GAY EMPLOYEES

UARC DISCRIMINATION CLAIM DOESN'T HOLD UP

Professor Jon Van Dyke has concluded that UH's UARC project is illegal owing to the possibility that some potential researchers might be gay and therefore not qualified for security clearances, and that this would violate state law against discrimination in employment.

University researchers have been granted security clearances for many decades, apparently without violating state law. A researcher on a UARC project does not become a Navy employee, and therefore that point is irrelevant.

If a person is not vulnerable to blackmail, the security issue is resolved. Does professor Van Dyke believe that gay members of the U.S. Congress do not have security clearances?

'SLUGGING'

CASUAL CAR POOLS POACH TRANSIT RIDERS

One reader suggested that Honolulu commuters try casual car-pooling to reduce traffic congestion ("Be a 'slug' and unsnarl traffic," Sept. 15). I recall this same practice when I worked as a transportation planner in the Bay Area in the early 1990s. Commuters who would otherwise drive alone would pick up other commuters waiting at transit stops (aka "slugs") to form a casual car pool, enabling them to use the HOV lanes to get to work.

The problem is that casual car pools poach transit riders who wouldn't have driven to work anyway, so it doesn't remove vehicles from the road system.

In addition, casual car-pooling usually works only in the morning commute because the crunch time is more compressed and there's generally only one destination (e.g., downtown). Slugs usually rely on transit to get them back home again, meaning that transit operators get only half the daily fare revenue from them, but still have to provide both morning and afternoon commute services.

Casual car-pooling is nice and convenient for those who do it, but it's not an effective remedy for traffic congestion and hurts transit operators.

TRAFFIC FLOW

TWO-PERSON CARS IN ZIPPER LANE WORK WELL

Concerning Mr. Kurt Schweitzer's claims about the zipper lane (Letters, Sept. 14) and his desire to see a return to a minimum of three people per car: He and his two sons must be using a different H-1 from the rest of us. My wife and I are saving 15 minutes every morning using the zipper lane during our commute from Kapolei to the airport.

Allowing cars with two riders instead of three can only reduce the traffic in the other lanes; there are simply fewer cars in the "normal lanes."

Then again, the passenger requirement could be raised to five or six people per car, and imagine how fast it would be, if not for that pesky 45-mph speed limit. Of course, that would mean my wife and I, with our one car and no kids (meaning we use fewer resources while paying more taxes) will be back to sharing lanes with all those single-occupant vehicles.

FREE COMMUTE

BEING A 'SLUG' HAS WORKED OUT JUST FINE

I was very pleased to read Nita Williams' Sept. 15 letter about "slugging."

I moved to Northern Virginia from Hawai'i a little more than a year ago, and am proud to say that I "slug" to the Pentagon each day, a 60-mile roundtrip commute. I believe slugging has enormous potential on O'ahu.

I'll admit that I was apprehensive initially. It is odd climbing into a stranger's car, and I was concerned that I would get left curbside. But thus far, I've experienced nothing but professional, polite people just trying to get to work and get home each day.

I estimate that I save five hours a week commuting this way. I catch up on reading or get a quick nap. Best of all, I fill my car up every six weeks.

CREDIT CARDS

MINIMUM PAYMENT RULE IS DEVASTATING

If businesses in Hawai'i are worrying about customer drop-off because of the price of gas, then they better get ready for the new credit card minimum payment rule that has been changed by the U.S. Treasury Department.

The new rule affects those consumers who only pay the minimum payment required, which is 2 percent of the balance. The average American has $9,000 in credit card debt. I bet that average is higher in Hawai'i. Under the current rule, the monthly payment on $9,000 in credit card debt is $180. The new rule will increase the minimum payment to 4 percent. This will double the monthly minimum payment required to $360. Your yearly payments will increase $2,160.

I have a feeling thousands of people living in the state will have a hard time meeting this new expense. If you are among the majority of consumers who only make the minimum monthly payment on your credit card balances, then you should be aware of this new rule change.

GAS PRICES

SOMETHING IS WRONG

I just returned home to Ho-nolulu from Southern California. I bought gas in Los Angeles for $2.98 per gallon. I noted that gas on O'ahu is now pushing $3.70 per gallon and $4 per gallon on the Neighbor Islands. There is no gas cap in California. What is wrong with this picture?

QUEEN’S POSITIONED TO REACT IN CASE OF A MAJOR DISASTER

Ever since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, many communities have taken an introspective look to determine if they are adequately prepared for catastrophe such as a level four or five hurricane or a terrorist attack.

As president of The Queen’s Medical Center, I want to assure our community that our hospital is uniquely positioned with a disaster preparedness plan and is also taking unprecedented steps to further assure the health and safety of all our patients and community.
But in order for Hawaiçi to be fully prepared, it will require a team of all healthcare providers, community members, elected officials and policymakers to successfully plan and implement a comprehensive disaster preparedness strategy for Oçahu and the entire state of Hawai'i.

Queen’s already has in place around-the-clock, fully equipped emergency room and surgical teams capable of treating the most critically injured and ill patients.

We also have the most active helipad in the state to receive airlifts of patients. In the event of water contamination or shortage, Queen’s is the only hospital in the state with its own independent water supply. And in response to a chemical or biological attack, we have the state’s largest decontamination center with isolation rooms available to treat those exposed to deadly toxins or diseases.

We also realize that much more has to be done to further assure the health and safety of our patients and the community. Therefore, we are now in the process of upgrading our emergency generators — so we will be fully prepared if Oçahu is faced with complete loss of power.

We are also seeking neighboring space for campus expansion to enable us to meet the needs of even more members of the community in the event of a disaster. And most important, as a member of the state’s Civil Defense, we are working closely with the state and city first responders network.

The Queen’s Medical Center pledges to the community that it is committed to doing more and will continue to work as part of a larger team. As our thoughts and prayers remain with the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, Queen’s is committed to doing its best to protect Hawai'i’s çohana if confronted with a similar disaster.