Redistricting plans seem to be more fair

I looked at the proposed legislative reapportionment maps and, at least for the Windward and North Shore portions that I am most familiar with, I feel it is a vast improvement over the current districts.

The state Constitution requires that, whenever possible, the commission should draw districts that are "compact" and that do not split up communities and lump them with areas with "different socio- economic interests."

The current apportionment does not do a good job at meeting these two requirements for the Windward side. It chops up Hawaii Kai into parts of two senatorial districts. It splits Laie into two House districts. It has weird, gerrymandered lines that zigzag through communities.

The proposed map has cleanly drawn, compact senatorial districts for Hawaii Kai and for Kailua/ Waimanalo, keeps Laie intact in both the House and Senate districts, keeps the North Shore intact in the House and Senate, and has boundary lines heavily based on geographical features that are easy to see and understand.

Jim Henshaw
Kailua

Picking up litter can be good for you

I agree with Sam Chesser there is a lot of trash not just in Waikiki but all over Honolulu ("Why is Honolulu so covered in litter?" Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 2).

However I was rather taken aback by his last comment, "Do we have to volunteer to pick up other people’s garbage?"

What is wrong with picking up other people’s garbage? I do it several times a week, with my little cart, rubber gloves, dozens of plastic bags and my little Grabber tool — and I volunteer on my own; I am not a member of any organization or group.

I meet many friendly people and even find a few treasures on the way, and I get fresh air and exercise.

If everyone would just pick up one or two pieces of garbage (an empty drink container, plastic bag, newspaper) and properly dispose of it, our streets would be considerably cleaner.

Sandie Stoutenburg
Honolulu

Threat to savings is cause to collaborate

Now that retirement accounts are being affected by the stock market, the political pundits on the right and the left are asking President Barack Obama to reconvene Congress.

Retirement savings getting smaller crosses party lines quite easily.

Well, bringing back the same bickering Congress hardly seems like a solution. However, an invitation to the six senators and the six representatives who have been chosen to work on the debt committee might be a step in the correct direction. They are empowered to make important decisions.

Huge market swings can provide some pretty good incentives to collaborate and maybe even to compromise. Why not start now?

Jim Wolfe
Nuuanu

Helicopter training also has human cost

The Sierra Club declined to ride on the demonstration helicopter flights on Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa for High Altitude Mountainous Environment Training because the demonstration might harm endangered species and would not reveal all impacts from actual training, described as three-week periods of up to six helicopters at once, flying 101 hours a day and into the night.

The Sierra Club and others have called for public hearings on the Big Island because similar flights over the past eight years were not evaluated in public meetings of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

Permits were issued by staff, with little publicity.

A Sierra Club email to the Army also stated concerns based on the just-revised April environmental assessment. The EA did not mention nine deaths in military helicopter crashes in Hawaii in the past 10 years, or four deaths in high-altitude Army helicopter crashes in Colorado in the past two years.

Cory Harden
Sierra Club

Helicopter training needed in time of war

In opposing the Army’s need to train helicopter pilots on Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, the Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter has placed a doubtful threat to a bird above the welfare of our troops about to be deployed in combat.

The club has accepted a cost to taxpayers of $8 million to provide alternate training in Colorado and a 45-day family separation for our pilots on top of a deployment to Afghanistan.

Over the 36 years of my membership, I have remained silent as the Sierra Club began supporting the more radical conservation movements. I’ve bitten my tongue as the club fought the telescopes on Mauna Kea in defense of the beloved wekiu bug. I said nothing as they helped torpedo the Superferry, dooming a fine resource for our islands. But their opposition to the Army’s helicopter training is even more specious. The proposed helicopter landing zones are miles from hiking trails, and vegetation is practically nonexistent.

The Sierra Club’s opposition to this necessary training in time of war is unconscionable.

Richard McMahon
Kahuku

Government must cut spending drastically

Cal Thomas hit the nail on the head with his column on cutting spending ("Solving economic mess requires courage to cut," Star-Advertiser, Aug. 10).

Government spending is dragging down the economy. A quick look at figures tells us that while government revenues fell from $2.5 trillion to $2.1 trillion between 2007 and 2009, spending leaped from $2.7 trillion to $3.5 trillion.

Spending as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) has risen sharply, drawing economic resources away from a weakening private sector and forestalling recovery.

For four years through two administrations, our federal government has followed the prescriptions of Keynesian stimulus, bailouts, deficits and gimmicks to get consumer spending up. The result has been a deepening and lengthening of the recession just as classic economic theory predicted.

To improve the economy we must slash government spending in relation to the fall in GDP. How many years do we have to suffer before people wake up to this?

Tracy Ryan
Vice chairwoman, Libertarian Party of Hawaii

Injured biker blessed with family, friends

On July 24, our son Lowell Kim was riding his motorcycle on the H-3 freeway with members of his Pacific Knights Motorcycle Club. There was debris scattered on the freeway dropped by an irresponsible driver. Swerving his bike to avoid hitting the debris, he collided with another motorcycle, was thrown off his bike and critically injured. He was in a coma for several days. With the excellent care he received from the doctors and nurses at Queen’s Medical Center Critical Care Surgical Intensive Care Unit, he has responded and is slowly and steadily recovering.

It is very gratifying that the support and prayers from many people — family, relatives, friends, classmates, co-workers, strangers, the Pacific Knights Motorcycle Club members and other motorcycle clubs — have contributed to his progress. We are so grateful and thankful. Our Heavenly Father, Jesus and Blessed Mother Mary listened and answered all the prayers.

Also, it was great when Catholic Bishop Larry Silva blessed him and prayed for him at his bedside. The bikers stayed at Lowell’s side in the hospital for several days.

Through this experience, we have learned much about the goodness of these bikers. Contrary to the rumors that bikers are ruffians, these people are humble, hard-working wage earners, compassionate people and responsible citizens.

The next time you see bikers riding by, instead of giving them a negative stare, toot your horn and wave to them with a shaka sign.

Henry and Alice Y. Kim
Honolulu