I disagree with Pat Kelly’s idea for the backdrop for former Gov. Neil Abercrombie ("Put high rise condos behind ex-governor," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Sept. 28).

In the backdrop, I see the 4,028 same-sex couples who have married in Hawaii since the governor signed the Marriage Equality Act, all of us standing amidst the beauty of Turtle Bay’s new conservation easement, with one of our spectacular rainbows overhead.

The former governor should be forever remembered for leading and winning the battle for equality and dignity for all and protecting an important part of Hawaii’s natural beauty.

Anne Lopez
Aiea

What’s ‘bold’ about cutting off a crook?

Regarding your editorial that says the state Public Utilities Commission made a "bold" but much-needed decision to deny the recertification of Sandwich Isles Communications to provide telecommunication services ("Telecom subsidies need close review," Star-Advertiser, Our View, Oct. 1): You’re kidding right? Bold?

Albert Hee and certain of his co-workers appear to have committed any number of horrendously illegal acts for personal profit, directly and indirectly taking many thousands of dollars from the people of Hawaii.

Are we so cowered by the political establishment that refusing to recertify an immoral/illegal/self-serving company and its leaders is a bold move? I think not.

Peter Burns
Kaneohe

VW should encourage owners to use diesel

The Volkswagen scandal about rigged emissions tests could be fixed by VW using the more than $7 billion set aside to pay for repairs, fines and lawsuits to promote the use of biodiesel.

Problem solved. It is insane that the press has not even mentioned biodiesel as a way VW could solve its emissions problems.

Get VW diesel owners and the world to run their vehicles on biodiesel and our emissions problems would go down dramatically and we could slow global warming.

Tod Stein
Waikiki

Bike lane probably really not so ‘green’

Traveling by bicycle is environmentally friendly. Bicyclists emit far fewer pollutants than carbon emitting vehicles.

In this sense, the King Street bike lane is "green." In fact, it was painted green as if to prove this point.

But while idling at the Punahou intersection during rush-hour traffic, one has extra time to ponder the bike lane’s "greenness." During rush hour, the 2-mile trip takes approximately 12 minutes. Pre-bike lane, this trip took about half the time, with much less idling, stopping, starting and slow maneuvering. This extra driving time, multiplied by hundreds of vehicles, significantly increases CO2 emissions (not to mention increased fuel costs), as compared to pre-bike lane emission levels.

Is this additional carbon footprint offset because more people now bicycle than drive? Is the bike lane really green? Only the paint.

Peter Hochman
Kahala

Mayor’s call to ‘fight’ over rail rings hollow

Who is it that Mayor Kirk Caldwell intends to fight ("Let’s fight to eliminate delays and cost increases in rail project," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Sept. 27)?

Certainly he doesn’t mean he is fighting the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, as it seems to have complete control over rail cost overruns, delays and the mayor, as he willingly lobbied the legislators to extend the rail tax surcharge. The mayor got five years to start with, but wanted much more.

He’s not fighting taxpayers, as they seem numb to any tax increase for rail, not even caring that there will be a $200 million-a-year subsidy paid for with property taxes once rail begins operating.

He’s definitely not fighting the unions, as the Pacific Resource Partnership spent $3 million defaming his mayoral election opponent to ensure their pro-rail candidate was elected.

He must mean that he is fighting his own shadow. He promised to build rail better, on time and on budget, and now it is $1.1 billion over budget and at least one year delayed completion.

Shadow boxing doesn’t get you ready for a fight.

Mary Monohon
Kailua

Don’t let rail ruin downtown Honolulu

I’ve lived on the top floor of Harbor Square facing Waikiki for 44 years and three months.

I used to stand on my lanai after work to check out the surf to see where I was going to surf. With my binoculars I could see all the way to Old Man’s fronting the Elks lodge.

