Attitudes separate bikers and drivers

Jack Butrymowicz’s attitude ("Climate and lane ideal for cycling," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Jan. 21) is precisely why motorists and bicyclists have trouble getting along.

Notwithstanding the few cyclists who follow the law, riders aggravate motorists and pedestrians by weaving between cars, riding on and off sidewalks at whim, drafting behind cars, riding without lights and hiding in blind spots.

Because of distance, age or health problems many people cannot ride bikes. Do they just stay at home waiting for groceries to be delivered by bicycle? A little more compassion and a little less callousness would be in order.

I have no problem sharing the road with law-abiding riders. Honolulu needs to go back to a less frenzied atmosphere on the road. My friends and family ride bikes, but I hope they do so responsibly.

Finally, drivers might not "own the road," but they probably pay for nearly all of it through taxes.

Les Inouye
Manoa

Military is a vital economic partner

Hawaii will always have a love-hate relationship with the military.

In the past, agriculture, tourism and the military made up the financial backbone of Hawaii.

For local people, the military was a way to get job training, job experience and a chance to travel around the world.

There always will be people who hate the military and would be more than happy to have the military completely disappear from Hawaii.

The truth is, Hawaii needs the military. People who hate the military don’t understand the military’s financial impact on the state.

If they want to get rid of the military, they must find viable financial alternatives.

Keoni Ronald May
McCully-Moiliili

Johanson betrayed campaign donors

Aaron Ling Johanson ran as a Republican, yet after being elected he said that he was at odds with his party and had thought for some time about switching parties.

Yet he accepted campaign contributions to run as a Republican candidate to represent the ideals of his constituents. He accepted money under false pretenses. People were contributing to the election of a Republican and not a Democrat.

Johanson should resign if he is unwilling to stay with the party for which he was elected and serve out his full term. In my opinion, fraud has been committed.

I encourage those who contributed to his campaign to ask for their money back and take appropriate action against this type of fraud as a lesson to others. He demonstrated a lack of character, integrity and honesty. Who can trust him now?

David Leatherman
St. Louis Heights

Not all homeless are irresponsible

I don’t know the homeless portrayed by Yolan Garrett Chan ("Many homeless just irresponsible," Star- Advertiser, Letters, Jan. 17).

Has Chan ever spoken to or known any people who lack shelter?I have.The homeless people I know have lost their jobs, are employed but lack housing temporarily, or moved here for job promises that fell through.

I disagree with Chan’s assertion that Hawaii has become a "Mecca" for homeless people. Oahu is a relatively small island.The number of homeless residents here varies, but as a percentage of the total population, their numbers are small.

Moreover, it is unfair and just plain wrong to suggest that as a group of people the homeless are irresponsible and therefore, "We should make them be responsible." Looking around Honolulu as a relatively new resident, I see no evidence that homeless people have a monopoly on irresponsibility.

Michael Kappos
Waikiki

To drive and text is to risk fatalities

Recently as I headed west on the H-1 freeway after work, I followed a black sedan.

Although traffic was creeping, the driver did not keep up with the flow of traffic and left about 75 yards between him and the car in front of him.I even gave him an unfriendly honk but he did not speed up.

When I had an opportunity to pass, I glanced his way and realized that he was obviously texting all the while.He was smart to leave enough space between his and the next car, but that also caused a lot of cars to change into his lane.

It scares me when I see a texter behind me.

Seriously, is it worth injuring someone permanently or taking someone’s or your own life because of texting while driving?

Sharon Ansai
Pearl City

Beach rentals could help fund park

I was glad to read that there is a bill that would allowfees from a parkto be putback into paying for improvements ("Bill would put fees from park into site’s own fund," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 16).

Recently while swimmingat Ala Moana Beach,I was thinkinghow nice it would be to rent a board for just an hour to try out on the nice calm water. Butat present it is an expensive proposition.

You have to pay a high cost to rent a board for half a day (even if you only want to try one to two hours), pay to bringthe board to the park or carry it at least 15 minutes to return it.

If the statehad a small number of boards to rent for one to three hours, the funds generated could go back into helping the park maintain the boards and hopefully have some extra for general park maintenance.

This could even generate sales for the local businesses, as more people could give it a try and then come to them to purchase a board.

Cynthia Lebowitz
Waikiki