HOTEL EXPANSION

NORTH SHORE ROADS ARE ALREADY INADEQUATE

Fortunately, there were no injuries or lives lost from Saturday's rockslide at Waimea Bay.

However, combined with the continued erosion of this nearly century-old two-lane highway, its partial closures during high surf and the almost daily bumper-to-bumper traffic, it clearly demonstrates that the roads on the North Shore are inadequate to handle even the current traffic load.

Given this reality, Turtle Bay Resort's planned expansion defies common sense.

We need to seriously examine the wisdom of allowing this project to proceed unchecked, especially considering its impact on the North Shore.

TRAFFIC SAFETY

NO DANGEROUS ROADS, JUST DANGEROUS DRIVERS

I am a retired police officer and a certified crash investigator. After investigating more than 1,000 crashes, I have never found a roadway at fault in a traffic crash.

Years ago, the National Transportation Safety Board dropped the word "accident" and replaced it with the word "crash."

The reason for this change was that a crash is no accident.

There is no such thing as a dangerous roadway. What we have are dangerous drivers.

All the data in the world are not going to change the way people drive.

Drivers would like our government to legislate safety. What we need are drivers who take driving seriously — not talking on phones, eating or breaking traffic laws.

WASTEWATER

NEARSHORE BACTERIA TRACED BACK TO RUNOFF

Where does shoreline bacteria come from?

Both Sand Island and Hono-uliuli Wastewater Treatment Plants discharge primary treated wastewater into Mamala Bay through outfalls in 200 feet of water and more than 9,000 feet offshore.

Available ocean data and studies conducted during the Mamala Bay Study in the mid-1990s show that the wastewater plume reaches the water surface about 20 percent of the time, and when this occurs, the treated wastewater is very diluted. Most of the time, effluent or treated wastewater stays below 80 feet, and thus shoreline contamination cannot occur.

On the south shore of O'ahu, where the effluent is discharged, the winds blow primarily offshore. This translates into a northeast or offshore wind that pushes surfacing effluent plume away from beaches and coastal areas. An onshore drift can occur only under strong kona or onshore storm conditions.

Bacteriological measurements at the shoreline and nearshore areas have consistently shown that the populations of fecal coliform and enterococci bacteria are related to runoff from rainfall.

The higher bacterial counts occur during the wet season when runoff from land is high.

These bacteria live in soils in warm climates like Hawai'i, and are the cause for the high bacteria counts that occur near shore during rainfall. There is no scientific evidence to show a connection between the effluent discharged from the outfalls with incidences of high bacteria counts at the shoreline.

It is wise to consider the scientific facts and to conduct a cost benefit analysis before committing to expensive secondary treatment.

TAXES, TAXES, TAXES

NO INTEREST IN HELPING HAWAI'I'S TAXPAYERS

The decision by Jeff Stone and his development group to not utilize the $75 million tax break for their aquarium should have resulted in a tax break for the residents of the state. Instead, certain government leaders have decided we must spend this money anyway.

The decision to originally give the tax break to Jeff Stone and his group was both controversial and misguided. It gave a tax break that benefited a private business rather than the general public. The decision to not use the tax break should be viewed as the correction of a mistake rather than an opportunity to spend the money elsewhere.

If the money is to be spent, then the money should not be earmarked for one district.

Although the homeless population may now be centered on the Wai'anae Coast, those people came from all parts of the island, an indicator that all parts of the island have problems.

So if the money is to be spent, maybe each Senate district should get an equal amount, instead of all to the Senate president's district.

The insistence on spending this $75 million, along with the refusal to give any kind of tax refund (in spite of budget surpluses) or reducing the tax burden on residents, only reinforces the idea that the current Legislature has no real interest cutting the taxpayers of this state any slack.

GAS-TAX REDUCTION COULD HELP CONSUMERS

Thanks to The Advertiser and reporter Sean Hao for remaining vigilant in helping consumers understand the truth about gasoline pricing in Hawai'i.

