Letters

[Gordon -Doc-Smith]

Brrr wrote:

Decent societies don't come cheap. You get the society you pay for.

No, you get the society that parents and schools teach their young to become.

[JOF]

TrafficSolutionNeeded wrote:

SF, Japan, & Singapore have HUGH population bases to pay for trains.
We don't!
The Oahu/Honolulu population is only around 900,000 local residents.
-San Fran has a population of over 3,645,7549 million.

Actually, the city of San Francisco has about 750,000 residents. The entire metro area may be 3.4M or higher, but the city itself has only 750K resident. And they have over 150 miles of heavy rail feeding them (BART + Caltrain) from the 'burbs.

However, if you look only at the city itself, they have over 70 miles of light rail track. And the light rail is largely used by residents of SF as many of the routes link residential areas with the downtown business district.

So if SF with a city of 750K can effectively use 70 miles of light rail line, perhaps 22 miles for Oahu's 900K residents is not out of line. Especialy considering the planned development west of downtown.

TrafficSolutionNeeded wrote:

I suggest we remove ALL the H1/H2 bottlenecks first near all merge points (Ft Shafter, Middle st. merge, LikeLike merge, Pali to Punahou merge, ect...)
This will costs millions,(not multi-billions), but will relieve TRAFFIC CONGESTION on the H1 freeway.

Removing current choke points is only going to relocate the choke points elsewhere. And once the city streets and available parking lots become the choke points, where do you go? Build double decker streets throughout the city?

TrafficSolutionNeeded wrote:

Building a train that current bus riders MIGHT use will not help, it just empties the buses and adds lower ridership numbers for the tied in bus system that will struggle.

I think the plan is to build a system that current commute drivers will use. Current bus riders are already using mass transit.

Not everyone who commutes from the west side is going to use the train, that's clear. But everyone is going to benefit whether they ride the train or not since every rider on the train is one less on the road in front of you.

[missing ingredient]

John W Bienko wrote:

MASS TRANSIT and STEEL RAIL should be replaced with a major paradigm shift in city planning.
I would counsel a completely new development plan. It would be substantively better for the well-being of humans to build LIVE-WORK-PLAY suburban city centers which would eliminate the need for expensive, time-wasting, resource-wasting MASS TRANSIT and STEEL RAIL.

You sure sound like a BS consultant. Sounds great but you're missing a large component in the formula. There can be NO viable WORK component due to Hawaii's lack of any substantive manufacturing, hi-tech, or financial components. We're dependent on tourism, military, and government sectors. Also, sorry to tell you but the phrase "paradigm shift" is no longer "with it".

[JOF]

missing ingredient wrote:

<quoted text>
You sure sound like a BS consultant. Sounds great but you're missing a large component in the formula. There can be NO viable WORK component due to Hawaii's lack of any substantive manufacturing, hi-tech, or financial components. We're dependent on tourism, military, and government sectors. Also, sorry to tell you but the phrase "paradigm shift" is no longer "with it".

Regardless of what the current buzz word of the day is, he's right, a Paradigm Shift is what is needed.

The planned Ward Center redevelopment is right on target (let me know if "on target" has been replaced by a new buzz word, it's so hard to keep track).

High density mixed-use neighborhoods are better than mass transit -- if someone can walk to work and shop, no need to use oil to get them there. And much better for the environment. Putting 4000 people on 60 acres is much better for the land than 4000 people on 2000 acres of carefully manicured lawns.

There are a lot of jobs in Hawaii that are not tourism dependent (ask most of the people that work downtown), and even a lot of tourism related jobs can be done outside of tourism zones. The H1 commute isn't being tied up by front-desk clerks and hotel maids, there are lots of backoffice jobs that could be done from remote branch offices.

