WAIALUA

INVESTIGATION NEEDED INTO HANDLING OF FIRE

I had the unpleasant experience of watching the North Shore fire from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 12 as it spread from Kamehameha Highway toward Kaukonahua Road.

It was obvious early on that the fire wasn't going to be put out any time soon.

Yet, I only saw two fire trucks and one helicopter fighting this already-out-of-control fire.

Why did it take more than three days before additional resources were put against this major fire? Also, it seemed there was little, if any, overt action being taken to head off this fire to prevent it from crossing Kaukonahua Road.

Not only did the fire jump across Kaukonahua Road, it spread to wide-open areas on the Wai'anae mountain range side, which is unacceptable and reflective of poor planning and judgment.

I hope there will be an investigation into how this could have been prevented, or at least minimized, so that it doesn't recur in the future.

HOMELESS SHELTER

ALL OF US HAVE RULES TO FOLLOW IN DAILY LIVES

This letter is in response to your Aug. 13 article, "Wai'anae shelter's beds go begging."

I found your article to be disturbing regarding the vacancies at the shelter because of "strict house-rules." Although the specific rules the residents objected to were not mentioned, I can only imagine the rules were implemented for safety, maintaining order and for the well-being of residents and staff.

Following rules that prohibit our freedom of choice or convenience is never easy. Neither is it easy to report to work every day when you are dead tired, pay federal and state taxes (in one of the most expensive states in the nation), or pass up the latest techno-gadget because bills need to be paid on time.

Why stay in a shelter where you have to play by the rules when you can live on the beach with no rules?

If these people cannot realize that the shelter is the best alternative toward a better life, which requires sacrifices and following rules, then the city and state should strictly enforce any illegal camping or otherwise on our beaches as a consequence to their choices.

Those of us who make sacrifices and follow all the rules are fed up with the poor excuses.

FINDING SOLUTIONS

HOMELESS MUST BE SEEN AS PART OF 'OHANA

Responding to David Shapiro's column, "Chronically homeless a particular dilemma" (Aug. 15), I see us trying to solve a problem rather than provide alternatives that create incentives.

Helping the homeless requires us to deal with their needs, not making their needs the problem. Thus, homeless people must be seen as members of the community/'ohana.

Government is not a community/'ohana, residents are. Members of the local community must contact the "camping homeless" and explain why they want to clear the beach and ask what do they need to enable them to move.

This pairing will tell those who are homeless that they are not worthless and that someone in the area wants to help. Conversely, it conveys that to remain an "ad hoc permanent beach resident" is not being part of the community/'ohana.

KAU INOA

ALL CITIZENS HAVE RIGHT TO VOTE IN ALL ELECTIONS

If Lee Cataluna really thinks an exclusive right to vote in elections in Hawai'i would not be of "appreciable advantage" to Hawaiians, she should urge OHA to stop wasting our public dollars on the Kau Inoa advertising campaign for a "Hawaiian-only" registry. (OHA said it had put aside $10 million for that purpose.)

All adult citizens of the state of Hawai'i already have the right to vote in all elections in which public issues are decided or public officials are elected. That's guaranteed by the 15th Amendment: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."

Oh, as to the T-shirts filling Ms. Cataluna's closet, I'd recommend she give them away to kids. I'll even give her some from my closet. But, I'm not giving up my right to vote in all elections in Hawai'i, and that includes elections called for by the Akaka bill, Ho'oulu Lahui, OHA's Plan B or any other race-restricted schemes that are dreamed up.

TREE MONUMENT

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT TILL IT'S GONE

The brief article on Aug. 16 about the significant place the hala tree holds in Kailua's heritage because it was brought to Hawai'i by ancient Polynesians and planted extensively in Windward landscapes reminds me of Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi lyrics:

They took all the trees

Put 'em in tree museum

And they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see 'em.

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got till it's gone

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

The monument honoring the hala is mounted below a 6-by-9-foot carved art panel depicting the hala — ironically enough, on the wall of the parking lot behind Long's.

Mitchell's inspiration more than three decades ago was said to be Waikiki's overdevelopment. Fast forward to 2007 and Kailua's overdevelopment.

You don't know what you've got till it's gone.

WAIKIKI

OUTRIGGER RIDES ARE HIGHLIGHT OF ISLE TRIPS

I am a Waikiki resident and a subscriber to The Advertiser, and my wife, Sonny, and I are planning a trip to Italy this fall.

I was reading the article on Venice by Wanda Adams in the Aug. 12 Travel section and found it very informative.

However, I was appalled when she referred to gondola rides as "a tourist rip-off along the lines of an outrigger ride on Waikiki."

We have not had the pleasure of a gondola ride, but have been lucky enough to paddle outrigger canoes on several occasions.

The current rate at Aloha Beach Services, between the Outrigger and Surfrider hotels, is $10 for two waves.

For the cost of two cups of coffee at Starbucks, you get a "hands on" experience of one of the world's oldest forms of transportation.

All of the tourists we have met list the outrigger ride as one of the highlights of their trip to the Islands.

There are two crewmembers on each outrigger ride, a captain and a mate. The captain must have several years of training and be certified by the Coast Guard.

In true aloha spirit, the canoe will often go out with only four passengers just so tourists will not be disappointed.

BWS REPORTS

IS WATER TESTED AFTER IT GOES THROUGH PIPES?

A recent letter suggested that we should drink tap water, pointing out that Hawai'i has wonderful drinking water.

This may be true. But, in Honolulu the pipes carrying the water have been crumbling due to corrosion.

Every year we get the water quality report from the Board of Water Supply. Are these tests done at the point of origin? Are there any tests done on the quality of the water as it travels in the pipes on the way to our homes?

HOME RUNS

AARON DESERVES THE RECORD-BOOK HONORS

In response to Cathryn M. Downes' letter (Aug. 15) concerning her calculation that Babe Ruth would have hit 1,015 home runs if the major leagues played a 162-game schedule back in his era.

She might be correct, but she failed to account for one huge fact that stands in the way of her fantasy outlook — blacks were banned from playing in the big leagues back in Ruth's time.

There exist no calculations in math for this enormous injustice, so personally I would hail Hammerin' Hank Aaron on the top of the home-run list because not only did he play in an integrated league, but he also played at a time when steroids were not a part of the game.

SOLAR SYSTEMS

TAX CREDIT SHOULD BE REFUNDABLE FOR SENIORS

Recurring newspaper advertisements by Hawaiian Electric Co. say that tax credits are available for solar electric systems, but they don't mention that many seniors are excluded.

For a number of years, the state has provided a tax credit for residential solar water heating systems and residential photovoltaic systems for generating electricity. Last year, the Legislature provided a much-needed increase in the photovoltaic tax credit to 35 percent, or $5,000 of the cost of residential systems. This was a very important step in replacing fossil fuel energy with renewable energy sources.

The legislation that was passed, however, has caused a problem for many retired senior-citizen homeowners who would like to put photovoltaic systems on their homes. The problem is that many such seniors have little or no state income tax liability because of the exemption of retirement income. So we now have no tax incentive program for these seniors who may want to install a system, even though we have it for non-seniors.

Legislation needs to be introduced and adopted to make this tax credit "refundable" for seniors who do not have the necessary tax liability from which to take the credit.

The cost of this addition to the state will not be significant because the number of seniors who will install a system will not be great, but equity to seniors who want to install a system would be provided.

Perhaps HECO will lead the effort.