Don’t vote only on name basis

I’d suggest the Star-Advertiser and columnist Richard Borreca need to get off their horse on candidates with familiar names ("Name recognition is key in education board race," Star-Advertiser, Sept. 28).

I’m not stating my support of either Pamela Young or Larry Price, but I do know both have been involved in their communities and were not solicited to run only due to their names — and neither changed their names to make their runs.

The paper’s comments almost suggest that if you have a common or popular name, you’re supposed to be excluded from running for office.

The proper message should be: Know your candidates and don’t vote by name or ethnicity or who has the most sign wavers.

Ban politicians from robocalls

When Congress passed the National Do Not Call Registry law, they exempted charities and themselves. The reason given for exempting themselves is that they need to communicate with their constituents. Not so amazingly, I’ve never heard from any of our Congress members except during political season.

After going through a never-ending, phone-ringing primary election, perhaps it’s time for Congress to revisit this law and end political campaigning via telephone, especially the robocalls.

Now not time for new projects

Two articles in the Star-Advertiser written days apart illustrate that it’s not the best time to build a planned community like Koa Ridge.

The articles — "Koa Ridge project given the green light" (Star-Advertiser, Sept. 24) and "Buyers brace for home-loan gantlet" (Star-Advertiser, Sept. 26) — show the best arguments against this project. If you build it, will there be enough buyers out there who can qualify for a mortgage? Given the economic climate, foreclosures, high unemployment and the stringent requirements for a loan, even I would have second thoughts about building it. Look at some of the half-done projects near Ward Center.

I know we need the jobs and the economic stimulus, but I would hate to see urban sprawl or unfinished projects in what was once open spaces. We have so little of that on Oahu.

Price of freedom about to go up

So the city has taken away our freedom to celebrate the Fourth of July with firecrackers, but will sell it back to us for $25.

How sad.

Home of the brave and the land of the fee.

Next year: the trick-or-treat permit.

Rename McKinley High

Since we are closing a little school named Queen Liliuokalani Elementary School, the state could make a political statement by renaming President William McKinley High School to Queen Liliuokalani High School to show support for kanaka maoli and our host culture. It wouldn’t be total political justice, but it should put the spotlight on Hawaii’s dark history at the hands of Republican President McKinley.

City radio system worth wait

Your editorial raised very valid points about the need for sound management and fiscal oversight of complex projects, but did not provide a complete and accurate picture of the city’s emergency communications system ( "City’s $30M overrun a warning," Star-Advertiser, Sept. 27).

This important project certainly experienced challenges in the years before 2005, but readers should know that the audit your editorial was based on concluded that the system is reliable, functioned well during two major power outages, and meets the needs of all our emergency responders.

A major reason the scope and cost of the project increased was that it grew to provide much better radio coverage in more areas, and to include additional agencies such as the fire and emergency services departments. The system now includes more than 8,000 radios, compared to the originally planned 4,000, and the result is that public safety is better protected.

The emergency communications system is now modern, integrated, comprehensive and reliable, providing 95-97 percent coverage islandwide, according to the audit. Mayor-elect Peter Carlisle will inherit a far better system than did former Mayor Mufi Hannemann.