HOMEOWNERS

BASE PROPERTY TAX ON PURCHASE PRICE

I know there are no simple solutions to the complicated property tax structure, but I would like to submit a suggestion.

I think homeowners should be taxed on the assessed value of when they purchased their home, i.e., if they bought a home for $150,000 in 1970, they should not be taxed at the inflated value of $800,000 in 2005.

They should be taxed in the following situations: (1) if there are any improvements such as paved sidewalks, underground utilities, sewer systems, schools, etc. in their neighborhood and (2) when they sell their home (capital gains, etc).

I understand the home exemptions are a partial solution, but this suggestion may be helpful to any homeowner, especially the elderly and those on fixed incomes.

FUEL

TRANSIT'S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET: IT'S INEFFICIENT

Jan TenBruggencate's excellent article (Aug. 29) about the relative fuel efficiencies of different forms of transportation may have unwittingly revealed another dirty little secret about mass transit. Namely, it is grossly energy-inefficient.

Public mass transit in the U.S. consumes energy at an equivalent fuel-consumption rate of about one gallon for each 10 passenger/miles while the average private automobile trip achieves energy efficiency of more than double that rate. These are historical averages based on actual ridership of both transit systems and private automobiles, not on politically expedient projections.

Obviously, when trains and buses are full, their efficiency is much better, but then so is the efficiency of automobiles. Of course, when the trains are nearly empty, which experience shows is most of the time, their consumption is much worse. And when the private cars are empty, well, they're parked and not consuming any energy, taking up much space or consuming taxpayers' subsidy dollars.

As Mr. TenBruggencate states, newer, more fuel-efficient cars carrying four passengers could yield energy efficiencies of as much as 120 passenger/miles per gallon. Even a gas-guzzling SUV with only the driver on board is more energy-efficient on a passenger/mile basis than the proposed transit system.

In simple terms, HECO will have to burn more than twice as much fuel oil to generate enough electricity to produce a ride for one passenger on the transit system than if that same passenger drove the same distance alone in his private automobile.

ENERGY BILL

LIKE THE GAS CAP, BUT ON A BIGGER LEVEL

During the last few days, there have been a number of letters and columns hectoring us on the evils of our state government's intervention in the free marketing of gasoline. I don't recall similar concern last month when President Bush and his Congress passed an energy bill that lavished billions of public funds on the big oil corporations.

Perhaps some of your learned correspondents would explain to us why government intervention in free markets, so sinful when done for the little guy, is perfectly OK when it benefits the big guys.

DEMOCRATS

A HIGH CEILING WAS SET

While it is illegal for oil companies to conspire to set high prices, it only takes our Democrat-controlled Legislature to set the highest possible price with a "cap." Which all the gas guys immediately charge. A big mahalo to Hermina Morita, Ron Menor, Cal Say and Bobby Bunda for parlaying economic ignorance and gas tax raids into the highest prices ever.

WISCONSIN GAME

WAC OFFICIALS WEREN'T GIVEN RESPECT BY UH

The University of Hawai'i should be embarrassed by its lack of support for WAC officials.

Wisconsin requested, and was granted by UH, to have neutral officials for its upcoming game. We listened to Michigan State coaches whine about the WAC officials for an entire year. Yet the game they were crying about was reviewed and it was found there was no basis for their complaints. How does UH reward the correct calls by the officials? By taking the Wisconsin game away.

Why would any official ever want to do another UH game?

DARK PERIODS

VACATION RENTAL FEARS AREN'T SUBSTANTIATED

I read with amusement the Sept. 9 letter from Stu Simmons claiming his neighborhood is being invaded weekly by 120 strangers, endangering his children. These invaders are, for the most part, just visiting American families. Oh, the horror!

The fact is, vacation rentals and B&Bs actually decrease the number of people in any given neighborhood. Just check with any owner or manager of a vacation property and you would find that the average occupancy rate for a vacation rental is 60 percent. That means that the home is vacant for five months out of every year. Furthermore, with just one rental car per three people, there is a net decrease in local traffic.

The Kokua Coalition does not propose to increase the number of vacation rentals, as Mr. Simmons suggests. Our mission is to permit and regulate the industry. To accomplish this, property owners would be required to pay a fee sufficient to provide city officials with the funds necessary to inspect and regulate.

What Mr. Simmons fails to realize is that the city administration has its hands tied as it is without sufficient funds or resources to enforce poorly crafted legislation. The simple solution is to regulate the industry through sensible permitting.

'AFFORDABLE'

YOU CAN BLAME B&BS FOR HOUSING SHORTAGE

Your Sept. 4 editorial "Housing Shortage: Stop studying it and get to work" ignores the fact that the rampant ignorance of the present law prohibiting "unpermitted transient rental accommodations" and "unpermitted bed and breakfasts" is the main contributor to the unavailability of "affordable" housing.

A huge number of out-of-state, as well as local opportunistic, investors are taking previously affordable long-term rental units off the market and displacing island residents for the sake of cashing in on the growing and lucrative tourist dollars.

