Letters to the Editor

Volunteers needed at Meals on Wheels

Thank you for running the story about cuts to home-delivered meals services through Lanakila Meals on Wheels ("Hanging on for dear life," Star-Advertiser, July 22).

In addition to the lack of resources, one of the biggest problems for both Lanakila Meals on Wheels and Hawaii Meals on Wheels is a shortage of volunteer drivers.

I’m a volunteer for AARP and a volunteer driver for Hawaii Meals on Wheels. At AARP we are working with both organizations to recruit volunteer drivers as a way of addressing the issue of senior hunger. People can help by volunteering as little as 90 minutes to three hours, twice a month.

I urge anyone who wants to help to contact Lanakila MOW, 531-0555; Hawaii MOW, 988-6747, or visit our website at http://aarp.cvent.com/MOW or to sign up to attend one of its monthly orientation sessions.

Esther Ueda
Pearl City

Apply conveyance tax to purchase of Lanai

The sale of Lanai is just another example of how the ordinary people have to subsidize the extremely wealthy.

If it is true that no conveyance tax will be paid on its purchase, the millions in revenues lost must be made up by the ordinary taxpayers.

You and I cannot get away with calling the sale of our homes the sale of a business. If we sell a property on which we conducted a small business or rental, that would more logically qualify to be exempt from taxes than the sale of land between two billionaires.

Those who can best afford to pay their fair share get the breaks.

Bo Myer
Maunalani Heights

Rail will be handy with new bus lines

Dennis Callan’s commentary on the lack of population to support rail presupposes it would be too "complicated" for Leeward residents more than a half-mile from the proposed stations to get there by bus ("Who will ride the rail?" Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, July 25).

Those residents using the bus today face unpredictably long waits for a bus that may be overloaded when it finally arrives due to traffic delays over the long distances traveled. With rail handling the long distances, bus routes could be redesigned as shorter, more frequent runs, transporting passengers between bus stops and stations. Even someone taking a bus at each end of the trip is likely to have a better experience.

Moreover, some residents will be able to drive to a station and park nearby, be dropped off by a friend, or bike. When you include the residents of higher population areas using rail for shopping and other purposes, there would be plenty of rail passengers.

Ronald A. Lynch
Moiliili

Population density not key to rail value

The UC paper cited by Dennis Callan states that rail systems need an average station area population density of 30-45 people per acre to demonstrate high cost-effectiveness.

The authors of the paper (Cervero and Guerra) point out that only New York exceeds the population density needed for highly cost-effective rail. Indeed, popular rail systems such as San Francisco’s BART, Washington DC’s Metrorail, and Portland’s MAX have average densities that fall below the threshold suggested by the authors.

Yet it is easy to imagine how congested and less livable those cities would be without rail. Cost-effectiveness as determined by station area population density should not be the only benchmark of a rail system’s effectiveness. Saying rail transit can only be effective in cities with very high population densities is self-fulfilling prophecy; it accedes to a continuation of unbalanced transportation and land use decisions that favor cars over transit — an unsustainable pattern that has prevailed in Honolulu since the 1950s.

Andrew K. Smith
Makiki

New Waikiki building will ruin it for others

I was astounded by the picture of the huge building going up on Kuhio Avenue ("High-rise hotel aimed at Waikiki," Star-Advertiser, July 24).

Not only is this across the front instead of sideways, it’s 50 feet over height limits. How can Waikiki Neighborhood Board and city support this?

Our family has a condominium in Four Paddle. How will it affect us? No ocean view and traffic, traffic, traffic.

We will lose all equity, the sun on the pool, fireworks get-togethers and our views. One unit fell out of escrow yesterday because of this change.

I suggest putting in three-story townhouses.

Nancy Magraudy
Waikiki

Kudos to Grabauskus for tackling rail issues

I find the rail issue somewhat entertaining. Unfortunately, I also find some concerns.

First, shame on the organizers that failed to dot the "i’s" and cross the "t’s" in making sure that all permitting and paperwork was in good order before committing to a start date.

Second, the biggest obstacle that I see with the rail is the logistics and coordinated support that TheBus system will have to provide. The majority of riders disembarking at a given rail station will not yet be at their destination. They will require an increased coverage by TheBus and Handi-Van to get to their destination in timely fashion, or they will be a one-time rider.

Third, with construction already under way, why is money being wasted on the Imua Rail advertising? The rail is not on the ballot.

Lastly, kudos to Daniel Grabauskas, executive director of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, for assessing the situation, rolling up his sleeves to cut the fat and rethinking the number of seats and automated ticket vending in stations.

Umon Ewart
Honolulu

New laws could halt theft of copper wires

The theft of electrical wire is out of control. We should be able to find a solution. There are a finite number of businesses that buy metal. Make them accountable for the products they buy. Make laws that require the seller to provide traceability to the source of their product in its original form or melted down, including the invoice and proof of payment regardless of the type of metal. Make the buyers of metal provide full traceability for all products that they sell.

Fritz Amtsberg
Makiki

Newly created district has no incumbent

I was very disappointed with your endorsement of Rep. Scott Saiki for House District 26, who you said was the incumbent ("Experience rules in House races," Star-Advertiser, Our View, July 24). This newly created district has no incumbent.

I wanted to contribute the knowledge I had gained from the private and public sectors, especially my seven years on the Board of Education, and to seriously be a voice for our seniors as they need our help. But itis not kosher for a Democrat to run against an incumbent Democrat so I waited my turn, never thinking that Saiki was going to move into this new district to run.

Right now my voters are confused aboutdistrict numbers as well as the boundaries. Please acknowledge and correct this confusion for the sake of the voters.

Lei Ahu Isa
Ala Moana