Letters to the Editor

Give PLDC a chance to live up to its goals

The Public Land Development Corp.’s public process illustrates a genuine attempt to understand the public’s concerns.

The recent strategic plan presented by PLDC’s board and staff strives to meet Act 55’s intent to administer an appropriate and culturally sensitive public land develop- ment program to make optimal use of public lands for the economic, environmental, and social benefit of the people of Hawaii.

Let’s channel our energy and take the time to understand the intent of Act 55 and participate in the current rule-making process.

The current rule-making process is an opportunity to clarify the programmatic details of PLDC projects. The PLDC presents a lot of opportunity to improve and better care for public lands — think about the last time you used a public bathroom at a state park or state harbor. We all know that improvements can be made.

Let’s give PLDC a chance and not object to the unknowns.

John Romanowski
President, General Contractors Association of Hawaii

Ruling on rail recalls Superferry fiasco

The estimate is in for the bill for the Hawaii Supreme Court’s decision ordering a halt toconstruction onthe city’s rail transit project until an archaeological inventory of the entire 20-mile route is completed: at least $114 million.

And for what? The court ruled that the state Historic Preservation Division violated its own rules by permitting the city to proceed with construction before the archaeological inventory was completed. But those rules were not framed to deal with anything like a project of this magnitude. The division was simply trying to adjust to an unforeseen situation.

Thisdecisionis a depressing reminder of the court’searlierruling that destroyed the Superferry and wrecked any prospect that Hawaii will have an interisland ferry system, probably for decades.

After this latest devastating decision, we can only wonder what more damage thiscourt can do.

Carl H. Zimmerman
Salt Lake

Presence of iwi should not stop rail

Life is for the living.

As regards the rail line, do not redesign and reroute the planned rail route every time human remains are found on that route.

Instead, the found human remains could be placed back in the ground close to where they were found (as some people want) or placed in a monument (like the one in Waikiki near the zoo).

If the rail line were redirected every time remains are found, the rail route could end up being a crazy, zigzag, inefficient route that would negatively affect its effectiveness and benefits intended.

Stephen Kabei
Salt Lake

Government, builders not doing what’s right

My mother, who was 100 percent Hawaiian, grew up on the Big Island and moved to Oahu before World War II.

Going back to the past, my mother always spoke of Hawaiians living in Waikiki, Kakaako and Ala Moana. It does not surprise me one bit that during major construction in the Kakaako area and Ala Moana areas kupuna iwi or human remains are being located. It was a natural process that they buried their loved ones where they lived.

Local government and developers in the past have not displayed much cultural sensitivity to Hawaiian remains. They dug up thousands of remains and paved over historicsites for roads, highways, condos, private homes and parking lots.

An issue is being made because ofthe rail coming through Kakaako and Ala Moana area. The government and developers failed to do what is right since the building boom of the 1980s.

Larry Tamashiro
Downtown Honolulu

Citizens United needs to be overturned

The perverse U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United allows corporations and unions to spend unlimited money to influence elections.

Later rulings allow Super PACs to spend without limit, and without disclosing donors for months, all as "free speech."

So 2012 political spending is out of control, quite literally.

The only solution now is a constitutional amendment clarifying that such spending can be limited, and is not free speech by real people.

Led by Hawaii, seven states have passed resolutions urging Congress to pass one.Sen. Daniel Akaka and Rep. Mazie Hirono have endorsed one (see united4thepeople.org).

So why aren’t Sen. Daniel Inouye and Rep. Colleen Hanabusa listed?And candidates Kawika Crowley, Charles Djou, Tulsi Gabbard and Linda Lingle?

Their campaigns ignored my email queries.

The wide and deeply damaging effect of Citizens United is one of the most important issues America faces. An amendment to reverse it can pass. Our congressional delegates should all support it.

Brodie Lockard
Kailua

FROM THE FORUM

"HPD seeks updates to alarm program,"Star-Advertiser, Oct. 8:

» Outsourcing this clerical function seems to be the best option. The two sworn officers can return to patrol duties and the administration of alarm registrations will most likely improve along with the data collection. Interest on outstanding unpaid fees seems reasonable.

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"Thousands snared by law on closed parks,"Star-Advertiser, Oct. 9:

» One of every five people in our courts are people that strolled through a closed park? Somebody should document this result of lawmaker silliness and put it on YouTube. What a joke.

» The parks have to be protected with strict laws because they are becoming a haven for lawless riffraff.

» The laws for using city park restrooms were probably intended as a deterrent to homeless occupation, prostitution and/or drug use. Unfortunately, it seems that this has become an overkill. I can still see the rationale behind the ban on the use of restrooms after hours and its intended safeguard for the public, but wouldn’t it have been much easier to have the arresting HPD officers make the determination as to whether the offense was one of the above mentioned activities or merely someone relieving themselves and giving people a warning and another chance?

» Now people are finding out why people are "going" in the sidewalk bushes — because the public restrooms are closed.

» My personal experience was that we were in a park after hours and a police officer came by and told us that the park was closed and we would have to leave, so we packed up and left. No harm, no foul. The police officer was perfectly professional and all was good. The park closure rules were put in place because of the rowdy behavior that went on at night. I guess we can downgrade it to a civil fine and see how that goes.

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"Chancellor of UH-West Oahu leaving job after nearly 8 years,"Star-Advertiser, Oct. 10:

» Gene Awakuni is a visionary. Rather than retire, let’s draft him for University of Hawaii president. There could be an opening soon.

» No one else could have built a brand new campus in the middle of nowhere out of nothing but dreams and fortitude. Thank you, Mr. Awakuni, for bringing higher education to the forgotten and neglected side of Oahu.

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"Private donations covered UH athletic staff’s expenses,"Star-Advertiser, Oct. 10:

» Just think if those "private donations" could be used for education. At a so-called institution of higher learning, you’d think that would be a priority. So let former Athletic Director Jim Donovan pay for those "expenses." He offered; accept his offer.

» This is donated money. It is spent to make more money or to help with recruiting, etc. I will definitely donate to this foundation.

» Would everyone feel better if they used taxpayer money for these types of expenses? This is what private money is for — to be used for expenses that government money can’t or shouldn’t be used for. While most of these expenses are legitimate and typical, I agree that some of them were extravagant and unnecessary and could have been better utilized for greater needs. This is why the judgment and character of the athletic director are so important.

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"22 towers dot plan for Ward Centers,"Star-Advertiser, Oct. 11:

» Twenty-two new high-rise towers? In 20 years, I will be dead and gone, thank God. The density the Howard Hughes Corp. is proposing is going to make Kakaako a mini-Hong Kong. At least they are smart enough to placate the burial folks.

» Better town looks like Hong Kong than the country looks like town today. There will always be demand for new housing and we might as well restrict it to the urban core rather than building out on the Ewa plain or destroying our food-producing agricultural lands to build homes. At least Howard Hughes Corp. has enough sense to orient the towers mauka-makai and preserve some of the view planes.

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"Berg fined for not reporting T-shirt donation,"Star-Advertiser, Oct. 11:

» Yeah, that’ll put him over the top: T-shirts. Why didn’t I think of that. People need some real problems, apparently. And BTW, we have real problems. Deal with those!

» The T-shirts were just one part of four charges in the same complaint; the other three were dropped. What were they supposed to do — just drop that one, too? Yes, it’s small, but the arrogance of City Councilman Tom Berg at the meeting in saying why should he have to report such a little donation! Because it’s the law, Tom! How can we trust you in big things when you thumb your nose at this stuff?