How long is the state going to continue to let the homeless camper live next to the H-1, across from the Kina'u exit? As you are driving east on H-1, about to take the Kina'u exit (Exit 22), look over to your left and you will see him living on the mauka side of the freeway on one of the ledges, near the Miller Street footbridge.

I noticed this camper back in December and have continued to watch his camp grow. He has a blue tarp tent, hangs his clothes out on the tree branches and throws his trash over the side of the embankment. Last night as we drove by about 5 p.m., he had his clothes hanging from the tree again, but this time he had company, another man, and they were hanging out drinking from cans, watching the rush-hour traffic drive by.

The state needs to make a sweep of all the ledges between Ward Avenue and Liliha. I have noticed several homeless campers either sleeping or throwing their trash down the embankments, toward the freeway.

Once again, this is not the visual we want to give our tourists as they drive into Waikiki, or the last thing they see on their way to the airport.

WIND ENERGY

OCEAN PLATFORMS WOULD BE UNWORKABLE EYESORE

I was very disappointed to see the proposed 100 wind-energy platforms make the front page (March 8). Those who have been in the energy business in Hawai'i for more than 20 years have seen many bad ideas derail the focus on actual plans that will: (1) work, (2) offer long-term practical results and (3) be able to be maintained.

Trying to put anything like the proposed towers in the Moloka'i channel is a joke.

How do you service the hollow log steel legs once they start to rust (and they will)? What about the noise in a whale sanctuary? What about the impact on our wind patterns?

There are a thousand other questions that would need to be answered before this plan should see the light of day, not to mention the practical environmental questions. Photovoltaic, biomass, wind and solar can answer all of Hawai'i's questions if implemented properly. For once, let's not promote a stupid idea that will give politicians and the local utilities the excuse for not doing the practical, readily able to be implemented ideas that are already out there.

B&BS

FORCING FOLKS TO STAY IN WAIKIKI WRONG MOVE

We are a retired couple and have been coming to Hawai'i every year for the past 18 years, frequently bringing our offspring with us. This year we celebrated our 58th anniversary in Hawai'i. We have always stayed in bed-and-breakfast facilities where there was someone living on the property.

We have been reading about the controversy about bed-and-breakfasts and are quite surprised by the negativity some residents display over this issue. Every rental we have stayed in had rules that we agreed to follow. The owners always required that we respect the neighbors.

We enjoy staying in residential areas and every place we have stayed welcomed us back when they could accommodate us. If we were forced to stay in Waikiki, then I doubt if we would return to Hawai'i.

SPEEDING TICKETS

FINES FROM TICKETS SHOULD SUPPORT HPD

It's nice to see the police out there tagging speeders and other types of offenders. I can't believe that people think that 5 to 10 mph over the speed limit is OK. Hello, the speed limit is posted and that's the maximum speed that should be driven. I feel that the monies and fees from the tickets should be put into the police department funds and not the general fund.

Then maybe there would be incentive to be out there to enforce the traffic laws, etc. and it could be used for better equipment, etc. That way they are not having to pay into the general fund for others in the city or state to balance the budget with.

WAIKIKI PARKING FEES

HUNDREDS OF LOW-COST OR FREE STALLS AVAILABLE

While it's easy to understand that nobody likes to pay more for parking, Anne Clarkin's claim that increasing meter rates at the Honolulu Zoo lot for the first time in 30 years "amounts to a 'de facto' charge to use the park, the zoo, the aquarium and to even trod the adjacent hallowed grounds of Waikiki Beach" was quite an exaggeration (Letters, March 11).

There are about 750 free parking stalls in Kapi'olani Park lots near the bandstand, the Natatorium, the old driving range, the Waikiki Shell and the tennis courts. Hundreds of additional free parking spots are available on the makai side of Kalakaua Avenue in the park and along the Ala Wai Canal.

Even with the proposed rate increase, parking at the 500 metered stalls, including the zoo lot, will be far less expensive than at any privately managed lot in Waikiki.

Not everyone will agree with the proposed rate increase, and that's fine. But disagreements should be reasonable and based on facts.

UH BASKETBALL

COACH NASH NEEDS SOME WALLACE TENACITY

As a long-term donor to the UH athletic department, season-ticket holder and fanatical fan of both the men's basketball and football teams, I must say I'm horribly disappointed that the best Bob Nash could generate from his talented team was a bitter loss in the play-in game to the WAC tournament.

We appreciate that the coach isn't the one shooting the ball, fighting for rebounds or defending the opponent. However, his inability to figure out how to beat a 2-3 zone all year long is evident enough that his talent was best on the court rather than coaching from the number one spot on the bench.

I'll be sitting courtside again next year and hoping that "if" Bob is still around, he will reincarnate some of Riley Wallace's tenacity, defend our home court, win some big games on the road and fill the Stan Sheriff Center once again.

HMSA

EXECS GET PAY RAISES AS LITTLE GUY STRUGGLES

I am really angered after reading The Advertiser articles on HMSA's losses and another of HMSA's executives' big raises.

As a member of HMSA, I have seen my monthly premium increase almost yearly. And to see that HMSA's executives get huge pay raises despite HMSA's losses is very upsetting.

Ever-increasing rates for individuals and for small businesses will only hurt Hawai'i's economy. Many people cannot afford healthcare coverage in these tough economic times — and seeing HMSA, a nonprofit organization, give its executives a raise is plain disgusting!