PRESIDENTIAL RACE

LINGLE'S COMMENTS WERE WAY OUT OF LINE

The facts belie the comment by Lenny Klompus (Letter, Oct. 19) that Gov. Linda Lingle has been taken out of context in her recent, highly negative interviews about Barack Obama.

We have it from the Associated Press that the Colorado reporter who interviewed Lingle last week said that the exact words she used to describe Sen. Obama's claim about his Hawai'i roots were: "not genuine."

And, according to a Colorado newspaper, Lingle stated, "Obama spent only a few years in Hawai'i during his high school years." She also said that his claim of Hawai'i as one of his home states is "disingenuous."

And Lingle stated to reporters that electing Obama "would devastate our economy."

And she told reporters that "Sen. Obama likes to say he's from Hawai'i, but truth is, I've never met him in my life."

And asked about Sarah Palin's comment that Obama "has been palling around with terrorists," in reference to Obama knowing William Ayers, Lingle said, "this is just another example of Obama willing to say and do anything to win."

One thing out of context maybe. Two things, possibly. But clearly Gov. Lingle has been an acidic quote machine. The burn marks run deep. And they are way out of line.

EDUCATION

SPEND MONEY ON REAL REFORM, NOT A CONCON

As a longtime advocate for public education, I look at all reform propositions with a critical eye. Decentralization of schools is a "smoke and mirrors" solution that avoids reforms that would make a difference. It is not where we should focus our resources and efforts. Our students' educational needs have changed. We need to overhaul our education system for the future.

Real reform would be:

• Smaller class sizes.

• Smaller schools.

• Parental involvement.

• Highly trained, flexible, caring teachers who are compensated well.

• School-level decision-making.

• Technology/infrastructure investment.

• Safe, adequate facilities.

• Support of policy-makers.

A Constitutional Convention would provide no real solutions to improve our schools. Real solutions would require significant investment in public schools.

The lieutenant governor says we invest more per student than 34 other states. How shameful!

With the highest cost of living, highest cost to ship everything we need for the classroom, highest land values and construction costs, highest transportation costs, highest food costs for school lunch programs, it is a disgrace to indicate we are generously funding our schools. And teachers here work far more years to earn average national teachers' salaries.

Don't use reforming public schools as a rationale for wasting resources on a ConCon. Instead invest that money in our future, our public schools.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

NEW LAW NEEDS DOSE OF SOME COMMON SENSE

Act 228 is good in that it is designed to preserve older buildings and homes that are being destroyed or remodeled.

However, this new law has several issues, such as mandating the State Historic Preservation Division necessitate a lengthy and expensive archeological inventory survey (AIS) be completed by a qualified archeologist to dig holes on your property to look for "possible" historical remains as part of the permitting process.

I understand and support the importance of preserving buildings and historical remains. I am concerned that our government has mandated that homeowners and contractors be burdened with obtaining this survey.

The permitting process is already an arduous, lengthy and notoriously mismanaged process — adding this new AIS requirement, based on the "possibility" of finding historical remains, will only drive another nail in the coffin for the already sagging home-building industry.

Can we please use some common sense and not hold up the permitting process?

Just like that of requiring an electric and plumbing inspection during construction, mandate that an archeologist be on site during the digging phase of construction. If historical remains are discovered, then enforce the requirement for an AIS and proper historic preservation.

TRANSPORTATION

WHAT WILL CONVERT YOU TO BICYCLE COMMUTING?

There is a lot of talk about viable alternative transportation in the form of light rail, but there's another less expensive, quick to construct and viable form of transportation that is not being widely discussed and that's bicycling.

Honolulu has the most incredible opportunity to be a cycling society, but it continues to elude us. How do we convert motorists to cyclists? Why do we build bicycle facilities but see little increase in ridership? We have limited space but we're building a light rail system; why not a complete bicycle system? What's the one idea that will transform Honolulu into a bicycle-friendly city?

If we want fundamental change, the answer has to be simple, convenient and super safe or we will never reach critical mass.

The key is short-distance commuters connecting our bedroom communities to work places with one "super safe" route from Hawai'i Kai to 'Aiea via downtown Honolulu.

Light rail is projected to relieve 11 percent of traffic for $3.7 billion. Would you be willing to spend $100 million for a "super safe" bicycle route for 2 to 3 percent less congestion?

Only when cyclists are equal to other forms of transportation will we ever gain critical mass and Honolulu will become a bicycle-friendly city.

The City and County of Honolulu is updating the O'ahu Bike Plan. Go to www.oahubikeplan.org and let the city know what would convert you into a bicycle commuter.