It’s finally time for audit of rail

I read in the newspaper about the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation ("Measure calls for rail audit," Star-Advertiser, March 25) and this is my take on it: It’s about time.

The time has finally come that our Legislature is considering an audit of HART for the overage (and probably more to come) of almost a billion dollars.

I think most taxpayers agree that this should be done.

And why is there a law that HART doesn’t need to keep track of subcontractors’ expenses?

Aren’t there more subcontractors than contractors?

When it is the taxpayers’ money, every penny should be accounted for.

Lani Johnson
Salt Lake

Let’s try out ‘mopedbus’

Regarding "Oahu’s intractable traffic problem" (Star-Advertiser, March 22), a mopedbus is a bus followed by a truck. The riders go in the bus. The mopeds go in the truck.

The two could travel down H-1 and back with only 10 stops: Waianae, Kapolei, Pearl City, airport, Chinatown, UH-Manoa, Kahala Mall, Aina Haina, Hawaii Kai and Sea Life Park.

Accommodation for loading and unloading would be needed, as well as a tie-in to moped rental outfits. Publicize the service at colleges.

Eventually the truck would become a trailer, pulled by the bus.

The cost of determining the popularity of this commute option is nil.If it fails after six months, the city is out a couple of bus and truck rentals and pay for 10 employees. Otherwise, no new infrastructure was constructed.

But, if it succeeds, even if only with younger commuters and tourists, then the city could find itself the birthplace of a global commute option.

Phil Brewbaker
Kailua

Stop rail or find new funding

When elephants fight, the grass gets trampled.

We, the taxpaying "grass," cannot be asked to underwrite the rail gravy train lies — on time, on budget, reduced gridlock.

Stop rail or raise revenue with new ideas such as casino boat gambling or daily transit pass surcharge on each hotel room.

New ideas or new leadership.

Sandie McDonough
Waialua

Parking laws are predatory

The parking issue in Oahu is an elephant in the room that is left unaddressed.

Most of the residents on Oahu doing 9-to-5 jobs cannot afford to own or rent a place that has pre-assigned parking. Hence, street parking near the residence is the norm.

I got cited for parking apparently less than 4 feet from a driveway "prolongation." Considering the dearth of parking space on this island, this limitation has to be revoked and replaced with a feasible one. The last thing an ordinary person would like to worry about after a hard day’s work is eyeballing a 4-foot distance. What if I am short by a centimeter or exactly 4 feet away? Would that cost me $35?

This is predatory behavior on the working-class people by the authorities. We need to get laws in place more suited to our needs and the place we live in.

Kris Ward
Downtown Honolulu

A little leg work can go long way

A bill of rights for the homeless would turn the homeless into a group that "deserves" special protection. The homeless already have a bill of rights. It’s called the Bill of Rights.

Handing out special treatment is done every day for the homeless, "good" or "bad."

True altruism (kindness) is not handing out free material things, from food to housing. True altruism is giving most homeless people the knowledge of how to obtain these services.

I’ve spent many a night outside, and I’m most grateful for people who pass on knowledge to me of how to obtain the services needed to get myself inside.

Nothing is free. Legwork. No longer homeless!

Donald Simpson
Makiki

Letter to Iran was bellicose

Regarding the article, "President should heed advice on Iran" (Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 12), I disagree with the letter by the 47 Republicans.

In the first place, we started this whole mess when the CIA covertly thrust the Shah of Iran in power prior to the ’70s revolution.

This "might builds right" preemptive dialogue by the Republicans to a sovereign country just does not bode well.

I fear a comeuppance one day in our future.

Lawrence Makishima
Pearl City