It has been said that "Rules are for the obedience of fools, and the guidance of wise men." It appears that the responsible resident citizens of the county of Honolulu are the homeless, or soon-to-be homeless, "fools." Whereas those who ignore the land-use and zoning rules, and when challenged attempt to change them through their lobbyists and political puppets, are the "wise men."

The only hope for saving O'ahu's neighborhoods and rendering housing affordable again is to put the illegal transient vacation rentals and B&Bs out of business by calling the Department of Planning and Permitting (523-4432) and asking it to enforce the present "enforceable" zoning laws. Permitting the creation of new TVRs and B&Bs will only compound the problem of unaffordable housing.

WHAT TO DO

KATRINA'S VICTIMS WILL GET CHRISTMAS 'GIFTS'

The days since Hurricane Katrina have been filled with so many feelings — mostly of sadness, some anger and a lot of guilt. I'd take a sip of water, a bite of food and think of those who were thirsty and hungry and feel sick to my stomach.

Being in Hawai'i, we are so far away from the area of destruction, and this makes me feel helpless and adds to my feelings of guilt — for I am doing nothing to help anyone.

I am able to give some money to help those in such desperate straits. But, how much? I'm sure that is what we all are thinking. (I am aware that giving a certain amount now won't be enough. This tragedy needs our attention for years, really.) But I have to do something right now.

Well, I have an idea.

I have decided that this Christmas/Chanukah is going to be the real season of "giving" for me. I won't be giving "things" to my loved ones whom I usually give to, but to the loved ones I don't even know. This is something I can do. Also, knowing about how much I usually spend on Christmas gifts, I know how much I can give. (Of course I am not including children in this. They still deserve the magic of the season.)

Maybe you, too, are thinking of "what to do."

HURRICANE

BASIC READINESS TIP: OPEN BUILDING WINDOWS

Like everyone, I have watched nonstop the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina. And as a survivor of Hurricane Camille in Biloxi, August 1969, I've paid particular attention to the emergency plans given to us by our mayor and governor. The one thing I have not heard is about opening the rear windows to equalize the pressure.

It is appalling to see so many buildings in Honolulu with sealed windows. Should — no, when — we have a major hurricane, the buildings with sealed windows will implode. Throughout Hurricane Katrina, we saw expensive high-rises with sealed windows pop out. How can we get these windows open for safety?

In a city with 360 days of excellent weather, why should we have buildings with sealed windows? And as the price of gas goes up, the cost of electricity for those buildings goes up.

ARTICLE MISLEADING

STATE IS POLISHING TSUNAMI PLAN

Your Sept. 9 article "Tsunami warning signs not so clear to public" was misleading.

The article implied that there were only two devastating tsunamis in the last century. True, only the 1946 and 1960 events had high death tolls, but without the successful warnings and evacuations of 1952 and 1957, the count would be higher. Hawai'i actually suffered 15 damaging tsunamis in the 20th century, an average of roughly one every seven years. Your article dangerously understated the hazard.

Professor Bruce Houghton's suggestion in your article that the public does not respond appropriately to tsunami warnings or warning signs was also misleading. Campers at Halape in 1975 certainly knew what to do after the earthquake: flee inland. They returned shoreward toward the expected tsunami to escape the greater hazard of rock falls. Two died.

As for the tragedy in Hilo in 1960, Walter Dudley of UH-Hilo, in his careful analysis of that event, found that most of the public did indeed understand the hazard. Unfortunately, a change in the warning protocol was inadequately publicized; the tsunami's victims were waiting for a final siren sounding that was never made. Thanks to erroneous information, they had become blasé: radio stations reported that the tsunami, just like a non-damaging tsunami witnessed in Hilo the previous day, was only a foot high in Tahiti. The announcers had mixed up meters with feet.

All tsunami researchers, educators and emergency managers in Hawai'i (like their counterparts in the other participating states of NOAA's National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program) recognize the need for continuing education in tsunami hazard. That is why all schools in evacuation zones practice evacuations at least annually, why the state and NOAA jointly hold Tsunami Awareness Month each year, why we put on seminars for tourist industry executives and the hotel workers' union, and why so many of us make presentations at schools, museums and libraries.

Members of the public have proved to be enthusiastic learners. Many people remember the chaos of the 1986 evacuation, compare it to the relative smoothness of the 1994 evacuation and thank us for streamlining evacuation procedures. Such feedback suggests that a significant proportion of the public will respond correctly to the next warning. We are constantly striving to increase that proportion.

Behind the scenes, there is continuing improvement, too. To make sure emergency responders are all on the same page, all federal, state and county agencies and NGOs involved in tsunami warnings and evacuations cooperate in two tsunami evacuation drills a year. These are more than mere table-top exercises: All communication links are tested, emergency vehicles take up their positions, bus drivers are reminded about their evacuation routes, etc.

As you know, these exercises are reported by all newspapers and television stations in the state. Certainly more could be done (drills do not yet include practice evacuations for the public, and only Hawai'i County so far has road signs showing evacuation routes), but the situation in the state is not as grim as your article suggests.