KAILUA

RESIDENTIAL AREAS NO PLACE FOR THESE RENTALS

Angie Larson is wrong (Island Voices, Nov. 21). B&Bs do not provide a sensible alternative for tourists. They introduce a flow of strangers into neighborhoods with young children. They double the traffic on quiet blocks. They lower the security and safety of our residences. They replace family environments with incompatible vacation environments.

On my cul-de-sac of 14 houses, three houses have been converted to illegal vacation rentals in the past year. Before this, we had 22 cars owned by residents. In the space of one month this summer, 40 different rental cars (based on recording license plates) visited two of these houses. On one occasion, our beach path was the staging area for a wedding that overflowed onto the street.

There are parties with music and singing on school nights, cars driving too fast past my young children and groups of loud strangers.

The city has issued a violation to one house and is questioning the activity at another. Rentals have abated by about half since the height of the summer.

It is offensive to have this illegal activity, and it is inconsiderate of the rights and feelings of neighboring families. If B&Bs are allowed to proliferate, residential neighborhoods will turn into quasi-commercial districts.

NEW BAN

NO LONGER A VICTIM OF SECONDHAND SMOKE

Nov. 16 was a momentous day in Hawai'i history. Up until that day, I was an "incidental victim" of secondhand smoke and had to "put up" with it everywhere I traveled.

Now, smokers truly need to realize after all these years, that they truly stripped away our American freedom to breathe clean air.

I support the smoking ban and will rally to maintain it.

COMPLAINING SMOKERS SHOULD JUST GET OVER IT

Some letters to the editor make it sound as if the government is stripping smokers of their human rights, like some sort of Orwellian nightmare. The truth is, they are just regulating where one can smoke, much like they regulate where one can drink.

As a non-smoker, I am extremely pleased with this new law. The only thing different now is that smoking is not allowed where large numbers of people gather. This is the day I've been waiting for.

I will go to bars and clubs a lot more often. To me it doesn't matter whether or not secondhand smoke is harmful. The fact remains that it is extremely unpleasant to "experience" it, so why should I have to?

When one person smokes, all the people nearby are also affected. In many cases the smoker is the minority. Why is their need to smoke more important than our desire to breathe clean air, or to not have that smell in our hair/clothes, etc? It's selfish to make others suffer because you have an addiction.

We don't want to smell your smoke. Get over it!

A MATTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH, COMMON SENSE

Kudos to the Legislature for having the courage to pass the anti-smoking law.

While many smokers decry the new law as discriminatory and a violation of their rights, the law is not just about them. The law was passed to protect those who choose to not smoke yet are subjected to the toxins and pollutants emitted from cigarette smoke.

The resulting health consequences affect everyone as we all share in the rising costs of healthcare. The pain and heartache of our own or a loved one's suffering from the effects of smoke-caused illnesses and diseases can last for years.

Just as smokers have the choice to smoke or not, non-smokers should also have the freedom to inhale smoke-free air, to frequent business establishments, or take a walk without fear of encountering unwanted and unhealthy smoke.

ENERGY

TIME TO END HAWAI'I'S OIL DEPENDENCY

Roger Davis' "Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel" (Focus, Nov. 19) should be the first of an ongoing series! The Advertiser serves Hawai'i best when it evokes debate on issues we least want to deal with.

Our addiction to oil and abuse of our future is so pervasive that citizens would rather postpone facing it until we "hit the wall."

I hope the press, our schools and universities, and our community organizations will begin to take up this debate, and that the governor and Legislature will take the lead in forging change.

ALA WAI

REVOCATION OF FUEL DOCK PERMIT PROTESTED

I am writing this to protest the revoking of the operating permit for the current leases of the Ala Wai fuel dock and re-issuing of same permit to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. This is the only fuel, propane and sanitary pump-out facility on this side of O'ahu.

What does the state expect the 900-plus boats in the harbor to do with sewage — pump it into the Ala Wai Harbor? Does this sound reasonable?

The Ala Wai Fuel Dock is also a well-run shop, laundry, mooring and information center. The personnel are friendly and their services are great.

Other than the return of the associated mooring revenues to the DLNR, they have no viable reason to revoke this permit.

FOOTBALL

HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS DEMONSTRATED TRUE GRIT

If you were at the 'Iolani School football field last Saturday, you probably saw the greatest high school football game ever played between the 'Iolani Red Raiders and the Kaimuki Bulldogs, two terrific teams battling it out in the OIA Division II playoffs.

My hat is off to 'Iolani for their victory, but my heart goes out to Kaimuki. Although they were down by 20 points in the fourth quarter, they never gave up and fought their way back before being denied a two-point conversion for the victory.

I think the phrase "true grit" applies to both of these fine teams. I am sorry one team had to lose.