FIXED RAIL

BUS SYSTEM FLEXIBLE, MAKES MORE SENSE

I wonder if anybody has calculated how many buses, bus stops, bus stations and bus drivers we could have for the billions we are going to waste on a fixed- to-fail, rail system.

We have plenty of roads. We need to reduce the number of vehicles that use them.

A bus system is extremely flexible and can adjust to emergencies and changes in urban/suburban growth patterns. A fixed system is obsolete from Day One.

Perhaps we can score some moola from Uncle Sam but that is not a good reason to bog us down for the decades it will take to build this "system."

Our "leaders" will be playing golf while we are endlessly stuck in traffic.

Fixed rail might make a great amusement ride for tourists. Look at the local fools who shelled out all their money so we could see them slug it out in an endless traffic jam. Perhaps we could call the ride Slama Jamma!

GLOBAL WARMING

PREVENTIVE EFFORTS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY

The title of the business section in the June 10 issue of the British Economist is "Why a growing number of firms are taking global warning seriously." An example is its report of a planned summer conference of media executives about the environment. A major address will be given by Al Gore, whose "An Inconvenient Truth" is playing to crowds here.

That film reports many environmental threats that endanger the people of Hawai'i. While global warming is denied by some politicians, Gore summarized more than 600 scientific researches, all confirming its validity. None disagree.

While our mayor, governor and president seem to ignore the warnings, the media daily report torrential rainfalls, overflowing rivers, failed dams and levees, massive glacier meltdowns, tsunamis and earthquakes.

Recently, Hawai'i has experienced many such disasters. Global warming is increasing rapidly, and preventive efforts need immediate implementation. Action here and now can prevent tragedies soon.

RAIL SYSTEM

IMMIGRANT LABOR WOULD SAVE MONEY

Right now, the Chinese are building their railway line from Beijing to Lhasa, Tibet, a stretch of more than 2,500 miles. The cost for this enormous project is $4.2 billion.

By comparison, we are about to build a railway system from Kapolei to Manoa, covering 23 miles, at a cost of $3 billion and counting. Something is very wrong with this picture.

I have a suggestion: Contract the Chinese to build our railway. Bringing in immigrants is not a new idea. They have been here since the early 1800s to work the sugar plantations.

Why can't we hire them today to build our railway? Their technological advances and cheaper labor surpass our capabilities. What if they could construct everything we needed for millions instead of billions of dollars?

Has anyone seriously researched this possibility? Shouldn't we as taxpayers shop around for the best bang for the buck, especially if we're talking about spending or potentially saving billions of dollars?

ALA MOANA

COASTAL AREAS DON'T NEED HOUSING

Allowing housing makai of Ala Moana boulevard will do absolutely nothing to solve the need for affordable housing on O'ahu. We do not need or want lots of amenities at Kaka'ako Waterfront Park. Fewer amenities mean less upkeep cost.

Ala Moana Beach Park is a wonderful example of what local people use with much pleasure. It does not have shops and stages (except for McCoy Pavilion, which is very low key). Tourists have enough souvenir shops elsewhere.

Let us keep the coastal area free for us to walk, picnic, surf and to appreciate our 'aina.

GOVERNOR'S RACE

LINGLE HAS CLASS, ELEGANT MANNER

I may not always agree with everything Gov. Lingle says or does, but she always makes me proud by saying it or doing it in an appropriate manner, with class.

I predict that if she chooses to run for re-election, "Lame Duck Lingle" will waddle into her next term in a most elegant manner.

SPORTS

OLD-TIMERS CHEER FOR THE HAVE-NOTS

Many of us old-timers raised in Hawai'i identify with and root for the underdog. We cheer the have-nots, not the haves.

We're having the time of our lives this summer rooting for Tadd Fujikawa in the U.S. Open, Stephanie Kono at the U.S. Women's Open and hollering for the University of Hawai'i football (formerly lovingly called the Rainbows) at Tuscaloosa.

It doesn't get much better than this for folks sustained by Medicare, five-and-dime stores and an occasional upset or two.

U.S. HOUSE RACE

TIME FOR A CHANGE IN REPRESENTATION

The way you wrote up the report and created the pie charts for the U.S. House race strongly favors the Democratic candidates. Close examination of both parties' polls indicates to me that Republican Bob Hogue is within one percentage point of the strongest candidate.