Retailers are often asked why gas prices are so high. Our response: High gas taxes, high business costs and continual government interference.

We take no pleasure in being government's tax collector.

Hawai'i gasoline consumers annually pay nearly $83 million in federal tax, $122 million state tax (including the 4.5 percent general excise tax) and $75 million county tax, adding up to a whopping $280 million a year to maintain our roads, highways and help subsidize public transportation.

The Legislature has an opportunity to reduce gasoline taxes, but does not appear to be willing to help consumers.

Sen. Ron Menor says he is concerned tax reductions won't be passed on.

In April 2006, when the GET exemption on ethanol gasoline began, the industry immediately passed that savings on to consumers. We agree that it was difficult to notice when the gas cap was causing weekly price jumps.

Wouldn't it be nice if legislators kept their promise and helped the people of Hawai'i by easing the take from our pockets?

LEGISLATURE

EXEMPT MEDICAL CARE FROM O'AHU TRANSIT TAX

Recent headlines indicate tough times for healthcare in Hawai'i:

"Insurance-control bills dying" (March 8); "HMSA chief got bonus of $497,117" (March 20); "Legislature approves $950,00 to keep Kahuku Hospital open" (March 24); "Isle needy still have heavy tax burden" (March 28); "Isle hospitals rated low (March 30); "Wahiawa General shelves maternity services" (April 3).

And one that has not been printed, that is no less important: $105 million leaving healthcare for rail.

Senate Bill 11 to exempt medical services from the rail tax must be passed this session for Hawai'i's healthcare system to avoid more undue strain. The proposed legislation allows patients to pay their co-payments and insurance premiums and non-covered experimental cancer treatments instead of a transportation project. It also addresses the inequity of forcing Neighbor Island patients to come to Honolulu for treatment and have to pay for O'ahu's rail system.

SB11HD1 recognizes that local insurance carriers do not cover the general excise tax as a plan benefit, so that the burden is shifted to patients. It exempts only the county surcharge for rail from physician, osteopath, and dentist services, hospital, nursing home or nursing facility, and medical clinic charges, and rehabilitation services, not the entire GET on medical services.

Passing SB11HD1 will sustain medical services by keeping $7 million a year in healthcare. The state will also save money when patients are not pushed over the edge onto Medicaid or become uninsured.

PELOSI

EDITORIAL MISSED POINT OF TRIP TO DAMASCUS

The Advertiser's bemoaning of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the Middle East (Editorial, April 7) missed the point. This administration wants war, and more of it.

We cannot afford to, as you put it, "speak with one voice abroad." We are not speaking at all. That is the whole point. Our administration is not engaged at all in these crucial matters.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was disingenuous in issuing a clarification of Pelosi's message. She was accurate in her reports. Olmert was backbiting, hypocritical and pandering for Washington and Israeli hardliners.

If this president was any less desperate, I might be inclined to agree with your happy protocol.

But in the face of the experience that we have had with this war-mongering and deceitful administration, can we afford anything less?

KANE'OHE

WARNING SIGN NEEDED AT FORMER CROSSWALK

The crosswalk on Kamehameha Highway near the former Star Market in Kane'ohe was painted over.

However, in the sun's reflection or on rainy days, the black paint over the white stripes still appears to be a legal crosswalk.

People still step out to cross, and place themselves in danger.

There needs to be a sign telling people not to cross there. At present, it is a site waiting for a bad accident.

HARBOR LANDMARK

HISTORIC FALLS OF CLYDE IN STATE OF DISREPAIR

Has anyone else noticed the Falls of Clyde sailing ship lately?

She is in a sad state of disrepair. Whoever is in charge of her maintenance should be ashamed for letting the stately vessel languish in the harbor.

This wonderful landmark, which adds so much ambiance and character to the Aloha Tower area, should not be left to deteriorate.

Unless some private or government organization provides funding to paint, clean and fix the Falls of Clyde, it appears she'll be heading for the scrapheap soon.