End rail fiasco now and cut our losses
The article, "Rail borrowing pegged at $1.9 billion" (Star-Advertiser, Feb 12) is really disturbing.
When losing in Las Vegas, the term "double down" often comes up. Keeping a positive attitude and spending more money to recoup losses is a risky idea, but if it’s someone else’s money, why worry?
Borrow more, gamble more, no problem.
That’s where the rail is going. Regardless of a bad situation and dire consequences, push on and complete the project, no matter what it costs.
Is this wise?
Notice that ever since the first rail pillar went in, there has been no more discussion about alternative solutions — express buses and express lanes, tollways, overhead viaducts, bus incentives, etc.
All the money (and thinking) has been bet on rail.
Extend the surcharge?Raise the property tax?
No. End this rail fiasco and cut our losses before this leads to a financial disaster.
Ted Kanemori
Kaneohe
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Caldwell going back on promises on rail
The Legislature is about to make Mayor Kirk Caldwell the happiest politician in Hawaii.
It looks like the mayor has successfully lobbied the legislators to make the 0.5 percent general excise tax rail surcharge permanent, or at least extend it for another 25 years.
Senate Bill 19 unanimously passed the Senate Transportation Committee to continue the rail tax for 25 years without restrictions.
The mayor says he has no intention of telling the legislators or the public what the final cost of rail will be ("Ultimate price tag for rail likely to remain a mystery," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 22).
Before the mayor’s election in 2012, he campaigned that under his leadership, rail would not only be built better, it would be on time and on budget.
So now we have the perfect storm of a politician asking for a blank check to complete a project that is over budget and has no final price.
Garry P. Smith
Ewa Beach
Folks want to know what’s in their food
Big Agra has a hold of our local and federal politicians and it’s time it let go.
There is no doubt the people of Hawaii want to know what is in their food.
We have marched, protested and been counted by polls; we want to know and, more important, have a right to know.
Our nation’s GMO foods and seeds are banned in more than 30 countries. Why?
There needs to be more transparency and less lobbying on behalf of profits.
How can any of our representatives feel they are doing their job representing their constituents?
Mary Ellen Greenberg
McCully-Moiliili
Play it safe and live to jog another day
After jogging in neighborhoods across the island for 28 years, my knees have had enough.
Now a senior citizen, walking across the street has become a challenge and my greatest fear is being run over in a crosswalk.
As a motorist, I see problems drivers encounteron the road, asrunners, bicyclists and skateboarders zip across crosswalks in front of cars, even against the light. Some compound the problem wearing dark clothing at night.
Motorists are looking for a pedestrian to walk the crosswalk, not a person to dart across the roadway that doesn’t give the driver enough time to stop safely.
The only time a personshould be running across a crosswalk is when there aren’t cars visible on the roadway, or when it becomes clear that the vehicle approaching you isn’t going to stop.
Motorists, pedestrians, joggers, cyclists and skateboarders need to realize it pays to play it safe.
Stephen Burns
Mililani
Limit expenses for legal defense
Regarding the article, "Killer’s defense eclipses $5 million" (Star-Advertiser, Feb. 17):
As I recall, this convicted soldier freely admitted his guilt to the press and to his trial jury.
He was provided free defense counsel because he was indigent.
The fact that his legal defense bills exceeded $5 million and more defense bills are being planned for his potential appeal is beyond disgusting.
The courts and lawyers that allow and participate in this travesty should be punished, as it is nothing more than legal theft from hard-working taxpayers.
Clearly, a simple solution is to enact a single legal financial limit for all indigent defense claims.
Milton Allione
Kailua
Isle delegation puts Obama over DHS
U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz have just voted, for the fourth time, to not allow the Department of Homeland Security funding bill to come to the floor for debate, amendment and a vote, even though in the Republican-led Senate, the minority party may now participate in the process.
In the House, both Reps. Tulsi Gabbard and Mark Takai also voted against the bill before it was sent to the Senate.
Hawaii’s citizens should be calling their representatives and asking why our entire congressional delegation puts a higher priority on protecting the president’s sweeping administrative revisions to immigration law — recently held to be illegal by a federal judge — than protecting Americans from the increased terrorist threats that DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson recently warned us of.
Mark Torreano
Waikiki