WAI'ANAE

STORY ON FATAL BEATING WAS UNDERPLAYED

I find it hard to believe that you would choose money ("4 arrested in $100M scheme," Sept. 2) for the Page One headline over a vicious and brutal murder in Wai'anae ("Bicyclist fatally beaten in suspected road rage"), which was relegated to Section B.

Politics? Afraid it would hurt tourism? Or maybe it is just another "happening" in Wai'anae.

Even football outweighed this horrific crime! Your priorities need amending along with initiating the human/aloha touch that this particular paper is sorely lacking.

No — I did not know the victim. Yes — I care.

FREEWAY TIE-UP

RAIL WOULD HAVE BEEN ALTERNATIVE TO H-1 MESS

Anyone who was driving Tuesday afternoon will agree that traffic was horrendous everywhere. The crane that damaged the H-1 pedestrian overpass in 'Aiea caused gridlock so bad that a traffic reporter suggested people try driving around the island to get home to Mililani and 'Ewa, or find some place to spend the night.

Desperate drivers tried a Windward route to get home via the North Shore. That backed up traffic on the Pali to Waokanaka, and on Likelike back to the tunnels. Kane'ohe was congested for hours.

It looked as if more than a few people gave up and stopped for dinner to wait it out. I'm sure some of them didn't get home before midnight.

Just imagine a modern, efficient rail transit system that runs on its own right of way unimpeded by accidents, weather or stalled vehicles. Just imagine if we had a rail system that gives us a reliable alternative to driving our cars.

After Tuesday afternoon's trek through our highways, I would have been one of the first on board on that rail, if only we had one. So, tell me, who says we don't need rail?

CONTRAFLOWING ROADS MIGHT HAVE HELPED

Why wasn't Kamehameha Highway contraflowed during the H-1 tie-up Tuesday afternoon?

Half of the traffic could have been diverted to the Waimalu onramp while the rest remained on Kamehameha Highway.

I'm no traffic engineer, but it might have helped.

'EWA BEACH

ROADS NEEDED BEFORE MORE HOUSES ARE BUILT

I've been living in 'Ewa Beach for four years, and traffic was bad then. Now it's worse!

Nothing has been done to alleviate this problem. I am a witness to this daily miserable commute, not only on the weekdays, but even on weekends.

State and government officials are telling us "help" is on the way.

Developers and builders must sit down with city and state officials and figure out the road networks first. Let's get real here. You are building thousands of homes before building roads? This is development in reverse. It doesn't make any sense.

We need an intervention from the governor's office. We need to have politicians and developers realize there is a big traffic mess in 'Ewa Beach. It is here to stay, and it will not go away.

GOOD SAMARITANS

MARINES CAME TO AID OF TWO 'AIEA RESIDENTS

My wife and I were stuck in traffic and our radiator started to boil, so I pulled over to the side of the road.

Pat Miller and son, Pat Miller III, both Marines from 'Ewa Beach, stopped to help pour bottles of water into my radiator.

Pat Miller III went for more water until the radiator was filled. The Millers then followed our car to ensure that it did not overheat again.

As a veteran, I want everyone to know that you can always depend on the Marines to come to your rescue.

WARRIORS

'BAMA FAN CHEERING FOR HAWAI'I FOOTBALL TEAM

I just wanted to send a note in regard to the fans I met in Tuscaloosa this past Saturday. I met several Warrior fans around the campus and everyone was very polite.

It was great to have your team and your fans in Tuscaloosa. I hope the experience was a good one for anyone who made the long journey.

Just as I did for our previous meetings, I came away from this most recent game impressed with your team. They played hard right to the end. I was extremely happy to see my Tide come away with the win.

I hope you all have a great season! I will be cheering for you every week. Roll Tide!

GRIDLOCK

WEST MAUI NEEDS FAST FIX TO TRAFFIC PROBLEMS

When Gov. Linda Lingle visited Maui recently, she reiterated that she didn't see the need to declare a traffic emergency to speed roadway construction.

Days later, Maui was aflame and the only two-lane road providing access to Kahului Airport and the only hospital on the island was closed for the better part of two days.

What many don't seem to understand is that West Maui's growing traffic mess imperils O'ahu as well.

West Maui, with $35 billion invested in resorts, multimillion-dollar homes and other properties, is the state's cash cow. Huge tax revenues from West Maui build O'ahu roads and support numerous other statewide projects. Hawai'i's cash cow, however, is becoming very sick.

Visitors, who send 11 percent of their hefty resort bills to O'ahu in the form of the accommodations tax, increasingly report that West Maui's traffic gridlock — sometimes 90 minutes from Kahului Airport to West Maui — reminds them too often of the Mainland. More and more are saying they will never come back. Revenues won't be hurt now, but they face serious declines in future years. Quick fixes to traffic then, if at all possible, will be too late.

West Maui's isolation also may be a disaster in the making, with the recent fires perhaps an early warning. If there were a Bali-like terrorist attack or a tsunami, West Maui could be cut off. No road to send in supplies. No harbor big enough to offload emergency food and equipment. Shortages of food and water. No emergency care hospital.

It is not enough for the governor to encourage the Department of Transportation to move faster on its 15-year timetable. My humble suggestion is that Gov. Lingle: