EFFORTS INSUFFICIENT TO FIGHT MITES

Destroying bees around Ho-nolulu International Airport and Honolulu Harbor, undertaken by the Agriculture Department, was not sufficient to prevent the mites from reaching Hilo. More drastic measures are needed to prevent varroa bee mites from hitching a ride on cars and trucks coming from O'ahu.

Because bee mites cannot be eliminated from O'ahu, we need to decontaminate cars and trucks leaving the island. The governor needs to give this a very high priority to protect Hawai'i island's queen-bee export business and sustain the levels of crops pollinated by bees, including Kona coffee.

Until a real decontamination procedure is operational, the governor needs to declare a moratorium on shipping cars and trucks to Neighbor Islands by any means. The cost of reimbursing shippers for lost revenue will be small compared with the financial impact if the varroa bee mite takes up permanent residence on Neighbor Islands. And the likely worldwide impact of loss of Kona's queen-bee industry is immeasurable.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

IT'S MCCAIN WHO'S THE CANDIDATE, NOT BUSH

Democrats are so anxious to run against Bush, their animosity is so pent up, that they persist in running against a man who is not seeking a third term. It was no accident — or Freudian slip — when Joe Biden spoke of John Bush instead of George in his litany of attacks in Denver.

Remember that McCain ran against Bush in 2000.

PUBLIC HOUSING

ASSOCIATION USES PRIVATE FUNDS TO HELP

In response to recent articles on the state of public housing in Hawai'i, I would like to offer some clarification and comment.

There is a local nonprofit organization that has already used tax credits and outside investment to privatize public housing. The organization is the Mutual Housing Association of Hawai'i that provides affordable rentals and supportive services to very low-income families.

MHAH operates the 306-unit Palolo Homes, which was a state (not federal) public housing project until it was privatized in 2002. Palolo Valley Homes, the adjoining federal public housing project, was the subject of one of the articles.

When MHAH took over management of Palolo Homes, it was based upon the intent to keep the entire project affordable into perpetuity, and to show that mixed-use is not necessarily a requirement.

MHAH works collaboratively with residents and respects the pride and responsibility that most residents inherently feel. Renovation of all 306 units at Palolo Homes was completed in one year, on budget and on time, with the full cooperation of all residents who had to be temporarily displaced during renovations.

We believe that other projects can be saved with the right financing and also with developers who are committed to work with their communities for the long term.

MHAH Board of Directors

Dee Dee Letts, president; Warren Haight, vice president; Dee Darby, treasurer; Jan Sullivan, secretary; John Anderson, Pat Brandt, Naomi Sakamoto, Kelly Walsh

TRAFFIC

GRIDLOCK A GOOD REASON TO SUPPORT RAIL SYSTEM

I do not believe that anyone who sits in Honolulu traffic at 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily can be against the proposed rail system. Four years ago during rush hour it took me 20 minutes to get from 'Aina Haina to the airport. Now it takes one hour.

There are rail systems in most major cities in the world, such as Portland, San Francisco, New York, Boston, Washington, Amsterdam, Chicago and Paris, just to name a few.

The only reason that there is less traffic in downtown San Francisco is because of the BART system. As for the argument that a rail system will destroy Ho-nolulu's landscape and view: I personally do not get satisfaction out of watching the freeway turn into a virtual parking lot! I challenge people to take off their blinders and see the situation for what it is: gridlock on a daily basis, and it is not going to get any better!

Please do not live in denial. Vote for rail.

ALCOHOL

FREE SOCIETY SHOULDN'T RESTRICT DRINKING AGE

Robert Parker opposes lowering the drinking age based on a long series of statistics purporting to show that alcohol is dangerous and young people act less responsibly than their elders. This we already know.

What he fails to grasp is that America is in fact a free country. His dismissal of allowing soldiers who are likely to come under enemy fire the right to drink merely underscores this disassociation with the civil liberties issues involved in this discussion. If one is to advocate that the government criminalize risky behavior. why not go after college football? Plenty of injuries there! Why not make it illegal so no one will get hurt?

Or why not solve the auto fatality problem by getting rid of the automobile or at least enforcing a uniform 15 mph speed limit? Nanny-state advocates would love this. Lives would be saved, they would chant.

The way to reduce problems incident to underage drinking is to do the opposite of what the prohibitionists suggest. Children should be taught responsible drinking habits by their parents from an early age, as they are in many European countries. Then alcohol may lose its appeal as a rite-of-passage experiment.

GILL NETS

'CURTAINS OF DEATH' SHOULD BE BANNED

Each year our local news reports that endangered monk seals, shark pups, turtles and all types of fish are killed by illegal lay gill nets. Gill nets, which are banned in every coastal state on the Mainland, are allowed in Kane'ohe Bay, which is a known nursery for sharks.

The 12 known dead baby hammerhead sharks are not aggressive or dangerous to humans. A statewide ban on lay gill nets is needed! These curtains of death must be banned on our overfished Islands, and fishermen should realize that with a complete ban this will increase fish populations and help them in the long term. The selected gill net ban must become a complete gill net ban.