Now I can’t even see Diamond Head and I’m about to lose Magic Island. Joni Mitchell had it right when she sang, "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot." But shortly I’ll get to listen to steel-on-steel heavy rail going underneath my bedroom windows from 4 a.m. to midnight seven days a week.

If we can’t double-deck the freeway for buses, then stop this albatross at Aloha Stadium or Middle Street before we ruin one of the most beautiful cities on the planet.

It’s a sacrilege to steal her dignity and take her spirit at the same time.

Kedric Dean
Downtown Honolulu

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.

"Pair forced to shut the family business 98 years after start" Star-Advertiser, Sept. 28:

>> Geez, another icon of the past has gone by the wayside. It’s these kinds of people who really make Hawaii unique and different that the younger generation will miss. Their character, values and hard work will certainly be part of the history of the economic development in Hawaii.

>> If they have family who want to continue, I bet we could take up a collection to get the new boiler.

——

"When stroke symptoms are present FAST action is critical" Star-Advertiser, Sept. 28:

>> Thank you for this article and testimony. I’m better informed because of it.

>> A great reminder that our health is so precious. And, wow, check out Rep. Chris Lee.

>> If Rep. Lee is still single, he can close his Tinder, Match, eHarmony and other dating accounts. The Star-Advertiser just made him the most eligible bachelor in the state.

——

"Isles are out $8 million, EPA says" Star-Advertiser, Sept. 29:

>> I think it’s time for Virginia Pressler, director of the Health Department and Joanna Seto, head of the Health Department’s Safe Drinking Water Branch, to bid aloha to the jobs they can’t seem to handle.

>> Nope. They should meet directly with the governor and his aides to remove the bottlenecks in the city and state agencies.

>> Bottlenecks? The entire state bureaucracy is a bottleneck.

>> It seems like the counties are unable to do the work. That’s why the state’s fund has a $100 million balance. The state probably doesn’t need that $8 million so EPA should just go ahead and give it to another state that could use it.

——

"UH seeks higher fees for parking permits, citations" Star-Advertiser, Sept. 29:

>> I’m actually in favor of increased fines. You break the rules, you should have to pay. Hopefully the increase in fines help make the fund self-sustaining like it’s supposed to be.

>> Don’t feed the money pit. Find out what’s causing the debt to begin with.

——

"Feds yield to Native Hawaiians" Star-Advertiser, Sept. 30:

>> The Interior Department is doing some pretty fancy dancing in this proposal.  … There are established standards for Indian tribes to be recognized as sovereign entities, and, at least technically, Native Hawaiians don’t meet them. The Interior proposal tries to pretend this problem doesn’t exist, setting up the false premise that if Native Hawaiians succeed at organizing a broadly supported government, the department will be empowered to recognize it as a sovereign entity on par with an Indian tribe. My view is that this administrative grant of sovereignty would have a good chance of being thrown out when challenged in court.

>> If the Native Hawaiians can agree on a format for their "government" (and that is a very, very big if), many years of litigation will result. In fact, there is already a lawsuit against the pending Hawaiian constitutional election for excluding Hawaiians who don’t want sovereignty, along with a few other reasons. Only lawyers are going to profit from all this.

——

"Sandwich Isles faces $13M loss after PUC ruling cuts off federal subsidies" Star-Advertiser, Sept. 30:

>> I hope that this story does not stop with Sandwich Isles or Waimana but follows the money. I’ll bet there is a lot more to this than is evident at this time.

>> The rainbow for Sandwich Isles will come to an end soon.

——

"State orders audit of its IT spending" Star-Advertiser, Oct. 1:

>> A few years ago they created a whole new bureaucratic department to fix their IT problems. Guess what? The whole new layer of bureaucracy is still there, and taxpayers are paying for it, but nothing has changed. And now we pay for a new analysis of the problem.

>> We should hire a consultant to consult with our consultant on whether we need an audit of the auditors who are auditing our IT spending.

>> Why pay someone to do this? Just ask the department heads to get the data and then put it in a spreadsheet. 

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