[Alan]

Kailuaresident wrote:

Boy, San Fran, Japan, and SIngapore all have steel rails near oceans. They dont rust at a higher rate!
Aloha staduim was built using inferior materials. For 3 bill, we better build rail out of grade A material!
I hope evryone who thinks about singing that petition realizes it doesn't just kill this rail project, but any future proposals. It dooms us to be auto-centric forever...

just a question which part of the muffinators train is viable and will help in anyway anyone. I am asking you because of your unconditional almost blind support' Maybe you know something the rest of us dont. Pleas enlighten us how atrain that does not take current ridership into consideration and is going to succeed. Who is going to pay for this

[Alan Fishel Long Beach]

New rail transit lines have only brought prosperity and increased property values. Weather it is BART in the San Francisco Bay Area, Light Rail Lines in Los Angeles and around the country or simple streetcars in Portland, Seattle, San Francisco you name it they are successful in bringing people to areas that are difficult to reach by car.

Please show me where a new rail system has hurt the area that it runs through or where stations are. With out the new rail lines traffic can only get worse. A single rail track can carry the equal of 100 plus autos.

Her in Los Angeles the Blue Line carries 70,000 riders daily. The bus lines it replaced carried 10,000 to 14,000 riders a day with the bus lines requiring 3 times the employees to operate the busses. Where would all of those riders be if it weren’t for the Blue Rail Line? The same goes for the other rail lines in Los Angeles and around the country.

Please make your choice on actual rail experiences around the US and world rather than on fear tactics of loss of property values, downgrading of neighborhoods or graffiti.

[Westside Lolo]

These homeless parks must be near a 7-11 so they can use food stmp cards for their expensive bottled water and snacks.

They now occupy all beach parks in Nanakuli.

Check the Star Bulletin business section, dated April 4, for a list of the millions of dollars spent on programs.

I cannot figure out where all the tires they save come from or the reasons for saving them.

[Westside Lolo]

Mr. Long Beach:
Thr areas you mention were downgraded long ago.

Why are you so concerned with what we do here on Oahu. Are you looking for employment?

[Alan]

Alan Fishel Long Beach wrote:

New rail transit lines have only brought prosperity and increased property values. Weather it is BART in the San Francisco Bay Area, Light Rail Lines in Los Angeles and around the country or simple streetcars in Portland, Seattle, San Francisco you name it they are successful in bringing people to areas that are difficult to reach by car.
Please show me where a new rail system has hurt the area that it runs through or where stations are. With out the new rail lines traffic can only get worse. A single rail track can carry the equal of 100 plus autos.
Her in Los Angeles the Blue Line carries 70,000 riders daily. The bus lines it replaced carried 10,000 to 14,000 riders a day with the bus lines requiring 3 times the employees to operate the busses. Where would all of those riders be if it weren’t for the Blue Rail Line? The same goes for the other rail lines in Los Angeles and around the country.
Please make your choice on actual rail experiences around the US and world rather than on fear tactics of loss of property values, downgrading of neighborhoods or graffiti.

Why do people who dont live spew their factless opinions Each and every rail mentioned in his post lose money ( check it ut ) and each rail mentioned is where they have substantial larger population one last thing I would bet he Mayor in all places mentioned cares about his population more than ours for us

[Jasmine]

John W Bienko wrote:

<quoted text> Please advise me as to what TOD means. I'm on a steep learning curve. Thanks

Transit Oriented Development - center development around transit stations

[CGW]

Alan wrote:

<quoted text>just a question which part of the muffinators train is viable and will help in anyway anyone. I am asking you because of your unconditional almost blind support' Maybe you know something the rest of us dont. Pleas enlighten us how atrain that does not take current ridership into consideration and is going to succeed. Who is going to pay for this

The million bucks PR firms pretending they are the public.

