DISRUPTIONS

GAS-CAP LAW HAS PUT HAWAI'I IN A FINE MESS

Thank you for analyzing the effects of the gas cap on Oct. 30. By your calculations, Hawai'i consumers are paying about 5 cents a gallon more for gas than before the gas cap (not to mention putting up with disruptions).

As I recall, the annual consumption of gas in the state is about 450 million gallons per year. So, if this continues, by September of next year we all will have paid over $22 million more for gasoline than without the gas cap law. Maybe I missed the supposed benefits somewhere.

The Advertiser also made the point that we are not just tied to the Mainland; we are tied to three specific fuel markets on the Mainland. What that means is that a disruption in any one of these will be felt here immediately. In other words, the law's pricing calculation greatly increases the chance that Hawai'i will have sudden price increases. Whether it's a hurricane in the Gulf, a refinery fire in L.A. or a shortage in New York, we're gonna get it.

And how about the occasional problem in all three markets at the same time? Ouch!

MAINTENANCE

WE AREN'T ATTENDING TO OUR ROADS CORRECTLY

Regarding Mike Leidemann's Oct. 29 story "Before good roads turn bad": Weeds grow unchecked on freeways and anywhere resurfacing meets the shoulder or other resurfacing. As the plants get bigger, they undermine the roadbed and widen cracks. The "lap seams" of road resurfacing deteriorate faster here than anywhere. Either they're being done wrong or are never maintained.

Weird roadways exist for years; for example, Halekauwila Street, with its strange raised bumps, confusing stop signs, lanes that force you to move over to the left, planters in the roadway and a ton of potholes.

Resurfacing with blacktop over concrete is horrible on the Pearl City section of the H-1, and the surface is now far worse that the underlying concrete could possibly be. Holes in concrete are never caulked to prevent water undermining the roadbed.

Last, a slurry coating is a relatively cheap and effective method of keeping roads in good condition. And how about street sweepers? I've only ever seen one — on Fort Shafter. In this land of ubiquitous monkeypods, the debris is destructive and should be removed regularly.

In all, our money could be spent much more efficiently.

POP WARNER

KUDOS TO CHEERLEADERS

Congratulations to the Manoa Paniolo Cheerleaders. They recently entered a statewide Pop Warner cheerleading competition and won second place in the novice division. They now have the opportunity to compete in the national Pop Warner dance and cheer championship in Florida next month.

It's been great to watch these girls develop long-lasting friendships and to see this team come together, in practice and in competition. Thank you to everyone who has supported the Manoa Paniolo Football and Cheerleading team. Good luck in Florida!

U.S. FORCES

OKINAWA MILITARY DECISION A SHAME

The recent decree by the Japanese and U.S. governments to "compromise" with yet more military expansion in Okinawa reflects a historical pattern by both states to impose decisions on former colonies.

Authorities hail it as an overdue concession between nations to relocate operations at urban Futenma airbase, where youths have exhibited higher rates of developmental problems attributed to their base proximity.

The deceptive arrangement still entails constructing a heliport off Camp Schwab into pristine reef, endangering the local community and internationally protected dugongs. Local elders and protectors have defended the reef there with body and kayak for 18 months and staffed a nonviolent sit-in for eight years in Henoko village since the "pledge" to relocate Futenma airbase almost a decade ago. Once again, national governments have ignored Okinawa, which has repeatedly voted against military occupation, instead entrenching forces while distributing some Marines to another colonial outpost, Guam.

Japanese bases in Okinawa drew America's wrath in World War II; almost a third of the local civilians were slaughtered. Okinawa has good reasons to love its children more than fear the "enemies" of empires. Support human rights in Okinawa: pressure U.S. and Japanese administrations and sign the petition at: www.okinawa.peacefighters.org/.

QUICK ERRAND

LEAVING KIDS IN CAR SHOULDN'T BE CRIME

Before we criminalize the act of leaving children in the car, let's review the situation.

Every parent should be able to run a quick errand and return to find the car and the children right where he or she left them. The problem is not parents leaving children in the car; the problem is thieves stealing cars with children in them. Don't punish the parent; punish the thief!

For centuries we have had a "felony murder" law. If, while stealing a car, a murder occurs, you are guilty of murder.

Why not a "felony kidnapping"? If you commit a felony and a person is "kidnapped" in the process, you are guilty of kidnapping. Perhaps this would make thieves think twice about stealing a car, knowing that they could be charged with kidnapping.

Let's get out of this mindset that we are at fault because we leave children in the car for five minutes, leave a credit card at the market, etc. We are not responsible for the criminal actions of others, and we are not criminals if we fail to be on guard against the criminal actions of others.

HIGH SCHOOLS

TEAMS SHOULD EARN SPOT IN TOURNAMENTS

The Hawai'i High School Athletic Association needs to rethink the distribution of berths each league gets.

According to the HHSAA, the number of berths a league receives is a result of a formula that is a "play with numbers," which puts small leagues (like the ILH) at a disadvantage. Because of the formula, the ILH is only given two berths in the Division I State High School Volleyball tournament. However, because the OIA has so many member and participating schools, it is given six berths.

