LINGLE SHOULD NOT DELAY EIS APPROVAL

When Gov. Lingle reviews the final environmental impact statement for Honolulu's rail system, she should remember that it's remarkably similar to the same elevated rail project she proposed.

In 2003, I was part of a task force formed and led by Gov. Lingle to look at long-term transportation solutions for O'ahu. The task force of city and state officials reviewed alternatives and recommended building a multi-billion-dollar elevated rail transit system to deal with traffic congestion.

On Oct. 27, 2003, I stood beside her when she unveiled the rail initiative. It stretched from Kapolei to Iwilei along an elevated line that would follow Farrington, Kamehameha and Nimitz highways — closely matching the concept and route for the current rail plan.

Gov. Lingle made it clear that the city would oversee construction of rail with the state and federal government assisting in securing funding. That is what this city administration and council have done throughout this EIS process.

We thank Gov. Lingle for helping to bring the rail idea back to the table. Now we respectfully ask her to complete the task by approving the rail transit FEIS so we can begin work, deal with our traffic and create jobs to jump-start the economy.

GARY OKINO | Councilman, Honolulu City Council

CAYETANO SHOULD OFFER REAL SOLUTIONS

It was just a year ago this month that the people of Honolulu voted to approve rail for O'ahu. The city is wrapping up its work on the final environmental impact statement. The financial plan for the project has been scrutinized and found to be reasonable and acceptable by business experts.

No other economic stimulus program in the state can put so many people back to work and deliver so many benefits to Hawai'i's economy.

Surely Ben Cayetano (Island Voices, Nov. 27) remembers how families and businesses suffered in the recession of the 1990s, when he led the state.

The former governor needs to see the big picture of the economic, environmental and social benefits of rail and not focus on trying to oppose everything Mayor Hannemann supports. Even Cayetano's favorite candidate for governor, Congressman Neil Abercrombie, is a longtime supporter of rail.

The next time we hear from the former governor, the hope is he'll do more than just whine and complain again, and instead offer a meaningful transportation alternative or some workable solutions to the problems Hawai'i now faces, including the challenges of an economy on the decline and an ever-worsening traffic situation on O'ahu.

kirk caldwell | Managing director, City and County of Honolulu

SYMPHONY

HOPING LEADERSHIP WILL STOP PLAYING SAFE

Sometimes things have to completely break down to rise with a new vision for the future. I believe such is the case with the Honolulu Symphony.

I have great respect for the musicians themselves, and only sympathy that they are harnessed to such visionless leaders.

When Chinese composer Tan Dun came to conduct the symphony after his Academy Award for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," I thought the management finally had an epiphany that future success lay in opening the door to Eastern masterworks for a Western audience.

What a chance to put Honolulu on the Mainland map. Unfortunately, after that breakthrough performance, the schedule went right back to its Euro-centric program, reflecting the blinders on its board and creative staff.

I love the European greats, but let's face it, the audience in Hawai'i is limited — and most of us have heard them before.

A repertoire of the Eastern music and instruments of India, China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam — plus orchestral music representing parts of our own Hawai'i population: Brazil, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Australia, etc., could breathe new life into a tired genre.

If the orchestra survives — and it should — the management should stop playing safe. By playing safe, it has already lost.

DON BROWN | Honolulu

HUMAN SERVICES

NEED IS GREAT; CUTS CAN'T BE TOLERATED

Do you know the indictors of a stressed community, and where Hawai'i stands on the scale? What the media have reported over the past several weeks are increases in requests for public assistance, food stamp applications, homeless numbers, incidents of violent crimes, layoffs and related social indicators of a community in distress. The tipping point has come and gone. Our safety net is unraveling.

What can we do? We understand and have been part of the shared sacrifice. And whatever the sacrifice, we need preservation of basic health, safety, housing and human services — the essence of a healthy community; essential to a society that values its people. We want to be partners in the discussions on cuts. We want transparency when decisions are made. We want to know that special funds are going to be used to address "real people" survival needs.

We want to be at the table with the Reinventing Government Task Force to ensure the policy-makers are doing everything in their power to keep the most vulnerable in our Hawai'i — the children, the families, the disabled, the elderly — surviving through the rainiest of days. It's not a choice — it's a shoring up of the safety net that must happen to preserve our humanity.

JOANNE LUNDSTROM | Chair, PHOCUSED (Protecting Hawai'i's 'Ohana, Children, Underserved, Elderly and Disabled)

TERRORISM

9/11 TRIAL SHOULD NOT BE IN NEW YORK

The decision to try 911 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a New York civilian court is outrageous. To think KSM deserves the protection of our law when he has contempt for our Constitution is foolish.

For justice to exist, people must share common values that give it meaning. When George Washington caught British officer John Andre in the plot to capture West Point, he gave him a military trial, and Andre was hanged as a spy. Honor obliged Andre to acknowledge his crime and Washington to obey his country's charge to execute justice. Both men upheld the same virtue, with Andre maintaining his honor unto death. Justice was served.

KSM's actions declare his opposition to our values. His allegiance is to a religious ideology that wants to destroy us. But he confessed his guilt and wants to die a martyr. In this KSM demonstrates the shared value of honor between enemies. But our Justice Department chooses to ignore this. Something is wrong when our enemies obey a higher code than the government pledged to protect us.

JOHN AWANA | Käne'ohe