[Local Afar]

TrafficSolutionNeeded wrote:

<quoted text>
If steel on steel rail does die, future proposals will be better than the multi-billion dollar mess on the table now. SF, Japan, & Singapore have HUGH population bases to pay for trains. We don't!
-Oahu/Honolulu population is only around 900,000 local residents.
-San Fran has a population of over 3,645,7549 million.
-Japan was over 17,400,000 million in population as of April 2007.
-Singapore -over 4,480,000 million.
Remove ALL the H1/H2 bottlenecks first near all merge points (Ft Shafter, Middle St. merge, LikeLike merge, Pali to Punahou merge, ect...)
This will costs millions, not multi-billions, but will relieve TRAFFIC CONGESTION on the H1 freeway.

Building a train that current bus riders MIGHT use will not help; it just empties the buses and creates lower ridership numbers.

Informtive post. I think a better plan is needed too. 5 billion for an elevated, loud and plug ugly rail project, which MIGHT help, AFTER more suburbs are built, 20 years or so from now, is too much of a gamble, and a wasteful one.

Not building more suburbs out west would help solve the problem big time. In any case, we will need releif for the troublespots -- now AND in the future. How could those bottlenecks would be removed??? Any engineers, highway planners or creative thinkers out there??

[Local Afar]

Gordon -Doc-Smith wrote:

"Decent societies don't come cheap: you get the society you pay for." No, you get the society that parents and schools teach their young to become.

"A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. The traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist." Cicero

[Local Afar]

Seattleite wrote:

In fact Seattle bought a whole apartment building and housed hundreds of street alchoholics. They could drink when ever they wanted. This got them off the street. Worked much better than a drunk park.

No way!!! Is that true? How did they get that one by the voter? Wasn't the neighborhood up in arms?

[Titanic Part I]

Senator Obama’s credentials are meaningless. The Illinois State Senator isn’t ready to represent The United States of America, as our President. He’s inexperienced, more often proving unable to speak or answer without the assistance of speech writers; there’s more to the Presidency then giving written speeches prepared by people trained from previous presidential races.
Now that the Democratic Party has raised expectations so high the American voters believe “Change is coming,” the truth is the only change will be from creased slacks to a tailored pant-suit; while in the mean time America’s stuck listening to it’s self-centered arrogant, pandering from the over confident Senator’s message of “Change 08,” preformed live atop his soap box.
We as a nation mustn’t forget the 2008 election has really more to do with Capital Hill, Washington insiders are doing everything within its power to protect its interests within the House and Senate Seat majority.“The 2008 election has more then just electing our new President on its agenda,”“That’s campaign entertainment,” while behind scenes specific seats are being assured, filled, as well as contemplating replacements for Supreme Court Justus’s “should anyone(s) retire.”
All this playing out live, while America’s caught up in what Washington’s built-up as it’s “Obama 08 Campaign,” a side show decoy’(per-say) we’re stuck with as the Senator along with his “bowling pins still standing,” until Senator Clinton over-takes this race; sending Senator Obama back to Illinois to clean-up the troubled youth issues, Illinois’s currently experiencing, unfortunately.
This is Washington, its politics calculated and played out like clock-work, something Washington’s “Powerful Élite,” controlled since the election of our 1st President; Our electoral process having delegates and Super-delegates still places the final say in the hands of those “Powerful Élite,” which’ve been running this great country since 1776. Our popular vote is meaningless; It’s the “Delegates,” vote that count.
American voters will never elect a President; the Supreme Court made our last decision, and how ironic the very man who worked behind scenes during the Bush and Gore race would make the final decision in the Florida Chad-count fiasco; only to become head of the highest Court in our nation four years later,“Thanks to his good friend George Bush i.e. Washington’s Powerful Élite.
Senator Obama has about as much of a chance sitting in the White House’s oval office as Al Gore at this point. He might be sitting on his campaign chest, using his so-called strategized charisma, which is honestly questionable character. The American voters cast their vote, but Delegates and Super-Delegates Washington’s “Powerful Élite” make the final decision; and seemingly prefer Senator Clinton for President rather then an inexperienced first time Senator from Chicago who would do more damage then President Bush and (his) numerous cabinet members have in two consecutive terms.
This nation needs experience, not a Hoop-shooting, gutter bowling Tobacco smoking HMO’s nightmare. Our nations medical coverage including co-payments, specific category prescription medications, Hospital costs, In-home and or hospice care, every health care plan’s become an option, unaffordable to endless numbers, too expensive, for current and ex-smoker’s, second hand or other wise admitted too were internally flagged within an HMO’s system and denied coverage over personal choices leading to high-costs for treatment and long-term care, Cancer, HIV/AIDS, VA-PTSD excellent examples of an abused broken healthcare system effecting the entire nation.

