Burning cane fields part of Maui life

Burning the cane fields before harvest has been going on for 150 years. This is the only way that Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. can stay in business and its workers can keep their jobs.

If they don’t grow cane, what will happen? Maybe a lesson could be learned from Lahaina and Olowalu, where the once-verdant upland fields of sugar cane turned into a dust bowl when Pioneer Mill closed. Or maybe you’d choose houses? Shopping centers?

This big hue and cry arises from newbies who have been there 20 years and think they know it all. They are trying to turn Maui into the places they left. They don’t have to live in Kihei, which gets the brunt of the smoke and ash. My family lived in Kihei for more than 30 years and the problems were minimal. There are lots of other nice places to live on Maui.

Joan Fleming
Kailua

Use buses with shorter rail route

I completely agree with David Hayashi ("Rail should end at Middle Street," Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 5).

When we voted to allow the rail to be built, elevated rail was not mentioned. Now that we are faced with the ghastly threat of having elevated rail running along Honolulu Harbor and through the corridor of Halekauwila Street, I think it is time for all citizens, anti- and pro-rail alike, to support this perfect solution.

Our bus system is excellent. In researching time tables, routes and maps, I find the system to be serving our entire island with great efficiency. The buses are well-used by people of all ages and from all communities.

Bringing people into town from the west side via rail and connecting to TheBus at the Middle Street will truly be a win-win situation. The rail project will be finished more quickly, less expensively, and we won’t be devastating the beauty of our city for generations to come.

Vicky Hollinger
Hawai‘i Kai

Lanes for buses, vans would work

Traffic problems on Korean highways are bad as that of Hawaii. Private cars and buses are jammed in highways, especially during rush hours. The Transportation Ministry of Korea sets aside the left lane with a blue line for only buses and vans with at least six people. The other three or four lanes are for private cars. Buses and vans can speed along at 50 to 60 mph, while private cars are bumper-to-bumper at 10 to 20 mph.

If the rail has a money shortage, the rail can end at Aloha Stadium. Commuters from West Oahu can use the huge parking lot at the stadium and get on buses to reach different areas in Honolulu, using the bus and van lanes during rush hours.

Bong R. Ro
Kaimuki

President should heed advice on Iran

About 47 sitting U.S. senators wrote a letter to Iran informing it that without Senate approval, any agreement could be rejected by a subsequent president.

The Obama administration complained that the letter was an attempt to interfere with the negotiations. If the letter is true and in good conscience, shouldn’t the other party to an agreement be so informed? If that party is not informed, wouldn’t that party have the right to unilaterally void the agreement anyway? If the agreement is non-binding, what’s the sense?

It would behoove the president to obtain the advice and consent of the Senate.

Nelson S.W. Chang
Kaneohe

‘Antis’ shouldn’t block dairy farm

The breaking news in November 2014 was Kauai County approving building permits for a proposed dairy farm in Mahaulepu funded by Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay.

Whatever is built on Kauai is met with opposition.

The No. 1 and No. 2 issues against the dairy farm are exactly that, No. 1 and No. 2 from the cows.

If it wasn’t a dairy, but a shopping center, hotel, big-box store, affordable-housing development or another means of mass transit, it would still be met by a group of people known as "antis."

It’s a travesty the way most anything and everything on Kauai that could be a success is shut down before it begins.

The dairy is not a nuclear power plant.

I stand in support with Pierre Omidyar, Hawaii dairy farms and free enterprise.

James "Kimo" Rosen
Kapaa, Kauai

Tell us more about smiling convicts

As a first-time visitor to Hawaii, I picked up the Star-Advertiser and read about the trial and conviction of two individuals who had attempted to murder the sister of one of them ("2 convicted of attempted murder," Star-Advertiser, March 7).

What struck me, as it must have struck many others, was the inappropriate expression on the faces of the convicted pair, who are shown smiling as the verdict is read.

Perhaps mutual insanity is involved, but should not the Star-Advertiser be following up on a story here? The article is bizarre enough, to be sure, but there must be something more.

Richard Winslow
Arlington, Mass.

Palestinians need own homeland

The Palestinians have no tanks, no army, no air force, while Israel can attack anywhere in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip.

Israel should return all lands taken from the Palestinians for settlements and other reasons and return to the 1948 boundaries created by the United Nations. Until the Palestinians can have tanks, army and air force to call their own, the United States should stay out of the conflict.

The Palestinians should have their own land. This is only fair.

James Takeuchi
Salt Lake