Rail might result in more traffic
Most of us are fed up with Honolulu’s crowded highways and traffic. It’s a mistake, though, to accept claims that the elevated train will reduce traffic.
Here’s my theory: Let’s say the train were completed, and someone in downtown Honolulu decides to give up driving and ride to work each day. So this person begins a new life as a straphanging commuter.
The next day someone else will be leasing that space. Parking in downtown is a valuable commodity. So while one car was removed from the road, another car has taken its place. Similarly, in Waikiki, a hotel worker decides to give up his SUV. That space will be filled by another.
Traffic may actually increase because of development around the major transit stations. Each new house will have a garage or parking space, and so the number of cars increases. Those cars are not for decoration; they will be used.
Larry Geller
Honolulu
Anti-rail quartet deserves thanks
Kudos to our leaders like Walter Heen, Ben Cayetano, Cliff Slater and Randall Roth, who wrote "How the city misled the public" (Star-Advertiser, Aug. 21).
It’s nice to know we have people like them who are concerned for the taxpayers of Honolulu. Their insight was truly informative, especially when they have no ulterior motive other than a chance for a more affordable and practical mass transit system for our city.
Ray Horita
Palolo Valley
HECO needs more flexibility
There is no question that fossil fuels will get increasingly more expensive and difficult to obtain in the coming years. Hawaii’s heavy dependence on oil will end whether we implement acceptable alternatives or ignore the impend- ing decline of fossil fuels.
We currently depend on Hawaiian Electric Co. for production and distribution of our electric power; it has supplied our homes and businesses with highly reliable power for nearly 100 years.
HECO appears to recognize that difficult decisions must be made soon concerning the sources of energy that supply our electric power. However, forcing it to purchase solar and other discontinuous and unpredictable energy that it not only don’t need but cannot use does not seem reasonable. To make these alternative energy sources reliable requires economical energy storage, and such technology is not yet available.
Stakeholders in the electrical power community should directly address the problems related to providing a profitable, reliable and affordable power system for the people of Hawaii.
Fred Duennebier
Waialae Iki
‘No prior record’ is not the issue
I had to laugh when I saw the article by Rob Perez ("Illegal immigrants held on minor infractions," Star-Advertiser, Aug. 28), in which he referred to illegal aliens in Hawaii as "Hawaii residents."
Since when are illegal aliens considered Hawaii residents? Allowing illegal aliens to just slip into our country and making up excuses as to why they broke our immigration laws is a slap in the face to all of the legal immigrants who followed all of the immigration laws that are already on the books.
And his reminder that these illegal aliens had "no prior record," as if that means something? Would he say the same thing about a bank robber who hasn’t been caught yet? A bank robber who gets away with his crime has "no prior record" either while he is on the loose, right? Hey, why are we hassling the nice bank robber; he has "no prior record"?
Paul E. Staples
Kailua
Many homeless are living it up
I assume Alicia Straub doesn’t live in Waikiki ("Homeless deserve more compassion," Star-Advertiser, Aug. 25).
If she did, she would realize a great many of these homeless are choosing to live on the streets, where they don’t have to give up their drugs or liquor.
So they are all over Waikiki, begging for money, smoking their cigarettes, spreading litter, lying on bus stop benches, on sidewalks and in doorways.
We are supporting the homeless to remain so with monthly checks, free food, and lack of any enforcement of vagrancy laws.
And this is paradise?
Until Hawaii is seriously hurt financially by lack of tourism, no one, including the governor, really does anything. The decent, taxpaying, law-abiding citizens are being held captive by those who are choosing to live off of the rest of us.
Ann James
Waikiki