[Titanic Part II]

On a personal note: Senator Obama got what he wanted from the beautiful State of Hawai’i giving nothing back for the gratitude of those very voters who turned out in masses standing in lines that were in some polls a 6 hour wait just to "Cast their vote." Senator Obama has not been seen or heard from since other then excerpts from media coverage on the continental mainland, nor have the Hawai’i voter’s forgotten the Senator didn’t attend his own Caucus in Hawai’i; rather he counted the State of Hawai’i votes while already in-route to his next State’s campaign stop,“Grab them votes and run,” let someone clean up afterwards, Mahalo Senator your one class act Brah!!!

In the 1800’s folks utilized wagon trains, in modern America Jets can fly candidates to and from cities and towns faster then ever; so how does a candidate not appear for his own Hawai’i State Caucus which is only a 5 hour flight away? The Senator easily could have flown into and back out of Honolulu International Airport at the very least out of respect for his alumni and the Democratic volunteer party who worked diligently getting the voters out to the polls in record numbers.
So where was the Senator’s spoken Christian morals, important values and the principles he speaks adamantly so highly of? The Senator was a no-show at his own Caucus leaving all the speeches on his behalf to his half-sister Maya, who did an exceptional job on his behalf; except that she’s a wife, mother, and student body teacher at an elite all girls private school, and not running for any positions within the White House, as a courtesy at the least the Senator should have made at the least a 30 minute appearance for the people of the Hawaiian Islands who rolled their sleeves up and took on the responsibility seeing a record breaking Caucus close the polls. How easy Senator Obama forgot it was,“We the people,” not our campaigning Senator candidate who never had time for his own States Caucus in the Islands he grew up on.

Senator Obama let the State of Hawai’i down hard, its people drove to the polls at 6:30 P.M. while their children were in day-cares, dinners not yet on the family tables, and traffic was the biggest bumper-to-bumper mess since Imelda Marcos flew into town to pick up her shoes. All while our selected polls were in complete ciaos after running out of voting cards; Hawaii voters were actually casting votes on scrapes of paper,“The local evening news headliner,” showing it only got worse as the evening progressed and polls were still allowing for votes to be cast due to the tremendous turnout of voters.

Countless exhausted volunteers, assisted dedicated to seeing this State’s Caucus was run according to all the rules and regulations properly under the circumstances, they deserved better; The State as a whole deserved greater from it’s very own home-grown Punahou graduate and present Illinois Senator who snubbed the entire State yet counted his winning votes as he rolled into his next campaign stop aboard the MS Change08.

[Titanic Part III]

Hawaii’s own home-grown yet ungrateful elitist, the Punahou High School graduate proved nothing less then an embarrassment to the State of Hawai’i, his family, and the nation. His campaign run on Change, morals, values, and principles somehow never made it to Hawai’i, they all missed the wagon, boat or jet or (D) All the Above.

The State of Hawai’i gave Senator Obama his private education, a privileged start in life for the lanky kid attending a prestigious private school, "at his Grandmothers expense," obviously he never sat in the front row because he’s not as bright as he sells himself to be. Too thoughtlessly have the audacity referring to his Grandmother as just another “Typical White Woman,”- What was he thinking? Having no-written speech for the answer his first impression and thought were heard loud and clear.

