How many teachers voted on contract?

Why doesn’t the Hawaii State Teachers Association disclose how many teachers voted on supporting the contract they previously rejected?

Sixty-six percent sounds significant, but when you take into consideration that the number of teachers who voted were not disclosed, these numbers can be misleading. With 12,500 members, the number of votes casted could be as few as three to as many as 12,500.

Once again, crucial information is being withheld purposely to mislead the public.

Matt Hee
Kakaako

Rail needed to help keep tourists happy

For a state that is so heavily dependent on tourism, it is surprising that so little attention has been devoted to the adverse effect of Oahu’s traffic congestion (now worst in the country) on our visitors’ experiences here.

It is bad enough that our workers have to endure the delays and inconvenience of this congestion. But what must our visitors think, not only of the congestion that impedes their ability to travel around the island, but also of our apparent indifference to finding a solution to this problem?

Compare this near-ultimate turn-off with the experience that will be possible with a modern high-speed rail connection to the west end of the island.

If we want to attract return business based on access to all of Oahu’s tourist venues, the status quo is simply not an option.

John Madey
Manoa

Good will outweigh bad if rail is halted

Without commenting on the specifics of Kevin Dayton’s front-page rail article in Sunday’s paper, the secondary headline says, "Stopping the project now would wipe out jobs, incur huge costs and invite cynicism, transit official says" ("City has much to lose if rail is halted," Star-Advertiser, May 27).

This is exactly the type of sensationalism that has created the very problem the article attempts to address.Yes, jobs related to the rail project would no longer exist, but there are many other infrastructure projects that are a priority and would create comparable jobs.

The second point, regarding incurring huge costs, requires a review of all the termination and cost mitigation provisions in the current contracts (hopefully these were properly drafted in the interest of the citizens of Honolulu), but, more important, this must be weighed against the cost of throwing good money after bad.

Finally, the notion of inviting cynicism is pretty laughable, given the degree of suspicion that has existed for years.

Randy Harris
Diamond Head

Budget officer can’t suspend contracts

At the Hawaii News Now/Star-Advertiser mayoral debate on Wednesday, Mayor Peter Carlisle said that I suspended contracts for repairs to the Beachwalk force main when I was the city’s chief budget officer from 1995 to 1998; thus, I was responsible for the subsequent sewage spill in 2006.

I did not and could not. As the chief budget officer, I did not have either the authority or power to suspend or cancel any city contract.

Carlisle should check the facts and find another scapegoat to cover his neglect in maintaining our sewer system that has led to the sewer connection moratorium in the Halawa-to-Pearl City communities.

Malcolm Tom
Waialae-Iki

Humans should be national mammal

I am writing in response to the story on the campaign to declare the bison our national mammal ("Campaign to declare bison ‘national mammal’ begins," Star-Advertiser, May 26).

I have nothing against bison; in fact, I am very impressed by the delicious flavor and low level of cholesterol (and I am speaking as a recovering vegetarian).

My nomination, however, goes to the human being. The title might help us protect the species from extinction, maybe even persuade our legislators to authorize government funding for human services like education and health care.

Heck, we could justify protecting its natural habitat with legislation to penalize multinational agribusiness for dumping chemicals through pesticide use, or antibiotics and hormones pumped into the bison or the cow, discharged through its alimentary canal into our groundwater.

Helen M. Takeuchi
Makakilo

Federal tax credits preserve history

Nadine Kam’s article about Lumeria Maui, entitled "Place of Peace," did a fine job of describing the efforts of Xorin Balbes in restoring and adapting to new purposes the historic Fred C. Baldwin Memorial Home above Paia ("Place of Peace," Star-Advertiser, May 27).

Untold is the work of Maui County planner Stanley Solamillo, who worked on the project with Balbes and has brought the use of federal tax credits for properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places back to Hawaii.These tax credits are, in effect, federal dollarsbrought back into our communities to rehabilitate historic buildings. Such rehabilitation projects can, for example, fund repairs of "mom and pop" stores, maintain community landmarks and bring new economic life to small businesses and neighborhoods.

Hopefully, residents of Maui and other counties will increasingly use these federal assistance programs to help maintain our unique resources and provide additional employment in our communities.

Ross Stephenson
Nuuanu