Monk seals need their own space

Bringing monk seal pups to the main Hawaiian islands is a bad idea (“Let’s help give monk seals a fighting chance,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, Sept. 6).

Scientists confirm that human disturbances have had considerable effects on the populations of the Hawaiian monk seal. The seals tend to avoid beaches where they are disturbed and reduce their habitat potential, ultimately limiting population growth.

The primary objectives of the Hawaiian monk seal conservation and recovery effort are to identify and mitigate possible factors limiting population growth. Ecological impacts to seals in the main Hawaiian islands include exposure to toxoplasmosis, and other pathogens such as leptospirosis have brought death to several.

Therefore, bringing 50 seal pups to the main Hawaiian islands (10 each year for five years) is really a bad idea.

The human population and its activities are many orders of magnitude greater than those the seals experience in the northwestern islands. Isn’t it time to just leave them alone?

Roy N. Morioka
Waialae Iki

Abercrombie making changes

I have always thought that the old saying “You are defined by the quality of your enemies” contained much truth.

So when I consider the steady and growing drumbeat of criticism for Gov. Neil Abercrombie, I wonder why and where it is coming from. The people who are unhappy with him obviously are disappointed because they thought he was one of their own.

Now, I am not one of his fervent supporters. But the source and stridency of the criticism of him have made me pay attention, and now I am convinced he is doing some good.

He is making changes to the entrenched way of doing business, and is obviously affecting those people who believe that they should get theirs, regardless of the fact that we are all tightening our belts because of the poor economy.

I wish him good luck.

Paul Tyksinski
Kailua

Unions must not ignore HSTA tiff

The Hawaii State Teachers Association and the state of Hawaii are in a big mess with each other. At this point, it appears to be a game of “He said, she said.”

The HSTA could use some support and leadership from its sister unions, which must help both the HSTA and the state out of this current conflict.

Unions are the only organizations that can stand up and effectively represent workers in the face of the overwhelming power of private and public corporate employers.

It is not only for the benefit of the HSTA and the state that this contract dispute be settled fairly, but also for the good of the public at large.

Unions must not let HSTA go down. This will only smooth the slippery slope for the next union to slide down to its end.

We in Hawaii will all be the poorer for lack of organizations that ensure equality between workers and employers.

Nan Wond
Aiea

Ewa residents should use bus

The authors of “A main reason for rail is to help focus growth on Ewa Plain” (Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Sept. 7), take a slightly different tack in the rail debate. They suggest that without rail, life is not going to be very good for those of us living on Oahu.

How many commuters on the Ewa Plain now use the bus? Why don’t more of them do so?

Will those who don’t use the bus get on the train?

Will not most commuters have to ride the bus (or drive a car) to get to the train — and perhaps another bus when they get off? Why do those folks now living in West Oahu “facing a 25-mile drive into Honolulu during rush hour traffic” not ride the bus?

Will they, or their descendants, ride the train?

Jao Ottinger
Makaha

Elevator rules not keeping up

Anyone with one iota of common sense would change the laws for inspecting elevators and related systems (“Lack of inspectors delays permits for court elevators,” Kokua Line, StarAdvertiser, Sept. 1).

Elevators are made by established manufacturers with warranties and performance horizons of 20 years plus. To inspect those using the existing system, and with lack of software to make reports available on time online, is just one more example of our outdated laws regulating business.

Kokua Line’s outcry to hire more inspectors is just wrong and wasteful.

Peter Heinze
Honolulu