Ballots bungle tainted the vote

The events that occurred on Election Day at several polling precincts should be investigated.

No ballots, wrong ballots, ballots with outer island races on it.

How many voters did not vote due to hours of waiting or excessively long lines?

This is not about who won or lost. There is no excuse for any precinct to be so unprepared.

How many voters walked away?

The citizens of this state deserve the truth. The elections were tainted.

It seems this is no longer our government for the people of Hawaii.Tell me, why should we "swear allegiance"? We have a voice!

Brenda Sepulvida
Ewa Beach

Many smokers show no respect

Regarding a bill to ban smoking at five public beach parks, I am for this bill, even though I’m a smoker.

I’ve seen too many people littering, showing no respect toward non-smokers, and the like.

Let’s pass this bill.

Gerald King
Waikiki

Ban could apply beyond beaches

Yes, please enact a ban on smoking at city beaches, and kudos to Councilman Stanley Chang for his foresight and, indeed, bravery for confronting this issue.

Please also ban smoking on the few benches that are available to sit on. Include also the covered areas and game tables at Kuhio Beach, where the regulars maintain a constant barrage of heavy smoke that we all must inhale if we wish to share those facilities.

Beach visitors should not have to endure the scourge of incessant sidestream and secondhand tobacco smoke at one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Jim Elligan
Waikiki

Anti-rail folks need to back off

The people of Oahu have spoken again, not once (for steel-on-steel rail), not twice (for the formation of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation), but three times (Kirk Caldwell for mayor).

Had the City Council of 1992 had the vision and foresight to pass rail then, we would all be riding it today for a fraction of the cost we’ll pay now.

It is not a question of bus or rail, but bus and rail, which will help move this community and give people an alternative.

Will the anti-rail people now cease and desist? Enough with the bickering and lawsuits that only delay the project and cost the taxpayers even more money.

Former Gov. Ben Cayetano’s bus rapid transit would not have been rapid or fast, but instead stuck in traffic like everyone else. To blame his loss on Pacific Resource Partnership or the Star-Advertiser’s editorials labels the voters as stupid.

Patricia Lau
Downtown Honolulu

UH being treated like a cash ATM

The University of Hawaii ATM is a remarkable thing nowadays.

It can spew out tons of money at will — to lawyers, consultants and UH presidents. Who cares if many thousands of workers down below in the trenches are still tightening belts?

State librarians, for example, have no ATMs anywhere near. They keep on tightening belts beneath a 5 percent cut to their budgets and income.

They and others, many thousands of others, should all be up at U-ATM-H.

Dave Baumgartner
Moiliili

Clean energy is beautiful

Thanks to Kim Osborn Mullen for her letter to the editor saying that windmills are beautiful "because those graceful, state-of-the-art turbines are helping move us toward energy security and independence" ("Windmills are beautiful," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 14).

I had wanted to write the same thing not only about the windmills but also about the beauty of the many solar panels and photovoltaic panels on homes today.I know they are expensive to install, but the savings will come.My husband and I know — we have both.

Yoshie Tanabe
Kalama Valley