State must learn from canceled IT proposal

We applaud Gov. David Ige for making the tough but important decision to cancel the RFP (request for proposal) for a single-source Enterprise Resource Planning and instead move ahead with a more agile approach for the Statewide Unified Resource Framework (SURF) program.

The editorial ("State must show IT gains," Star-Advertiser, Our View, March 28) is right that "changes one by one will be the more manageable path."

By focusing on targeted projects that address specific functions of state government, Hawaii can achieve a more effective, efficient state government without the risks and high price tag of an all-in-one approach.

But the state must apply the knowledge it gained from researching and developing the solicitation for the cancelled proposal to prove to taxpayers that the dollars spent were put to good use. Only then will citizens see the fruits of their hard-earned dollars in improved state services and more efficient government.

Lisa Maruyama and Joy Barua
Leadership Committee members of Transform Hawaii Government

Have new rail system end at Aala Park

I commend David Shapiro for his wise conclusions and hope our state and city officials take a serious look at this alternative ("Ending rail near Aala Park seems like a viable option," Star-Advertiser, Volcanic Ash, April 5).

In the "good old days," OR&L trains from the Leeward side ended at a station on the Ewa/makai corner of Iwilei and King streets.

Trains would arrive in the morning and buses, trolley cars and even street cars would take arriving passengers to school, work or play.

Many would walk to their downtown offices, students to schools and the University of Hawaii, and visitors to Chinatown.

At the end of a long day, the process would be reversed and the OR&L trains would take them home with a very relaxing ride.

Aala Park could be transformed to be the new rail station, with express bus spokes to the University of Hawaii, Ala Moana and Waikiki. As a side benefit, this would put Aala Park back to productive use and save a lot of the money cleaning up the mess that continues to plague the area.

Clarence Ching
Nuuanu

Legislature can’t alter state residency rule

It may or may not be good policy to require executive and administrative officers in top public positions to be residents of the state for one year prior to appointment, but that’s what the Hawaii state Constitution requires.

The only exception, as you note in your editorial, is the president of the University of Hawaii ("Repeal 1-year hiring restriction," Star-Advertiser, Our View, April 7).That exception is in the state Constitution. No state statute, resolution, or any other act by the Legislature can create further exceptions.

The state Constitution trumps any conflicting statute.Only an amendment to the state Constitution can make such a change. That amendment cannot be made by the Legislature.

David Callies
Benjamin A. Kudo professor of law, University of Hawaii

Arrests appropriate if blocking highway

While it is appropriate that those who object to construction of the TMT (Thirty Meter Telescope) on Mauna Kea be allowed to peacefully express their viewpoint, they were appropriately warned against blocking a public highway and arrested when they persisted.

The same police action would be taken if protesters blocked the H-1 freeway in Honolulu to object to construction of the rail project, which also controversially "desecrates" burial grounds and sacred sites.

Three of the existing telescopes on Mauna Kea are scheduled for decommissioning.

Science budgets have continued to shrink and universities that cooperatively fund telescopes are being forced to make difficult financial choices.

The famed Lick Observatory in northern California is such an example: Previously supported by the University of California, it is now forced to seek public donations, such as the generous one recently made by Google, in order to continue its superlative record of astronomical discoveries.

Mark H. Slovak
Makiki

Gov. Brown correct to exempt agriculture

Tuesday’s cartoon by Daryl Cagle on California’s drought was an insult to logic.

Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley already have lost most, if not all, of their federal water allotment and will, in many cases, be unable to plant their crops this year. Since so much of the nation’s vegetables come from California, and the San Joaquin Valley in particular, this will cause prices to rise in Hawaii.

Even if Gov. Jerry Brown does not force the state’s agriculture industry to cut its water usage, unemployment will rise and people already toward the bottom of the income stream will be even worse off.

Better to let lawns go brown than put people out of work and cause prices to rise even further.

Bob Gould
Kaneohe

New lights will serve safety and stargazing

The son of an elderly man who was struck and killed early one morning on a Kalihi street came to one of our Complete Streets meetings to stress how safer lighting will save lives.

We all agree. This is a primary reason why the city will convert all 52,000-plus streetlights to LED.

Other important reasons are energy efficiency, saving taxpayer money, and keeping up with industry technology.

Astronomers and stargazers should also be happy to hear that the new fixtures will better direct the light onto the roadway, significantly reducing the stray light emitted to the sky, and into people’s yards and homes.

The response from the public in our test neighborhoods has been very positive. The 4000K whiter color temperature resembles the color reflected by the moon at night.

Overall, the Milky Way will be much more visible on Oahu than it is today.