The Illinois Senator embarrassed not only his elderly retired once very proud Woman in her day, a Bank of Hawai’i CEO, and the very person who fed and raised him with dignity, to be publicly embarrassed in the media at her grandson’s lack of judgment less respect leaving a lasting impression on his own family and this our Great nation.

Personally I was taught “Not to bite the hand that feeds you,” recently the Senator’s endless bow-outs, quick replies of “Sorry I can't answer that,”…“No more debates, please!”…“I don’t have a speech to answer that question yet!”…“Let me look at my schedule,” and,“has Oprah phoned yet?…, So much for “Change 08,” it’s looking more and more like you’re on your own now Senator.

It’s been said,“An eye for an eye,” and The Rev. Jeremiah Wright will sink the “MS Change08.” Wright was quoted as saying, "Jesus said,'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Senator Obama never came to The Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s defense during the very public repeated display of Rev. Wright’s appalling words from the alter of the Senators own Church, only to be scrutinized throughout the entire media; The Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s comments would come back to haunt the Senator, and as of April 28, 2008 they have. After today Senator Obama can’t sweep anything under his mobile rug, it’s time to shake the dust off and out from under, where it lands is anyone’s guess.

The Reverend Wright’s not going to make some whispers, he’s going to “Say it loud and clear,” making substantial changes to the “MS Change08,” of his own,“it won’t be God Bless America,” nor will it be said after that the much respected and increasingly admired Reverend Al Sharpton would agree with Rev. Wright’s media money maker,“Titanic Part III.”

The “MS Change08,” is taking on water from both sides and going down fast. It was said,“an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” well it’s Showtime now folks; it’s going to be another long PG-17 Rated Action/Drama, only without Celine Dion’s closing musical performance, Taps seems more fitting!!! This is politics; its Washington’s finest performances; certainly one that will keep the Senator awake at night, listening and watching for the rising waters while ready to reach for anything inflatable.

[Titanic Part II]

On a personal note: Senator Obama got what he wanted from the beautiful State of Hawai’i giving nothing back for the gratitude of those very voters who turned out in masses standing in lines that were in some polls a 6 hour wait just to "Cast their vote." Senator Obama has not been seen or heard from since other then excerpts from media coverage on the continental mainland, nor have the Hawai’i voter’s forgotten the Senator didn’t attend his own Caucus in Hawai’i; rather he counted the State of Hawai’i votes while already in-route to his next State’s campaign stop,“Grab them votes and run,” let someone clean up afterwards, Mahalo Senator your one class act Brah!!!

In the 1800’s folks utilized wagon trains, in modern America Jets can fly candidates to and from cities and towns faster then ever; so how does a candidate not appear for his own Hawai’i State Caucus which is only a 5 hour flight away? The Senator easily could have flown into and back out of Honolulu International Airport at the very least out of respect for his alumni and the Democratic volunteer party who worked diligently getting the voters out to the polls in record numbers.
So where was the Senator’s spoken Christian morals, important values and the principles he speaks adamantly so highly of? The Senator was a no-show at his own Caucus leaving all the speeches on his behalf to his half-sister Maya, who did an exceptional job on his behalf; except that she’s a wife, mother, and student body teacher at an elite all girls private school, and not running for any positions within the White House, as a courtesy at the least the Senator should have made at the least a 30 minute appearance for the people of the Hawaiian Islands who rolled their sleeves up and took on the responsibility seeing a record breaking Caucus close the polls. How easy Senator Obama forgot it was,“We the people,” not our campaigning Senator candidate who never had time for his own States Caucus in the Islands he grew up on.

Senator Obama let the State of Hawai’i down hard, its people drove to the polls at 6:30 P.M. while their children were in day-cares, dinners not yet on the family tables, and traffic was the biggest bumper-to-bumper mess since Imelda Marcos flew into town to pick up her shoes. All while our selected polls were in complete ciaos after running out of voting cards; Hawaii voters were actually casting votes on scrapes of paper,“The local evening news headliner,” showing it only got worse as the evening progressed and polls were still allowing for votes to be cast due to the tremendous turnout of voters.