If a state tournament is supposed to be the "best of the best," then a new formula must be developed so that all teams that have proved through their performance and success over the season are allotted a berth in the state tournament — not "given" a berth because of a "numbers game."

SELECTION

HONOLULU MAGAZINE BEHIND 100 NOTABLES LIST

Your Oct. 30 article "City honors 100 notables" contains an error of fact. In describing the selection process behind the Honolulu 100 list, it reads, "The city's Office of Culture and Arts received 400 to 500 nominations. ... And the 16 members of the centennial celebration commission each came up with their own 50 names. From July through August, the members of the committee winnowed the list by considering the range of people and the eras they represent."

The selection process was actually created, organized and steered by Honolulu Magazine, which assembled a 13-member selection committee consisting of Honolulu Magazine editorial staff, some members of the city's centennial celebration commission, a representative of Cox Radio Hawai'i (another of the centennial commission's media partners), as well as invited, independent historians and cultural experts. The nominations from the public, gathered by the city, were included in this process. Honolulu Magazine had the final say on the 100 honorees selected.

CASTLE JUNCTION

Watering protects project, injects needed nutrientsIn response to David Shapiro's recurring criticism of the appearance of the Castle Junction hillside, most recently in his Oct. 26 column, we would like to remind Mr. Shapiro that first and foremost, the intent of the Castle Junction project is landslide prevention and for the traveling public's safety.

The state Department of Transportation believes it is in the best interest of the taxpayers to protect the $7.8 million investment at Castle Junction by providing water and nutrients, which are essential for plant growth.

Following the May 2003 landslides at Castle Junction — previously ranked at No. 5 on our list of O'ahu landslide sites — the state Department of Transportation, through a contractor, initiated an extensive grading project to transform what was a nearly vertical cliff into a gently sloping, terraced hillside. Over 18,000 truckloads of soil were removed in the process. The remaining soil after the excavation was void of nutrients and very acidic.

The intent of the landscaping is to stabilize the soils by allowing the natural vegetation to return. Aesthetically, this is the most appropriate design solution considering the rural nature of Castle Junction. The grasses are meant to be temporary, stabilizing the soils and allowing trees and shrubs native to the area to become established.

To ensure healthy vegetative growth, a temporary irrigation system with an agricultural injector was installed. This system not only provides water, but injections of critical nutrients. The irrigation system is on a timer and is revised regularly as much as possible to best account for rainfall. This past summer, the irrigation times were slightly increased, due to the grasses starting to dry out.

The contractor is scheduled to turn over the project to the state Department of Transportation in March 2006, at which time the temporary irrigation system will be removed and the landscaping will be maintained at the road edges, while the hillside will be allowed to become a natural forest.

OFF-ISLAND TRASH

Big Isle landfill looks promisingIf you have been following the story over the last few years of O'ahu's effort to name a new landfill site, you could imagine that the situation is such that the Big Island would be eyed as a solution made in NIMBY heaven.

You could imagine that selecting a landfill site on O'ahu may cost someone an election. You could imagine plans being made to change laws and mandate a statewide system of solid-waste management that includes state-built and -operated landfills on Neighbor Islands.

In fact, the 2004 Audit of the Department of Health's "Administration of A Statewide Solid Waste Program and Assessment of Related Land Use Policies" shows that O'ahu, Kaua'i, central Maui and East Hawai'i are all in landfill crisis.

Landfills in those areas are expected to reach capacity in under two years.

The Hawai'i County Code Chapter 20 clearly disallows landfilling of wastes generated off-island at any county-operated landfills but does not address what can occur at private or state-run solid-waste facilities. What stands in the way of the state or private individuals who may want to open a landfill on the Big Island to accommodate waste generated off-island?

HRS Chapter 205 allows landfills in the urban district, as provided by ordinances or regulations of the counties. Chapter 205 also allows landfills on agricultural land by special permit, as provided by ordinances or regulations of the counties. The Hawai'i County zoning code allows private and federal, state or county landfills on industrial-zoned land without local land-use approvals. The zoning code also allows a federal, state or county landfill to be established in the agricultural district by special-use permit. This tells me that the zoning code does not discourage NIMBYs on O'ahu from eyeing the Big Island.

What happens if someone does identify the perfect landfill site over a portion of aquifer unused for drinking water, with proper barriers, on the Big Island? According to the audit, it may still take years to prove it through the environmental assessment process and Department of Health permit process.

In the meantime, Hawai'i County is in the beginning stages of considering use of an incinerator for burning waste in East Hawai'i, and Maui County is already near final negotiations with two incinerator companies.

Interestingly, one company named ARES is proposing to build a 30-megawatt incinerator on Maui, a facility so big it would require the Big Island to contribute some of its garbage, according the company's brochures. (Source: "Trash Talk," Maui Times Weekly, Oct. 13.)

So in answer to my own question, the Big Island could still turn into NIMBY heaven.