DO WE REALLY NEED THREE TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES?

I was surprised to see that Mayor Mufi Hannemann, Gov. Linda Lingle, and Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona once again have all endorsed the Paradise Pages. This publication duplicates the official Hawaiian Telcom White and Yellow Pages which, in 2007-2008, printed 1.8 million copies of its directory.

And this year, I am seeing ads on television for something new called the Island Pages. Do we really have three different directories in circulation?

What a waste of our precious trees! And this is an annual occurrence in a community that already has access to directory information online. We don't even recycle all these tons of paper. We incinerate them at HPower to generate electricity.

Our leaders present themselves as earth-friendly. Hopefully, they will do something about this disgraceful misuse of a finite resource. Perhaps they might encourage the reintroduction of a bill that would have required companies publishing Yellow Book directories to obtain written permission before delivery to households. In the 2008 session, a bill passed the Committee on the Environment, but was allowed to die in Commerce and Consumer Protection.

Lynne Beckstrom | 'Ewa Beach

RATE HIKES

PUBLIC SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR HECO'S FAILURES

The Public Utilities Commission has let us down.

The public should not have to suffer because of HECO's failed investments.

I feel that HECO's justification for its PUC-approved rate hike in your July 9 article is disingenuous because nowhere did it mention that HECO has accumulated $1.4 billion worth of debt. In fact, you reported on July 21 that Moody's Investors Service has lowered its rating outlook for Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc.'s debt from stable to negative.

How can O'ahu residents be sure that the rate hike will be used for new capital investment projects and not to help pay down HECO's debt? In the meantime, all of us will have to take on this added burden at a time we can least afford it.

The PUC should feel ashamed for how badly it has let us down. It does not have the public's interest at heart.

The PUC Commission should be named instead of being left to one's imagination as an autonomous body.

Is the public really being kept informed about whether the members have conflicts of interest with any of these utility companies?

Rowena Akana | Trustee, Office of Hawaiian Affairs

ALA MOANA PARK

STAFF SHOULD BE PRAISED FOR ITS EXCELLENT WORK

I am a frequent and regular user of Ala Moana Park. I've used the tennis courts, swam and picnicked there two to three times a week for the past five years and, unlike Ms. Perez-Mesa (Letters, Aug. 3), I have never seen the park "unkempt." My experience has been the opposite. The park staff should be commended for the good job it does in keeping the bathrooms clean and the grounds tidy in such a heavily used park.

The problem of the homeless using and maybe abusing the park should not rest with the park staff and police. It is society's problem; that means all of us. As budgets are cut and the homeless problem increases, I hope the staff at Ala Moana can continue to do a good job.

Warren Higa | Honolulu

VOLUNTEERISM

VIEWS DIFFER ON MOTIVE, BUT NOT ON NEED TO SERVE

LET'S BUILD ON OUR SPIRIT OF GIVING

It's amazing how Hawai'i's local businesses and community pull together to help out our youth during a recession. On the Aug. 6 front page of the Sports section, there was an inspiring story titled, "Donations pour in to help preps." Why does it take an emergency to Save Our Sports (SOS) for the community to come together to assist Hawaii High School Athletic Association?

For years nonprofit organizations such as Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, Positive Coaching Alliance, Hawai'i Bowl Foundation and many more have raised funds for local youth-based athletic programs.

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Hawai'i had 234,200 residents as volunteers in 2008, up slightly from the year before. Hawai'i needs to continue to build on this positive momentum and remember economic difficulties should not be the only reason to help out our youth.

Tamarah Tabor | Volunteer and donor, Honolulu

COMMUNITIES MUST SUPPORT SCHOOLS

As a small but very populated state, Hawai'i communities have many opportunities to help schools and students who wish to further their education. After reading the article "Federal grants for schools uncertain" (Aug. 6), it is very apparent that we are not doing enough in our local community. Relying on a federal grant that may or may not come, or suggesting we wait for our local government to fix things in the meantime leaves us sitting like ducks.

Communities participating in the "SOS" (Save Our Sports) program achieved great success raising money for the public schools of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association.

I encourage more coverage of community fundraisers like "SOS," and alternative means of obtaining funds for our schools. We cannot wait for someone to help our schools for us when there are so many ways we can help ourselves.

Priya Kamomi Ho | Honolulu

STUDENTS' MOTIVES LATELY DISHEARTENING

After observing and talking to many young students these days, I have realized that much of the volunteer and extracurricular activities they participate in are merely for college admissions and "brag" sheets.

Upon being asked about their reason for volunteering, many students responded by stating that they were simply doing it so they can look better in the eyes of the college they were applying for.

Even while I participated in high school sports I would overhear other athletes say that they were only doing it for credit or college. I cannot say how much it disheartens me to hear these kinds of comments. What happened to the days when people did things because they wanted to and not so they can look better for college or some job?

While I am all for kids and teens doing community service and volunteer work, I feel that they should put their time into something they actually support and believe in.

Is it fine teaching kids that it's OK to do things halfheartedly just for the credit? To prospective extracurricular participants: Find something that you truly enjoy doing and don't do it just for the college or credits.

Erin Fukushima | 'Ewa Beach