PRESIDENTIAL RACE

MCCAIN BEST CHOICE TO MEET OUR CHALLENGES

Our sincere thanks to The Advertiser for endorsing John McCain (Editorial, Feb. 24).

Never before has there been such a premium on experience and proven leadership. Our country has a big challenge before us that requires leadership in national defense and economic development of the highest quality and experience.

There truly is but one candidate among all — of both parties — who possesses the intellect, the character, the courage and the life experiences to provide that leadership.

For that reason, more and more people have concluded that Sen. John McCain is the man to meet America's challenges to not only keep the country safe, but prospering.

We believe only a soldier can end this war the right way — not politicians. John McCain has lived our foreign policy, and he has survived the darkest moment that a person can live through. He will help lift America up again in the world.

OBAMA

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE ARE WHAT COUNT IN END

I am not a graduate of Punahou. I am a transplanted Mainland haole.

I have lived here for more than 40 years. I have never lived in Wai'anae, Waimanalo, Punalu'u or any other neighborhood where a predominance of blooded Hawaiians live. I have worked with Hawaiians, played ball with Hawaiians and I am privileged to call some Hawaiians "friend."

However, according to a letter written to The Advertiser, I am precluded from "knowing" about the real Hawaiian culture because I did not live in certain neighborhoods. According to this letter writer, Barack Obama cannot "know" about the culture either because he did not live in those neighborhoods.

I guess the writer has never heard about something that's been around for a while now called education.

Education can help me "know" the culture of the ancient Etruscans, the Australian aborigines and many other peoples in this world without living and thriving amongst them.

We "know" about people and things by educating ourselves as well as by experiencing them firsthand.

I believe Barack Obama "knows" enough about the problems and challenges of the Hawaiian people to be able to help them. That is of primary importance.

FOOD CROPS

LEGISLATURE SHOULD PASS GMO LABELING

I read about Sen. Mike Gabbard's bills that would give people more information about genetically engineered foods in our state.

Why have we let multi-national corporations and our government tell us it's OK to eat genetically engineered foods?

I want to know what I'm eating, and am more than a little upset that right now I can't even choose.

I hope that the Legislature will pass SB 3232 and SB 3233 this session. I know it's an election year and I'm going to be keeping track of which politicians are doing the right thing and which ones are not.

HOSPITALIZED VETS

MANY HELPED MAKE VETERANS FEEL SPECIAL

The Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System, and our hospitalized and outpatient veterans, would like to thank all the individuals, and especially the staff and children from the following schools: Waikiki, Room B-7, Kalaheo Elementary, Maka-kilo Elementary, Grade 2, Margaret White School from Blythe, Calif., Kanoelani Elementary, first grade, Blanche Pope Elementary, Ho'ala, and Lunalilo Elementary, fifth-grade class.

All of these groups participated in our Valentines for Veterans program started by columnist Ann Landers many years ago.

Many thanks also to the children at Spalding Boys & Girls Club in Honolulu for the cards and beautiful long-stem roses that were delivered to our female veterans. Sen. Daniel Akaka and the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee also sent greetings and thank-you cards to individual veterans.

State Sen. Fred Hemmings was instrumental in generating recognition of the service of our veterans by young citizens in his district.

The response was overwhelming and had a tremendous positive impact on not only our veterans, but our VA employees who oversee their healthcare. Hundreds of handmade valentines were distributed throughout our healthcare system.

Thank you for demonstrating the true aloha spirit by giving of your time and compassion for making our hospitalized veterans feel important and remembered in this special way.

QUALITY OF LIFE

LINGLE ALSO WORKING ON LEEWARD COAST ISSUES

Gov. Linda Lingle is actively working to improve the quality of life for Leeward Coast residents, while pursuing the vision of preserving the Turtle Bay region. A Feb. 20 letter to the editor erroneously implies that the governor could not pursue both worthy goals.

The administration has been working with the Leeward Coast community to develop plans to address the area's longstanding needs. An interdisciplinary team conducted community discussions that resulted in 32 high-priority projects, including an alternative access road, increasing affordable housing, sheltering homeless families and workforce training.

Gov. Lingle opened homeless shelters in Kalaeloa and Wai'anae that have served more than 1,350 people previously living in parks and on beaches along the Leeward Coast, helping nearly 650 people transition into housing.

She also introduced legislation to allow the $7.5 million Ko Olina tax credit to be used for Leeward Coast commercial and affordable housing projects.

In 2005, the administration broke ground on the six-lane North-South Road, which was talked about for two decades, to help alleviate traffic in the 'Ewa plain. We are also widening Fort Weaver and Fort Barrette roads, adding the H-1 Kapolei Freeway Interchange, and constructing the East-West Collector Road in Kapolei.

In partnership with the Legislature and Hawaiian Electric, we are working with the community to underground utility lines along Farrington Highway.

More can be accomplished, but these are examples of the administration's commitment to address long-standing concerns of Leeward Coast residents, while preserving and protecting Turtle Bay for generations to come.

STATE GOVERNMENT

PROCUREMENT CODE DOESN'T NEED CHANGES

In reading Sen. Donna Mercado Kim's Island Voices column in the Feb. 19 Advertiser, it would be a mistake to conclude that the administration has experienced a large number of procurement problems. That is incorrect.

In the first case, regarding solicitations for the administration's trade missions to China and Korea, the State Procurement Office was made aware of the concern, reviewed the facts and concluded that the activities were not subject to the procurement code because they involved a private, nonprofit entity. The code is applicable to governmental bodies.

In the second case, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands used a professional services solicitation in which a qualified selection committee selected the most qualified consultant.

When this issue was raised in a Honolulu Advertiser article last year, the State Procurement Office investigated and found no procurement violations. Even so, DHHL now requires all members on selection committees to disclose any relationship with any company they are evaluating to determine if a conflict exists.

In the case of the state's hydrogen investment capital fund, there was a difference between the Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism director and the state procurement officer as to whether a committee was an advisory committee or a selection committee, and subsequently, there was a difference on how the contract needed to be awarded. This issue has been resolved without a change in the law.

The cases cited by Sen. Kim demonstrate that the procurement code works. While the code can always be improved, wholesale change is not warranted.

RAIL

POOR DECISION MADE ON O'AHU'S TRANSIT SYSTEM

It appears that the city has made yet another poor decision on the transit system.

Steel wheels? I just hope that the people who made this choice are forced to live near the track.

I know there are not a lot of trains in Honolulu, so the people who made this choice have not been jarred from their sleep by a train going through town even though the tracks were a mile from their house.

And with the mountains you will get an echo effect.

This choice borders on insane in a densely populated area such as Honolulu.

To top it off, any transit system that does not go from the airport to Waikiki as part of the route is a blunder.

I'm all for mass transit; if any place needs it, it is Honolulu. What I don't understand is why such poor decisions are being made. It's almost as if they want this to fail.

LET'S LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE ENERGY FOR RAIL SYSTEM

Knowing what I know about commuter rail transport, I think that the choice for the city's experts was between steel rail and rubber tire technology, such as is used in Paris.

Other fixed-guideway technologies, such as monorail and magnetic levitation, have deficiencies in the type of service that Honolulu requires, such as average speed level, switching, express service, etc.

The point I want to make, however, is that the system will be powered by electricity, a lot of electricity. And the public has not heard much discussion of that.

At this time in history, when a number of alternative energy technologies have "come of age" economically, it is imperative for the success of the rail system, and to help remedy the fossil fuel energy problem, that the city fully and honestly explores the use of alternative energy sources to power the system.