GOP is hypocritical on issue of abortion
Republicans say that they don’t like big government because it limits individual freedom, but they make an exception when it comes to restricting reproductive choice for women.
If Republicans persist in proposing a constitutional amendment to ban all abortions, with no exceptions for rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother in their party platform, I hope the Democrats propose their own amendment to require all Republicans to get their hearts and heads examined.
Bill Brundage
Kurtistown, Hawaii
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New Zipper Lane rule has led to congestion
Leave it to the powers-that-be in Hawaii to take something that was really working — alleviating the morning commute traffic jams from West Oahu into town via a Zipper Lane with a three-or-more-per-car occupancy —and now turning that lane into yet another parking lot by reducing ridership to two persons or more. You really did it this time. The Zipper Lane crawled and moved slower than the regular creeping lanes of traffic.
Maybe Zipper Lane ridership that consists of a parent and one child headed to a school could team up with another parent and child going to the same school. Builders are still building homes in an already overpopulated West Oahu and the traffic problem is worsening by the day.
We need an operable Zipper Lane back. The present stop-and-go traffic is not helping to eliminate harmful emissions. What were they thinking?
Miriam R. Deasy
Ewa Beach
First public hearing for PLDC a disgrace
The Aug. 29 Oahu public hearing of the Public Land Development Corp. was a disgrace to government.
First PLDC tried to shut out ‘Olelo.
Also, even though PLDC knew there would be a big crowd, it held the hearing in a small conference room, which left more than 100 people standing outside. Why not the Capitol auditorium across the street?
Worst of all, four of the five PLDC commissioners who decide whom to partner with and what public lands to develop/lease/sell failed to appear.
Can you imagine inviting people to testify and not being there to listen?
Citizens who were originally upset with the secretive way PLDC became law were further upset by the PLDC draft regulations and then by the hearing itself.
Most witnesses called for repeal. Almost alone the developer lobby supported the draft regulations, but even David Arakawa of the Land Use Research Foundation suggested that PLDC insert language on transparency. What does that tell you?
Donna Wong
Executive director, Hawaii’s Thousand Friends
Drivers who don’t yield are dangerous
Honolulu has some of the most civil and considerate drivers in the world.However, I’ve noticed one persistent problem when it comes to traffic at intersections with four or more stop signs:All too often, drivers don’t wait their turn before passing through the intersection.
The rule is you’re supposed to yield to the car on your right, if they approached the intersection at the same time as you, or earlier.
This situation seems to really break down when several cars back up at the intersections, and drivers just start randomly passing through the intersection out of turn.
Going out of turn is annoying at a minimum — like someone cutting in line.But it’s also dangerous.
The city should include signs reminding drivers to yield to the car on the right.Better yet, the police should monitor some of these intersections and pull over the folks who aren’t following the rules.
Keith Mattson
Hawaii Kai
Chamber hurts itself by opposing Obama
Shame on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for continuing to oppose President Barack Obama’s efforts to stimulate our economy, including the Jobs Act to fund needed infrastructure rebuilding projects, federal funding for state and local education, and family support services.
These economy-stimulating federal programs would help provide the middle class with essential jobs and income they would spend to sustain and expand the businesses that are members of the Chamber.
Why isn’t the Chamber of Commerce working to help create more customers for their members’ businesses? Creating more consumers is how small businesses would grow and thereby hire more employees. Unemployment would decrease; our nation’s economy would be rebuilt; and more families in Hawaii and across our country would be strengthened.
Greg Farstrup
Pauoa
2-wheel vehicle riders should wear helmets
A recent article and commentary both speculate on the causes of and possible remedies for the increased numbers of pedestrian and two-wheeled motorized vehicle fatalities in Hawaii this year ("Road deaths mostly bikers, walkers," Star-Advertiser, Sept. 4; "Can’t we all just arrive alive?" Star-Advertiser, Off The News, Sept. 5).
Neither of the articles mentioned one of the most effective means of preventing death and injury in these cases — the wearing of approved helmets by all riders and passengers of mo-peds, motorcycles and yes, even pedal cycles.
The scientific evidence from years of research on this matter is clear and undeniable:Helmets not only save lives, but they reduce the severity of brain injuries in those who survive a two-wheeled vehicle crash.Whether or not the law requires it, wearing a helmet is one of the most important things that a rider or passenger of a motorcycle, moped or bicycle could ever do.
Caesar M. Ursic, MD
Medical director of trauma services, The Queen’s Medical Center