was held in the store until we paid it off, and then we deserved it.

Credit cards have allowed us to spend money we don't have, and that is what is blowing the American dream away.

We simply don't deserve anything we can't pay for.

JOBS

RAIL PROJECT WILL BRING MONEY INTO ECONOMY

Reports from the University of Hawai'i Economic Research Organization paint a bleak future for our local economy.

Weaknesses in the visitor, retail and building industries are disturbing, with a prolonged slump until at least 2010.

At the same time, the city's rail-construction workshop revealed that the proposed rail-transit project is expected to create 11,000 new jobs, of which 4,700 are for construction. These are local jobs, and that is good news.

But, more importantly, the federal government would contribute at least $900 million to the rail project. With the private sector pulling back in spending and investment, this infusion of federal dollars could soften the blow of an impending recession in the Hawai'i economy.

These federal dollars will be money in the bank to see us through the tough economic times that are coming.

So think about it before you sign those petitions to stop the rail project.

PALACE PROTEST

'SACRED' CAN'T DESCRIBE NONRELIGIOUS THINGS

On the Hot Seat, 'Iolani Palace Executive Director Kippen de Alba Chu responded to the question regarding use of the word "sacred" by protesters there by writing that the use of the word "sacred" or "sacredness" has taken on a nonreligious context in regard to the palace and the grounds.

Sounds like a definition for sacrilege to me. And he goes on to say the definition of the word includes "worthy of reverence or respect." What the definition leaves out is "accorded holy things; venerated; hallowed." I wonder how our religious followers feel about that?

What's wrong with a nonreligious descriptive word like "respect?" Respect not sacred, as we respect our national and Hawai'i state flags. Using the word "sacred" to describe a non-religious environment is misleading.

My concern over the use of "sacred" by protesters goes beyond 'Iolani Palace. The word is also used to describe piles of rocks, holes in the ground, etc., by protesters in their effort to deny our soldiers full access to training areas, and they need to be challenged.

PRESIDENTIAL RACE

OPPORTUNITY FOR REAL CHANGE HAS BEEN LOST

The recent result of the Democratic presidential primaries was highly disappointing.

Very sadly, the young college-educated women lost their opportunity to make a real change.

Instead, they favored the continuance of the "male syndrome." The "glass ceiling" may never be broken in the U.S.

WAIKIKI

CHALLENGE OF HOMELESS MUST BE ADDRESSED

We have had the pleasure for many years of walking along the ocean between the Natatorium and the Kapahulu groin.

Over the past year, things have changed. On a recent morning, there were 21 homeless individuals camped out. This does not include several individuals who live in their cars along Kalakaua Avenue or those who sleep on the concrete between the restrooms behind Queen's Surf.

In the area across from the hotels, there are homeless people interspersed with newlywed couples, families from the Mainland with young children, new arrivals from Japan and China, and others trying to enjoy this beautiful stretch of paradise in the Pacific.

Unfortunately, some of the homeless are passed out, on drugs, mumbling to themselves, or otherwise trying to make ends meet rummaging through the trash cans or approaching tourists for handouts.

We are not minimizing the complexities of this subject, or trivializing a problem that faces the entire island of O'ahu.

However, this is a challenge that must be faced sooner rather than later to diminish the negative impact on the tourism industry, which remains the core of our overall economy.

It requires a collective effort involving the city and state politicians, business community, faith groups and service organizations who deal with the homeless. The future is now.