Robert J. Kroning
Director, city Department of Design and Construction

Street racing should not be glamorized

Hollywood could have made a major statement by not glamorizing in its latest movie, "Fast and Furious 7", the very behavior that led to actor Paul Walker’s death.

A fitting tribute would have been to add a warning label: "Street racing could be hazardous to your health." Saving even one life from a tragic end would be well worth it.

Mark Doo
Nuuanu

Open discussion needed on TPP treaty

We should all be concerned about the Trans-Pacific Partnership treaty.

This treaty is being negotiated in secret.Leaked documents reveal that the treaty allows corporations to sue governments over laws that affect their expected corporate profits. Environmental, food safety, labor and public health laws could be challenged in a world tribunal made up of corporate-friendly judges. This treaty would trump our courts and our democracy.

Before the Senate isallowed to see the secret treaty, it will vote on "fast-track" authorization. Fast track will allow no discussion and no changes, just a "yes" or "no" vote for ratification. Fast track will be voted on in mid-April.

This treaty could affect your job, food, medications and environment.

U.S. Sens. Brian Schatzand Mazie Hirono should vote "no" on fast track. We should have a public discussion before ratifying this treaty.

Barbara Borgnino
St. Louis Heights

FROM THE FORUM

"Police officer arrested in shooting of woman," Star-Advertiser, April 6:

» Cops, bars and an off-duty weapon. Wow. Maybe the police need some training from Mayor Billy Kenoi. Leave your gun outside and take your credit card instead.

» Actually this is a nice neighborhood bar, not a dive. This was probably just a very unfortunate accident.

"Hoopili developers agree to tougher threshold," Star-Advertiser, April 6:

» If they can’t sell these homes to the people who need them, then maybe they don’t need to build so much.

» But without all these new homes, they wouldn’t have an excuse to build the rail. It all goes hand in hand.

» I don’t see a lot of folks lining up to be farmers.

"Senate panel backs purchase of Alii Place," Star-Advertiser, April 7:

» If the property is 30 percent vacant, its owners should lower their lease rent like everybody else does. The state could lease out the spaces at a reduced rent, if it is empty. But, only the state would purchase the building.

» What a travesty. It’s outrageous to pay $90 million for 114,000 feet of office space — almost $800 a square foot — when lease rents in Class A buildings downtown have been flat for almost 20 years. No new office building has been built downtown since the First Hawaiian Center because it doesn’t make economic sense. Rents will get even cheaper when Hawaiian Electric starts to vacate office buildings after NextEra starts to downsize its management team. That’s what the state should be doing instead of buying more office real estate to house a bloated bureaucracy.

» Whatever happened to the state’s plan to relocate departments and services to the Kapolei area?

» Nobody (except Leeward-side residents) wants to work in Kapolei.

"2 hurt in Makua Valley explosion," Star-Advertiser, April 7:

» I remember camping at Makua Beach as a kid and being told to get out of the water because there was live ordnance. We stood on the beach and watched whatever it was explode under the ocean, spouting huge amounts of water into the air. It was a sight to see as a naive kid but as an adult, I do not support the military using beautiful Makua Valley for training.

» No matter all the dumping of live ordnance on our small state. We continue to support this military abuse on land and in our ocean.

"Deputy prosecutor quits after second DUI arrest," Star-Advertiser, April 8:

» Jon Riki Kara­ma­tsu did the honorable task of resigning. It took a lot of guts to do it. May this be an example for all the gutless public servants who should resign.

» Mayor Billy Kenoi, you next?

"Maui counsel enlisted to investigate Kenoi ethics complaint," Star-Advertiser, April 9:

» Given the political connections between the counties, I wouldn’t say appointing the Maui Corporation Counsel eliminates potential conflicts of interest.

» This is totally a Hawaii County problem. Do they want Billy Kenoi representing them as mayor and having access to governmental processes or not? My guess is that Kenoi still has support on the Big Island. If they want him, let them keep him. It’s their decision to make.

» Stealing taxpayer money is a crime. Then there are all the lies. He should resign and get some help so we can just move on.

"Keep iwi in place, burial council advises," Star-Advertiser, April 9:

» Let them rest in peace.

» I would want their bones moved to a cemetery.

"OHA to weigh in," Star-Advertiser, April 10:

» Native Hawaiians need to stop living in the past and stop the nonsense of calling everything sacred to advance their radical agendas.

» The Thirty Meter Telescope is a sacred temple to worship the stars. The protestors should be honored to have it.

» Everyone has a right to protest, but if we let them physically block a project that has gone through all legal procedures to get approved, then the law means nothing, and the only thing that matters is who has the most physical force to get what they want. That spells the end of democracy and the establishment of mob rule.

» I understand your point, but the end of democracy seems a bit too dramatic.