Letters

Pilago would make a fine Hawaii mayor I am coming out and giving my endorsement to Councilman Angel Pilago of North Kona District for the mayor's position of Hawaii County.

[Bob]

Affordable interisland travel is a necessity. As such, it is time the state itself began strictly regulating -- and perhaps even providing -- interisland travel.

Are you nuts?! Another inefficient bureaucratic program is something we don't need.

[craigwatanabe]

here in Hilo there is a guy buying old discarded catalytic converters for $20 a pop. Oh no now we gotta watch our cars too? Man that sucks.

[Terry]

Bob wrote:

Affordable interisland travel is a necessity. As such, it is time the state itself began strictly regulating -- and perhaps even providing -- interisland travel.
Are you nuts?! Another inefficient bureaucratic program is something we don't need.

Have you ever used public transit? Or perhaps we should get rid of The Bus, huh? There is no difference whatsoever between the State providing low-cost intra-island transport and inter-island transport.

P.S. The State also already provides The Boat here on Oahu, in case you missed it.

[Terry]

Exactly wrote:

thats what my first thought was too... "Are you nuts ?"
The whole point of "businesses" are to provide a service and keep the costs as low as possible. with government, if its not effecient and there is waste ? jsut raise taxes more to pay for it. no on in goverment is concerned about cost or expense.

Tell me of a private business that exists or can compete with The Bus. The State efficiently moves people daily all around the island at a very low cost.

As fuel prices continue to rise out of sight, airlines are either going to go out of business or be forced to jack up their inter-island fares to the point where they're even less affordable than they are now.

Public transportation needs have always been a legitimate part of the function of government.