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Pali Highway needs to be repaired now
The article on the city’s progress on road repairs omits the fact that many of our "city roads" are subject to state maintenance — such as the Pali Highway ("Record repairs," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 8).
I am a resident of Kailua who frequently transits to Honolulu over the Pali Highway.I have written the state Department of Transportation (DOT), the governor’s office and my state representatives about the appalling condition of the townbound Pali Highway after the tunnel between Nuuanu Pali Drive and town. There are fifty areas of pot holes in this stretch alone.
The only response I had until today was from state Sen. Laura Thielen, who agreed with the problem and said funds were allocated for this repair last year. I forwarded this response to the DOT and received a call advising me that the Pali repaving has been postponed until 2015.
I and many of my neighbors in Kailua wonder about the condition of that highway in two more years and the damage in the meantime, if nothing is done until then.
Talbert Fox
Kailua
Monsanto workers are good neighbors
GMO activists like to claim that Monsanto spends a great deal of money for its own self-interest, falsely implying that what’s good for it is not good for Hawaii.
Like any other residents, Monsanto employees are members of the community, and at Monsanto Hawaii, we believe it’s our responsibility to be a good neighbor and good employer.
Over the last several years, our company and employees have given well over $1.2 million, in addition to in-kind donations and more than 6,000 volunteer hours, in support of education, charitable organizations and important agriculture initiatives like the Kunia Ag Park and Agriculture Security Watch.
I don’t write this to brag. I write this because we have really great employees who give generously of their time and energy. It’s wrong to characterize such good-hearted and well-meaning people as selfish and uncaring.
Monsanto is proud to be able to offer good jobs and benefits to its hard-working employees, and be part of an industry that contributes to Hawaii’s economy without any government subsidies or special land grants.
Fred Perlak
Vice president of research and business operations, Monsanto Hawaii
Obama creating leadership vacuum
I just heard our president say that the United States is headed toward a cliff.
Hedescribed the possible disastrous consequences. He blamed the House of Representatives and ostensibly trashed any goodwill he may havehad with it. Then, alarmingly, in that same speech he seemed to wash his hands of the matter, saying in essence thatit’s up to them, not him.
If he does nothing, this country may end up on the rocks that he hadso vividly described. This country does not need someone to blame. This country needs someone to lead us away from disaster. I thought the president was our leader. I guess he’s not. We need one.
Nelson S.W. Chang
Kaneohe
Obamacare critics weaken democracy
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a federal statute, a law. It became a law because our representatives, the people we elected to represent us in Congress, made it a law. "We the people" spoke. Democracy at work. Democracy is compromise. This law is the result of compromise.
The Republicans are not honoring what "we the people" have said we wanted. Because of their actions, democracy is crumbling in front of our very eyes.
A good friend of mine thinks that many of the Republicans just can’t stand the fact that Barack Obama is the 44th president of the United States, and as such they will try to undermine him at every turn. I’m beginning to think my friend is right.
We voted Obama into office not once, but twice. By undermining the president, the Republicans are undermining democra- cy itself.
Jim Howard
Manoa
Traffic planning ignoring safety?
The recent decision to shorten the Kinau Street on-ramp and off-ramp is a lawsuit in the making.
While the previous layout was not ideal, there was no danger of having to merge with 45-mph traffic on a ridiculously short and relatively blind on-ramp. The freeway traffic does not heed the new layout and drives on the shoulder (where the lane used to be), then merges blindly with traffic properly using the new exit.
This is not the firstexample of poor traffic planning. The Lunalilo eastbound on-ramp, right before the Punahou St. off-ramp, eliminated the designated merging lane, forcing motorists to yield to speeding traffic, then making them cross a second lanebefore entering the freeway. Auwe! Is motorist safety considered with any of these planning decisions? Does there need to be a serious accident or fatality before this is examined? I hope not.
Jeremy McOuat
Kaneohe
HCDA hearings just a formality
Somebody please tell me why the Hawaii Community Development Authority even exists.
From my perspective, it simply helps developers navigate the development process. If there are issues, the process is slowed, but if a big-money developer wants a project built, it gets built. Hearings are just a formality.
Are we not the "community" in Hawaii Community Development Authority? What would we lose if there was no HCDA?
Charlie Panui
Kapahulu
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