BULKY ITEMS

ILLEGAL DUMPING ON STREETS NEEDS TO STOP

The presence of illegally dumped trash in Kalihi not only reduces the quality of the human environment but poses serious health hazards to the people living here.

I believe that piles of trash litter every street in Kalihi because individuals feel that eventually it will be picked up by bulky-item pickup. Bulky-item pickup has given a false sense of security to individuals when dumping items anywhere and everywhere. Items left along the roads include car batteries, refrigerators, toilets, mattresses and air conditioners, which all pose environmental and safety concerns.

Often when I call to report illegal dumping the first question I am asked is "When is bulky- item pickup for that area?" Because of an almost complete lack of enforcement that requires people working long hours to phone in complaints and sign a statement, our community looks like a huge garbage dump.

Why can't citations be written when trash is visibly dumped outside of the bulky-item pickup schedule — without a formal complaint being made? Bulky-item pickup has opened Pandora's box in our Kalihi neighborhood — somebody please put a lid back on it.

TRAFFIC SOLUTION

OFFICIALS NEED TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT PLANNING

It's about time that the state DOT decided to address the west-bound traffic congestion in the afternoon.

However, the proposed solution hardly happens without months of forethought and planning. These are the same months that passed as Honolulu tore itself apart at the seams during the bitter mayoral race.

A press release at this point seems more like an advertising ritual at a time "safely removed" from the election than a real revelation of a solution.

It's time our elected officials at all levels started working for the citizens instead of trying to steal each others' thunder.

PET CARE

LEAVING DOGS OUTSIDE CAN BE DANGEROUS

As an animal lover, I feel compelled to educate the many dog owners who leave their pets outside. A young woman came running into my vet's office with her limp Shar-Pei puppy in her arms.

I asked the vet staff what had happened and they said they weren't sure. The owner came home from work that afternoon and found the dog unconscious in her yard. But it was too late.

According to the vet, because of their padded head, Shar-Peis are very sensitive to heat. Shade and water must always be available. But this dog was covered in red dirt — a tell-tale sign of how he was raised. His temperature didn't even register on the thermometer.

How can we continue to condone the idea that keeping dogs (of any breed) chained up outside — with little shade, shelter, food, water, exercise and even love — is pono?

If you can't embrace your dog as part of your 'ohana, then get a fish. Dogs deserve better.

DRIVER SAFETY

CELL PHONE BAN CAN'T BE LIMITED TO TEENS

Why do state transportation officials think that citing only teens using the cell phone while driving is going to make the roads safer? I see so many people who are hazardous to themselves and others driving and talking on the cell phone, and these are adults.

They should ban it altogether. How is the police department going to enforce this if only teens are banned from using the cell phone while driving? C'mon people, we need some consistency and common sense.

FIREWORKS

LEGISLATORS SHOULD BAN THEM ONCE AND FOR ALL

This session of the state Legislature may be our best opportunity to finally ban fireworks once and for all.

We cannot expect our overworked police department to control the misuse of fireworks with other more important duties to enforce. We are just lucky this year that fireworks did not cause any major fire. Firework bombs started exploding as soon as sales started and continued for several days after Jan. 1.

Let's ban fireworks once and for all despite what some people say is a religious tradition.

WAR CRIMES

TERRORISTS NOT ENTITLED TO GENEVA RIGHTS

Your Jan. 13 editorial suggesting that an inquisition into the treatment of combatant prisoners from the war on terror is possible but not advisable once again exposes a great fallacy. That fallacy is the notion that terrorists picked up on the broad battlefield of this great war are entitled to Geneva Convention rights.

They are not. Under the Geneva Convention, you cannot legally assume the role of a combatant without uniforms to distinguish yourself, and hide amongst the civilian populace, blowing them up at every opportunity. That's the real reason why an inquisition would not succeed, it has no chance of success.

It would only accomplish the spectacle of senators posturing before the cameras about what great defenders of human rights they are. Thank you, President Bush, from the bottom of my heart, for not having bought into this nonsense.

PURSUIT OF JUSTICE REFLECTS OUR VALUES

I strongly agree that the "U.S. economy matters more than (a) war probe," (Editorials, Jan. 13) but that does not mean that the justice department should ignore potential "war crimes."

We can do more than one thing at a time. This is a country built on laws and those laws must be applied equally to all. Can you imagine this same editorial applied to WWII or Bosnia or even Saddam Hussein? Can you imagine an accused criminal saying to the judge, "Let's focus on the way forward and avoid this costly prosecution?"

The editorial states it would be "naive to expect a war crimes investigation to be anything but partisan and divisive," yet we promote ourselves around the world as being a fair and just democracy where everyone is treated equally.

No, I'm not naive; I know our system isn't perfect, but this is an opportunity to do the right thing and show the world what we stand for. No one should be above the law. If there is reasonable evidence to merit an investigation, there should be an investigation. If there is evidence of a crime, the perpetrators should be prosecuted. It shouldn't matter the status or position of the person under investigation.

This is a slippery slope you are promoting.

WEATHER

SPEAKING OF A DAY OFF FOR THE 'NONESSENTIAL'

Thirty mph winds and "non-essential" government employees get another paid day off. I can see the rationale of not putting our public employees at risk but the truth is these same people may actually be driving around more on their free day, treating it like a holiday.

I guess Friday is a great day off because it makes for a three-day weekend. By the way, if an employee is deemed "nonessential," what do they do while at work? Makes one wonder.