'OPALA

HONOLULU SHOULD BE LEADER IN RECYCLING

I was dismayed to read in the July 15 Seattle Times that Honolulu is considering shipping garbage to Washington state.

While Washington does have the landfill space and the fee for your garbage would be appreciated, I would much rather you put that same payment into developing more environmentally friendly policies and practices.

I grew up in Hawai'i and learned to love the land from being around beauty.

Hawai'i is in a unique spot both geographically and commercially.

People respect Hawai'i's natural beauty and want to help preserve it.

Take a stand and tell companies that you don't want their excessive packaging. Pass laws banning harmful packaging. Because you live on an island, you can control what comes in and leaves. Be a leader in recycling and waste management.

This doesn't have to be painful; change will take adjustment but in the end we all win. It will take leadership, and I challenge you to be a leading protector of what makes Hawai'i unique.

RAIL DEBATE

GIVE US COMPARATIVE NUMBERS ON TRANSIT

The mayor's heavy-rail project must not go forward until a very detailed comparison of the HOT lanes and the rail project is completed and presented to the public.

I have asked City Council for this comparison for nearly three years. Show me the numbers, point-by-point — the cost to build each system, the efficiency and flexibility of the service, the maintenance of the finished project, etc.

How does the city manage the finances of the construction of such a huge project as the rail is when we know so little about the details?

Do we need it? There are alternatives to rail that are less expensive and that provide more flexibility.

Can we afford it? Barely, if at all. The city is living way beyond the public's ability to pay. Can we maintain it? Hardly — look around at other city responsibilities.

VOTE WOULD SET A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT

While I agree with Chip Davey and Kenneth Ikenaga (Letters, July 21) about the fundamental principles of democracy, making decisions about public policy is not as simple as putting the matter up for a vote by the general public. Our government is a democratic republic, with elected representatives who, in theory, make decisions in the interests of the entire body politic, not just in regard to their specific constituencies.

It doesn't take much imagination to foresee people not living in central or west O'ahu voting against mass transit because it doesn't directly benefit them. But did the people of central and west O'ahu get to vote on the widening of Kalaniana'ole back in the '90s? No, it was a decision made by our elected officials who determined that, even though it was a benefit for only one part of the island, the cost would be shared by all city and county residents.

If it had been put to a vote, it probably would not have been approved, and there's no telling how bad the traffic would be going out to Hawai'i Kai.

Pure democracy is nice in theory, but we need to be careful about the precedent that could be set here.

SPORTS

SOCCER TOURNAMENT A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS

Many thanks to the Honolulu Bulls and everyone involved in the Hawai'i International Cup soccer tournament.

My daughter's team, the U-14 Avalanche, has been fundraising since last September to pay for the trip. All their hard work was well worth the effort.

It was a tremendous week — great soccer, terrific people and lots of fun. We all enjoyed visiting Honolulu and enjoying all of O'ahu. Mahalo!

ALOHA SHOWN TO ALL AT SOCCER EVENTS HERE

Congratulations to our youth soccer leagues for injecting more than $20 million into the Hawai'i econony in June and July with the AYSO nationals and the USYSA Western regionals played at the beautiful Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Complex.

There were 429 teams playing in these competitions. Incredible. The local representatives were super in handling all these games and showing their aloha for all our visitors.

Hats off to the Hawai'i Youth Soccer Association and the American Youth Soccer Organization for a bang-up job.

Also, kudos to the city and its workers for keeping our jewel-of-the-Pacific 28 fields and stadium in tiptop shape.

Mainland soccer officials have stated the complex is in the top five in the country. Plus a big mahalo for all our kids playing their hearts out in these games.

TRAFFIC

ZIPPER LANE CHANGE A REWARD FOR ITS USERS

This is in response to Brandon Kahele's July 10 letter, "Horrible traffic after Zipper Lane change."

Brandon stated that he "would like to know what the state's logic behind the madness is." Although I don't work for the state, I believe that their logic was to make the Zipper Lane what it was meant to be — a reward for those of us who choose to car pool or ride the bus.

The state has been trying for years to get people out of their cars and use public transportation or carpool, and I believe this is another attempt to help alleviate congestion on the freeway.

I also make the commute from 'Ewa Beach to Downtown every morning, but I take TheBus.

Changing the Zipper Lane to three or more people is the best thing they could have done. There are just too many cars on the roads. It feels like the state is finally rewarding those of us who choose to carpool or use public transportation.

If people want to take the Zipper Lane, it's simple — pick up a couple extra people on your way to work or pull out your $2 and hop on TheBus with the rest of us.

PRESIDENTIAL RACE

EXERCISE YOUR VOTE, LET'S END WAR IN IRAQ

We were at Makapu'u Beach. A young swimmer came out of the water with "USMC" tattooed on his back. I asked, "Are you a Marine?" He answered, "Yes." I held out my hand and he grasped it firmly as I looked him in the eye and said, "Thank you."

Then we talked. I told him that I had to let him know that although I am against the war in Iraq, I support him 100 percent. To my amazement and happiness, he replied, "I am against the war too — from the beginning — but I have to go back for the second time in a few days." I wanted to cry.

Then he poured it out: "I was married, but now I'm divorced — 23 years old and divorced already. I can't seem to get close to anybody. I wish Bush and his two daughters would go and fight in Iraq." We talked a bit, he hugged me tightly and left — for Iraq for the second time, maybe the last?

And some soldiers are "pining" to go to Afghanistan where the action is "to prove themselves in battle?" Are there no better ways to "prove" oneself anymore? Find a cure for HIV, for no more domestic violence, hunger, poverty, hate or ignorance.

My heart bleeds — will you bleed with me and do something? Say something? Vote!

MCCAIN'S PROVEN RECORD TRUMPS OBAMA

In a July 17 letter, Frank Abou-Sayf states, "Faced with the choice between a candidate with serious physical and ideological limitations and a phenomenon named Barack Obama, how can anyone vote Republican this time around?" I would be happy to enlighten Mr. Abou-Sayf. Unlike the "phenomenon named Barack Obama" John McCain has: