SUPERFERRY

HOW WILL WE KNOW WHEN KAUA'I IS READY?

I have a question. What is the measurement that the Superferry will use to determine when the folks on Kaua'i are ready for the Superferry? Will Kaua'i folks send a letter of welcome? Just what is the evaluation tool that will be used to measure Kaua'i readiness?

In the meantime, we would like to visit our family on Kaua'i, drive our own car and enjoy the sights from a different perspective.

If we were able to ride the Superferry, we would save a lot of money over flying.

CLEAN ELECTIONS

LINGLE SHOULD SIGN PUBLIC FUNDING BILL

Congratulations to our legislators for passing HB 661, a pilot public-funding project for the Big Island.

Finally, citizens with great ideas can reasonably win elected seats without taking money from corporations and wealthy special interests. Investment in clean elections will pay huge dividends in clean decision-making with the public's interest fully in focus.

I urge Gov. Linda Lingle to sign this bill into law without delay.

TRAFFIC

PEARL HARBOR BRIDGE COULD BE ICONIC SYMBOL

Open your eyes: A beautiful bridge over the Pearl Harbor entrance channel connecting the south end of Fort Weaver Road to the airport viaduct not only could carry traffic but also could carry rail transit below the roadway.

It would solve traffic in addition to giving Honolulu a world-famous structure like the Sydney Opera House or the Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco.

WORLD RECORD

MAHALO TO ALL INVOLVED IN LONGEST LEI PROJECT

On behalf of Mayor Mufi Hannemann, Department of Parks & Recreation Director Les Chang, Lei Day event coordinator Ka'iulani Vincent Kauahi, presenting sponsor HECO, major sponsor Times Supermarkets, Cox Radio and the entire Lei Day Committee, we wish to express a big mahalo to everyone who donated lei and volunteered their time to help create the Guinness World Record longest lei as part of the 81st Annual Lei Day Celebration at Kapi'olani Park.

We'd also like to thank Chopper 8/KHNL News 8 for getting valuable aerial footage and allowing AP to ride along and capture still photos that have now been seen all over the world. The folks at Guinness World Records will make the official announcement soon, but we already feel like winners in so many ways.

The 5,336-foot floral lei, created by hundreds of kama'aina and malihini, embodied the spirit of aloha by uniting people from all over the world in homage to our beautiful lei tradition.

Watching Mayor Hannemann and 2008 Lei Day Queen Paulette Kahalepuna tie the ends of the giant lei together, and then looking beyond them to see the entire Kapi'olani Park encircled b, not only the floral lei but the lei of people holding it so proudly was an unforgettable, chicken skin moment.

MYANMAR

WILL CYCLONE PROVE JUNTA UNFIT TO GOVERN?

Michael Aung-Thwin of the University of Hawai'i-Manoa faculty is widely regarded as one of America's top academics on Burma, and what he says should be taken seriously (Letter, May 8).

However, one cannot help but ask if the cyclone that hit Burma will do for the Burmese military government what Katrina did for George W. Bush's administration — demonstrate to the world that it is unfit to govern.

TRANSIT

STOP RAIL NOW DRIVE GIVES RESIDENTS A VOICE

In your May 7 editorial you offered the opinion that the anti-rail drive builds barricades, not solutions.

My perception, to the contrary, is that the anti-rail drive cannot build a barricade to a solution because the fixed guideway favored by the mayor and his backers is not a solution.

The city's own transit Web site says: "When built, the transit project will help take some drivers off of H-1 and other corridor roadways. This will reduce congestion in the short-term — but not eliminate traffic congestion in the corridor."

Wait a minute! I thought the reason for the fixed-rail system was to solve traffic congestion. To cost so much, and yet not provide a major solution, seems to be logic from a Mad Hatter's world, with Mufi Hannemann presiding at the tea table, and the City Council having a mad tea party of its own.

The information and expertise are available for alternative solutions. But they can be of absolutely no benefit if the mayor's plan is pushed through and work begins on a fixed guideway, whether we want it or not.

Stop Rail Now's initiative drive gives me some hope that the people who will live with the results of any large transit project, and bear the tax burden, will have a voice.

GAS PRICES WON'T DRIVE COMMUTERS TO TRANSIT

How do people respond to higher gas prices?

Short term: A minority switch to carpools, buses, motorcycles, bicycles and walking, roughly in this order. The supermajority continue using their vehicles with a small reduction of trips, more trip-chaining (e.g., do more things in one loop), and a reduction of discretionary spending to make ends meet.

Medium term: Many people switch to a new or used economy car. They also switch kids' schools and make other arrangements to reduce the number and length of fixed trips. Also the auto industry increases its offerings to smaller, efficient types of vehicles.

Longer term: Progressively, people change residences, work or school locations to substantially reduce weekly travel distance. Also, businesses move closer to their customers and alternative technologies receive funding for deployment.

Bottom line: At the end of a multi-year cycle with high energy prices, less than 5 percent switch to transit, and more than 50 percent switch to economy vehicles.

This is evident throughout Europe and Japan, where gasoline has been above $5 per gallon for many years.

High gas prices benefit alternate-energy vehicles. Several hybrid and diesel vehicles offer a better than 40-mpg fuel efficiency.

Lithium-ion batteries are revolutionalizing electric vehicles. Electric mopeds are now common in large cities in China. Honda is offering a fuel-cell Civic for lease in California.

New Flyer, one of the biggest bus manufacturers in North America, partnered with Ballard and offers fuel cell buses that emit just water vapor. Positive change is in the air!

HAWAIIAN TELCOM

YEAMAN A GOOD CHOICE FOR PHONE COMPANY

I've had the good fortune of being a colleague of Eric Yeaman at Hawaiian Electric for the past year and also am happy to call him a friend.

I was thrilled to learn of his appointment as the new chief executive officer at Hawaiian Telcom.

Eric is a perfect example of a local boy who has risen to the top of his profession at the relatively young age of 40.Throughout his career, at places such as Arthur Andersen, Kamehameha Schools and Hawaiian Electric Industries, Eric has displayed a management style characterized by hard work, intelligence and dedication to the people of Hawai'i.

I know that Hawaiian Telcom has had its challenges over the past couple of years as it attempts to become our local phone company.

I can't think of a better leader to meet those challenges than Eric Yeaman. We will all be rooting for him!

SAFETY

THANKS KAILUA POLICE FOR INCREASED PATROLS

I want to thank Kailua police for their increased patrols in the Enchanted Lakes and Kailua town area.

Their visibility is a comfort to us all.

I now see more police patroling the area in the late afternoon and early evening hours than in past years. It makes me feel safe knowing the police are close by in the event an emergency should occur.

It's great to see our tax dollars finally being spent well. Keep up the good work.

PRESIDENTIAL RACE

HOPEFULLY, CLINTON WILL YIELD FLOOR GRACEFULLY

I find it tragically ironic that Hillary Clinton, who wants to be the leader of the free world, claims to have better judgment than her rival, yet consistently makes terrible decisions.

Starting with the vote to authorize the war in 2002 (which she admits she didn't read before voting on it), and more recently cozying up to ultra-right wing Richard Scaife and Fox News, jumping on the ineffective McCain gas tax holiday bandwagon, and now pandering to the least-educated among us to win a nomination that would tear the Democratic party apart.

Do we really want someone like this to lead our country?

Hopefully, Sen. Clinton will eventually show some class and yield the floor gracefully.

UNFAIR, WRONG TO ASK CLINTON TO CONCEDE

The May 9 editorial, "Clinton must allow Dems to focus on November," is somewhat misleading and sounds like so much of the "media adoration" for Sen. Barack Obama.

We have been appalled at the unfair media attacks and urgings for her to "give up" by people who seem to not have read the Democratic platform nor the DNC rules for this election, which are available in very lengthy form on the DNC Web site.

There is nothing in the rules that makes it necessary for her to quit now. Obama is not any further ahead than she is at this time. There are still voters in several states who have not yet voted in their primary or caucus.

The DNC Rules Committee will meet on May 31, and they will make decisions based on the rules and not on media misinformation.

We are proud that a woman of Hillary's knowledge and reputation might become our first woman president. It does appear that Obama's age and lack of pertinent experience may not make him a candidate who could withstand the McCain Republican attacks that will be forthcoming.

We would ask for more media fairness and patience by all and let the DNC decipher their rules.

By continuing the campaign until the process is complete, it means that the interests of Clinton, Obama, the public and the Democratic Party will be followed.