Land-use rules prod desire for relief

Lois Gill inveighs against exception from state and county land use controls and the loss of public participation in land use decision-making by the Public Land Development Corp. ("Public Land Development Corp. is betrayal of public trust," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Aug. 13).

May we safely presume she is equally outraged by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Hawaii Community Development Authority, which may also develop land — including commercial shopping centers — regardless of state and county land use regulations?

Could it be that these back-door approaches to land development are proliferating because of the long and complicated process to develop land in the normal course of government permitting, estimated to take at least 10 years?

David Callies
Professor of law
Honolulu

London funds rail with fees on cars

It is difficult understanding a view blind to the benefits of a rail system.

To ensure profitability and reduce congestion, follow London’s example: Charge a fee for use of private vehicles in the downtown area. Use the additional funds collected to extend and maintain rail and subsidize ridership. Trains are great for visitors and locals alike.

Joe Murphy
Hawaii Kai

Who knew that UH had deep pockets?

Hey, what gives with our University of Hawaii? It seems to me that our institution of higher learning has extremely deep pockets.

In the recent past, it conceded it needs to subsidize rental payments for its president because she chooses not to live in the university-provided president’s mansion. Next, it hired a new chancellor for the Manoa campus and pays him $100,000 more a year than his predecessor. Now, it gives Jim Donovan a soft landing, a job that will pay him $200,000.

The administration, the regents and whoever else is responsible for running the university have no sense of fiscal accountability.They just keep raising student tuition to make ends meet. This is really sad and shameful.

James S. Nakasone
Mililani

Sign wavers are hazard to drivers

Sign waving is designed to attract the drivers’ attention and thereby detract them from their driving responsibilities. Under the doctrine of attractive nuisance or the charge of creating a driving hazard, would the candidate and/or his supporters be held liable for causing a rear-end crash or if the driver accidentally ran into one or more of the sign wavers because of their actions? The Honolulu Star-Advertiser could do a favor for all sign wavers by inviting an experienced personal-injury attorney to write a column on this topic before a serious accident is caused by over-enthusiastic sign wavers.

Personally, I support a candidate’s right to wave his campaign sign under our Constitution’s freedom of speech doctrine. However, I believe sign waving becomes an attractive nuisance or a driving hazard when you have dozens of supporters waving their signs and yelling at the drivers to detract them from their driving. Who is going to be liable for the damages, injury or death caused by the accident?

William T. Kinaka
Wailuku

Hannemann could have helped Hawaii

As a 30-year veteran of our armed forces, I am a true believer that personal freedom and the ability to choose are our inalienablerights as Americans. The election process is what a democracy is about.

The people of Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District who voted in the primary election made their choice for whom to represent them on Capitol Hill. But I feel we missed a unique opportunity. Having worked alongside Mufi Hannemann for the past eight years, he clearly has the most talent, experience and abilities of any leader to get the job done for Hawaii in Washington, D.C. He has dedicated his life to public service.It is unfortunate that not enough voters appreciated his passion, dedication and the countless contributions he has made to our community.

I know Mufi will continue to do exceptionally well in whatever he chooses.

Les Chang
Kaneohe

Headline missed real vote winner

Shouldn’t this have been the banner headline in Sunday’s Star-Advertiser: "Pro-rail candidates win primary, 55 to 44 percent"?

Jerome M. Comcowich
Kailua

Mail-in voting might help voter turnout

I had my first experience as an election day official in Saturday’s primary. Although all workers at my polling station were competent, intelligent, patient and dedicated, I found the voting system to be totally awkward and outmoded. Hawaii still uses cumbersome printouts that are only partially updated to check in voters. Mistakes and changes are "fixed" with hand-printed forms.

This is the age of technology, for goodness sakes, and our election procedures seem rooted in the ’60s. Our pathetic voter turnout (especially with younger folks) reflects our discontent with the process.

Isn’t it time we took a look at what Oregon is doing and went to a vote-by-mail system only? We already have a successful absentee ballot program in place. We need a citizen’s initiative to get our old-fashioned Legislature to establish vote-by-mail as the standard. It’s time to change.

Terry Joiner
Waialae-Kahala