Countless exhausted volunteers, assisted dedicated to seeing this State’s Caucus was run according to all the rules and regulations properly under the circumstances, they deserved better; The State as a whole deserved greater from it’s very own home-grown Punahou graduate and present Illinois Senator who snubbed the entire State yet counted his winning votes as he rolled into his next campaign stop aboard the MS Change08.

[SinkTheTitanic]

Titanic Part I wrote:

Senator Obama’s credentials are meaningless. The Illinois State Senator isn’t ready to represent The United States of America, as our President. He’s inexperienced, more often proving unable to speak or answer without the assistance of speech writers; there’s more to the Presidency then giving written speeches prepared by people trained from previous presidential races.
Now that the Democratic Party has raised expectations so high the American voters believe “Change is coming,” the truth is the only change will be from creased slacks to a tailored pant-suit; while in the mean time America’s stuck listening to it’s self-centered arrogant, pandering from the over confident Senator’s message of “Change 08,” preformed live atop his soap box.
We as a nation mustn’t forget the 2008 election has really more to do with Capital Hill, Washington insiders are doing everything within its power to protect its interests within the House and Senate Seat majority.“The 2008 election has more then just electing our new President on its agenda,”“That’s campaign entertainment,” while behind scenes specific seats are being assured, filled, as well as contemplating replacements for Supreme Court Justus’s “should anyone(s) retire.”
All this playing out live, while America’s caught up in what Washington’s built-up as it’s “Obama 08 Campaign,” a side show decoy’(per-say) we’re stuck with as the Senator along with his “bowling pins still standing,” until Senator Clinton over-takes this race; sending Senator Obama back to Illinois to clean-up the troubled youth issues, Illinois’s currently experiencing, unfortunately.
This is Washington, its politics calculated and played out like clock-work, something Washington’s “Powerful Élite,” controlled since the election of our 1st President; Our electoral process having delegates and Super-delegates still places the final say in the hands of those “Powerful Élite,” which’ve been running this great country since 1776. Our popular vote is meaningless; It’s the “Delegates,” vote that count.
American voters will never elect a President; the Supreme Court made our last decision, and how ironic the very man who worked behind scenes during the Bush and Gore race would make the final decision in the Florida Chad-count fiasco; only to become head of the highest Court in our nation four years later,“Thanks to his good friend George Bush i.e. Washington’s Powerful Élite.
Senator Obama has about as much of a chance sitting in the White House’s oval office as Al Gore at this point. He might be sitting on his campaign chest, using his so-called strategized charisma, which is honestly questionable character. The American voters cast their vote, but Delegates and Super-Delegates Washington’s “Powerful Élite” make the final decision; and seemingly prefer Senator Clinton for President rather then an inexperienced first time Senator from Chicago who would do more damage then President Bush and (his) numerous cabinet members have in two consecutive terms.
This nation needs experience, not a Hoop-shooting, gutter bowling Tobacco smoking HMO’s nightmare. Our nations medical coverage including co-payments, specific category prescription medications, Hospital costs, In-home and or hospice care, every health care plan’s become an option, unaffordable to endless numbers, too expensive, for current and ex-smoker’s, second hand or other wise admitted too were internally flagged within an HMO’s system and denied coverage over personal choices leading to high-costs for treatment and long-term care, Cancer, HIV/AIDS, VA-PTSD excellent examples of an abused broken healthcare system effecting the entire nation.

Your "expose" means absolutely "zilch" since you are clearly a card-carrying Republican and are one of those to blame for the mess our country is currently in. Take a deep breath while you & your "party til you die" brethren take the slow boat to the Davy Jones Locker.

[Local Afar]

Titanic Part II wrote:

Mahalo Senator your one class act Brah!!! In the 1800’s folks utilized wagon trains.....

Take a breath and write a book!