Wealth from richest a drop in the bucket

The Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans features individuals who have a combined net worth of $1.7 trillion.

In order to put the current $16 trillion U.S. debt in perspective, consider that if all 400 of those wealthy people gave all of their wealth to the U.S. government to pay down the debt, the debt would be reduced by a mere 10.6 percent and still be $14.3 trillion and climbing.

Dennis Kohara
Kaimuki

Shipping containers common for homes

Shipping containers are used for construction-site offices all over Hawaii, and their use has been increasing all over the world, including on the mainland for a number of years.

Prefabricated housing, including but not limited to containers as the primary structural component, is one of several ways to reduce the cost of housing in Hawaii. Their use doesn’t have to be limited to transitional, farm-laborer, disaster relief and many of the other preconceived and prejudicial mental images too often associated with container structures.

I live in a container now on a base in Kabul, my office is in one, and I lived in one for a few months in Iraq. It was a hell of a lot nicer than the tent I moved out of.

Brian Bott
Camp Phoenix Kabul, Afghanistan

Better plans needed to manage traffic

Most modern cities have traffic planning tools, from simple throughput models to sophisticated simulation models.

Planned projects such as the Karsten Thot Bridge, the Zipper lane and the Kapiolani Boulevard afternoon contra-flow should use such tools. Waiting for drivers to become infuriated and then making modifications is a convoluted order, to say the least.

Even without traffic tools, an average citizen who drives these routes could figure out the impact.

Karsten Thot Bridge is the only direct way for a non-stop stream of morning drivers from Central Oahu and the North Shore to get to town. The Zipper project was to provide an incentive for drivers to carpool and reduce the number of cars on the road, something it no longer accomplishes because only two car occupants now are required instead of three. The afternoon Kapiolani Boulevard, Diamond Head-bound contra-flow causes significant backlog for the Ewa-bound traffic and creates gridlock on the makai-bound roads into Waikiki.

Grant Kim
Mililani

Some traffic arrows waste time and fuel

Left turn on left arrow only?

There seems to be no rhyme or reason for the placement of these signs and lights on Oahu.

At most intersections, where visibility of oncoming traffic is 100 yards or more, drivers are not allowed to make a left turn until the arrow grants permission, sometimes for as long as two minutes. In contrast, there are a number of intersections with visibility at less than 25 yards where motorists are able to turn left on green at their own risk.

Sitting at an intersection adds more carbon monoxide to the air, which depletes the ozone layer and is unhealthy to the citizenry. It uses more gas, which causes us to use more fuel, become more dependent on foreign oil and dole out more bucks at the pump — and at today’s prices, who can afford that?

At the busiest intersections, can’t the arrows be turned off at the more quiet times of the day?

Rich Schaffer
Kapolei

Negligent hikers put rescue teams at risk

The increase in injuries and death by hikers on unsanctioned trails should lead to laws that prevent civil service employees, including rescue teams, from exposing themselves to injury or death.

Their safety and their mental and financial security, and that of their dependents, should take priority over the unwise actions of hikers who choose to place themselves in danger on unsanctioned trails.Avoidance of injuries and death of rescue personnel would also save taxpayers from paying medical costs and loss of wages and benefits, such as partial, permanent, and/or death benefits to the employees and their surviving dependents.

In my younger years as a Boy Scout and Explorer Scout with Troop 10 of the Boys Scouts of America, we participated in many camping and hiking activities. We always hiked on sanctioned trails with proper clothing for hiking, and never on unsanctioned trails, thus freeing us from injuries and death.

Wilbert W.W. Wong Sr.
Kaneohe

Mayor should ride the bus for awhile

I’m a retired senior with a bus pass, which cost me $30.

The problem we have with the buses is the mayor refuses to return the buses because of money. The problem is not enough space on the buses during peak hours of the work day. If he or the City Council would take time from their busy schedule and ride the bus during peak hours, they will notice that the majority of the people are seniors.

Resident senior citizens should be given free bus passes. The exception: Seniors’ bus passes would not be permitted during the peak hours of 5:30 to 8 a.m. and from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

This would open up more space for those persons who ride the bus to work or school.

Carlson Joy
Halawa

White windmills are public eyesore

A suggestion for the wind farmers: If the windmills were painted dark green, they would blend in with the landscape and not be such eyesores. Painted white, they stick out like sore thumbs.

On West Oahu traffic: Many huge trucks travel between Honolulu and Kapolei daily. It’s too bad they can’t use a ferry instead of the clogged roadway.

Madeleine C. Mayher
Waialua