Your bias is showing again. Just as we did in the governor's race, it's time for a change in Hawai'i ne'i. Neither Ed Case nor Neil Abercrombie has done a good job. Time for a change.

DAILY PHOTOS

CELEBRATING HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS

Thank you so much for sharing the timeless and precious photos of Hawai'i's history. I look forward to every morning when I can log on and see the daily photo. I know that living in Hawai'i has more than its share of social and economic problems, but how lucky you all are to live in a place that has so much passion for history and our culture. I look forward to my retirement, when I can return home.

Thanks again to The Advertiser for the great job you all do in Hawai'i.

JARRING RIDE

FIX ROADS CRATERED WITH POTHOLE FIXES

I would trust that better roads would take precedence over parks. Some of them are so bad that my vehicle rattles as if the nuts and bolts are going to fall off. If my vehicle does that, so must others.

My Mainland guests were astonished by the condition of our roads ... given our great climate. So many roads are way overdue for repaving. Not freeway roads or ramps — town roads that are cratered with pothole fixes.

TEACHERS

LETTER WRITER HAS NO IDEA OF PROBLEMS

Poor Jonathan Hunter, in his June 26 letter, is certainly clueless when it comes to knowing what teachers do these days. I can assure him they are not worrying about "waiver days."

He should volunteer at a public school and help out in a classroom for a day. He should see firsthand what it's like to manage a classroom full of kids with emotional problems, learning disabilities, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, and any of the other disabilities that are so common.

Of course he would only be observing, he would not actually be in charge of such a classroom. That would be fortunate for him ... as well as the kids.

ENVIRONMENT

MALAMA THE 'AINA, CLEAN UP THE CLUTTER AND LITTER

In the July/August issue of Hawai'i magazine, Lt. Gov. James Aiona Jr. was asked how he would describe the "ideal Hawai'i visitor." His response was: "The ideal visitor would malama the 'aina. Visitors should care and respect Hawai'i's natural beauty and fragile environment by picking up after themselves and leaving marine life to live peacefully in their habitat."

A very pono and politically correct response. However, my observation is that most of the failure to malama the 'aina is by acts by many of us who live here — not the tourists. Let's clean up our own house before pointing to others, i.e., tourists.

It would be good if Lt. Gov. Aiona championed a significant and meaningful drive to establish and nourish the belief and understanding that to love the 'aina and malama the 'aina must be one and the same. We can't do one without the other.

Clean up our beautiful state and keep it clean! Get rid of the wrecks, appliances and general rubbish along our highways and in our yards and driveways! Will you take the lead on this and lead aggressively, Lt. Gov. Aiona?

RADIOS, MUFFLERS

INSECURE DRIVERS DISRESPECT NEIGHBORS

I returned home in 1980 to help my parents and settled in 'Ewa Beach. People were courteous, respectful and considerate of their neighbors and the community. Over the last five to seven years, however, many individuals, because of insecurity and arrogance, are consciously disrespecting the community and invading our homes to draw attention to themselves.

We have those who think they have been elected DJ of the community, blasting deep bass radios and rap music at all hours of the day or night. They care not that they are overdriving their speakers and any output is unintelligible. They care about creating noise to call attention to themselves.

Then we have the constant drone of all those loud mufflers that add nothing to the performance of the vehicle. Acceleration and shifting are intentionally conducted to create noise. Slowing and stopping are performed using engine compression instead of brakes to significantly increase noise and invade our houses.

We also have individuals who rev the engine, rev the engine, rev the engine to tortuous levels, attracting attention through extreme noise for hours on end.

Three-day weekends are almost unbearable.

We can do nothing to protect ourselves, our families, our homes from these individuals, who care nothing about people who are ill or trying to sleep; nothing for people trying to watch TV or have a conversation in their homes; nothing about day or night; nothing about their neighbors' quality of life that they are destroying.

With their cars, vans, SUVs and trucks, they display their complete disrespect for their neighbors and the community — making noise simply to attract attention to themselves due to insecurity and arrogance.

They forget that infants and juveniles make noise to gain attention while mature adults rely on quiet confidence.

Hopefully they will soon mature into adulthood and allow the community to live in peace and quiet.