Hydrogen cars may not be all that green

David Rolf touts the hydrogen vehicle as an important advancement in converting Hawaii’s transportation needs to renewable-fuel vehicles ("Advanced cars can curb our appetite for oil," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, March 11).

Maybe, maybe not. A hydrogen car is identical to the electric cars we already have in one important respect — both run on energy created somewhere else, and only store that energy in the vehicle itself.

Is an electric car a renewable-fueled vehicle? Yes, if the electricity used to charge its battery comes from a renewable source such as photovoltaic. No, if the battery is charged from electricity provided by petroleum-fueled Hawaiian Electric Co. generators.

Hydrogen may be the most abundant element in the universe, but it does not occur naturally. It has to be manufactured, and that takes energy. A hydrogen car is a renewable-fueled vehicle only if the hydrogen is produced using fully renewable energy sources. State assistance for the proposed flagship hydrogen fueling station at Fort Armstrong in Honolulu should be given only if it is shown that the energy used to make the hydrogen comes entirely from renewable resources.

Edward K. Conklin
Waikiki

Rail maintenance will be heavy burden

It is understandable for rail to generate discussion regarding the route, impact on the aina, construction noise, traffic congestion, relocation of businesses, jobs and financing of construction costs.

For better or worse, the rail project has been approved and is moving forward. However, there is a much longer-term impact that should be of concern for everyone.

Hawaii has the 10th smallest population and its state government budget is 35th among the 50 states. The disproportionate impact of rail on Hawaii’s fiscal soundness is enormous, with ramifications that will dictate legislative priorities for decades to come.

The near-term considerations outlined above will give way to the realities of funding operation of the rail, including the revenue shortfall, and the ongoing maintenance in the seashore environment.

These financial demands will dictate Hawaii’s budget in future years and limit the flexibility to address other very important issues.

Randy Harris
East Honolulu

Democrats failed to pursue rail transit

Honolulu Republican Mayor Neal Blaisdell back in 1968 had proposed a rail system for Oahu, but it was Mayor Frank Fasi who became a champion of the HART rail system shortly after he became mayor. In September 1972, city consultants say a 22-mile fixed-rail system would cost $550 million — a fraction of the cost as compared to today at $6 billion. In June 1977, the city received $2 million from the federal Urban Mass Transit Administration for an environmental impact study for a 14-mile fixed guideway system from Aloha Stadium to Kahala Mall.

The Democrats and Mayor Eileen Anderson thought the HART project was a bad idea and cancelled the entire project in 1981.

This is why Oahu traffic is the worst in the entire nation. Imagine Japan or New York having no rail transit. How would their traffic be? The same applies to Oahu. Democratic leaders failed to foresee Oahu’s growing traffic problems.

Arsenio Ramirez Pelayo
Aiea

Lawmakers should be substitute teachers

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) released its educational rankings in 2012, and ranked the United States as having the 36th best educational system in the world. It’s apparent that our K-12 educational system needs to be reformed.

One solution to improve America’s educational system is forevery legislator to become a part-timesubstituteteacher.

Legislators should be moredirectlyinvolved within our educational system, in order to draft a planthat would fix the problems teachers face. Teachers should collaborate among themselves and decide upon inefficiencies that need to beeliminated. Once inefficiencies areeliminatedin the state Department of Education, additionalresources will instantly be available to put to best use.

The national trend among all 50 states is that increased spending in education directly correlates to increased test scores. Investing in our educational system asefficientlyas possible will lead our nation toward apositivechange of direction.

Alex Haller
Haiku, Maui

Military needs dictate military presence

I was activated with the 442nd, 100th Infantry Battalion in 1967 and then sent to Vietnam.I am very patriotic.

I always thought the purpose of our military was for thedefense of our country.To listen to many people in Hawaii(union members, politicians, business leaders),you would think the main purpose of the military was for the economy of Hawaii.

The military should base its decision to downsize solely on what is best for the country.

If I were a Republican in Congress and were involved in the downsizing decision, I certainly wouldn’t care about the economy of a one-party Democratic state unless it was in the best interests of U.S. defense.

Carl Bergantz
Kaneohe

FROM THE FORUM

Readers of the Star-Advertiser’s online edition can respond to stories posted there. The following are some of those. Instead of names, pseudonyms are generally used online. They have been removed.

“Haleiwa’s new look,” Star-Advertiser, March 8:

>> It’s about time. That place was a dump, no sidewalks, potholes everywhere, and smelly urine-smelling buildings. Well done!

>> It’s nice, clean, new, good mix of shops, thanks for the parking. Kind of feels like a theme park, though.

>> Best improvement for safety was corralling the folks at Matsumoto’s behind a fence to prevent them from wandering into the street.

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“Judge averse to presiding over Deedy hearing,” Star-Advertiser, March 8:

>> A judge unable to take stress should step down from the bench. The job is all about stress that takes a toll on the body and mind.

>> Enough already! He (Christopher Deedy) has been on trial twice. Now it’s time for the prosecutor to quit trying to put another in the “win” column.

>> Judge (Karen) Ahn should follow this to its conclusion. She probably should not have granted a third retrial. But given that decision, she needs to see it to its end.

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“Outreach plan offers shuttles to Iwilei shelter,” Star-Advertiser, March 9:

>> IHS (Institute for Human Services) does great work and I am always surprised that the hotels don’t give them far more money than they do. It is in the interest of the hotels to do so.

>> The homeless know the game, they just wait until the city, state and private companies come up with a plan to feed, house them for free.

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“Former governor protests campaign actions,” Star-Advertiser, March 10:

>> The FEC (Federal Election Commission) should not allow itself to be used as Ben’s private vigilantes.

>> I hope Cayetano gets fair treatment by the FEC. However, in the end, Cayetano lost because he opposed rail, plain and simple.

>> Cayetano was the best and one of the few responsible governors because he was able to stand up against special interests who always want more money at the expense of the common good.

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“A school in limbo,” Star-Advertiser, March 10:

>> Sorry, but they (the new Halau Lokahi charter school board members) are doing a disservice to these students. They will not be receiving credit for school and will fall behind their peers. Sometimes you have to let go.

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“Legislators advance bills extending rail tax,” Star-Advertiser, March 11:

>> Rail should have been built decades ago. We need rail for our better future and this is our last best opportunity to build it with a strong financing method in place.

>> So fiscal responsibility, prudence in expenditures and competence from HART, along with integrity and honesty from politicians, don’t matter anymore? Just spend at any cost with no regard to the impact on the economy or the community’s ability to pay?

>> Once a tax is there it will never go away. The opposite: It will soon be increased. 

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“Gun registrations in isles decline for the first time in 8 years,” Star-Advertiser, March 12:

>> Hawaii is blessed to have some of the lowest rates of gun violence in the world. Keep guns out. We don’t need them.

>> Maybe many of those folks on Oahu who bought guns before don’t want to buy any more because it’s a hassle when the only affordable place they can shoot them has limited hours and a line.

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“Ige’s pick to lead DLNR on Senate hot seat,” Star-Advertiser, March 12:

>> I admire (Carleton Ching) for trying to serve the public at cost to himself and family. Please criticize his background or credentials. But not his ethics or personal integrity.

>> You do not go to a car mechanic to get a loaf of bread nor do you go to a developer to protect natural resources.

>> Give him a chance to see if he is capable and worthy of the position.

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“Senate panel votes against Ching’s DLNR nomination,” Star-Advertiser, March 13:

>> The sooner Gov. Ige realizes that Mr. Ching is his PLDC and lets it go, the faster everyone will lose interest. He’s got years to appease the developers.