HEALTHCARE

UNITED STATES HAS LOST ITS WAY AS A NATION

George W. Bush and the Republicans in Congress have once again shown how beholden they are to corporate special interests — in this instance the tobacco and health insurance industries.

They would deny increasing the number of children on federally funded healthcare because 1) it would constitute raising taxes (on cigarette smokers who just so happen to contribute disproportionately to healthcare costs in this country), and 2) because it might cause families currently in private insurance plans to switch to the government plan.

Could another possible outcome be that health insurance companies might have to lower their premiums in order to compete with the government plan? Horrors!

And then to claim that this program would cost too much — $30 billion more over five years — while asking for an additional $42 billion to fight the horribly mismanaged wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (a boon to the defense industry) for just one year is a slap in the face to anyone with good judgment.

Where are our priorities? Do we value the people of this country, or are we a nation of the corporation, by the corporation and for the corporation?

PROTECTION OF VALLEY

AUDUBON SET NEW COURSE FOR WAIMEA

Your Sept. 29 article on Waimea Valley painted a dismal and distorted picture that defies the reality known to the hundreds of people who each day learn to care for this special place through their visits to the Audubon Center.

Vacationers, school groups, families and an ever-growing proportion of local residents now discover the plants, animals and cultural treasures of Waimea, free from the blaring loudspeakers and blatant commercial activity that once overwhelmed the visitor experience. Attendance is stable and community involvement is high.

Audubon is grateful to the many community groups and individuals who have worked so hard for so long to safeguard and care for this special place. We are proud of the achievements made in setting a new course for Waimea, and are prouder still to have played a pivotal role in sparing the valley from the misguided development that once threatened to erase nearly all that makes it special.

Despite the ongoing array of maintenance, marketing and fiscal challenges that come with running a nonprofit operation on a month-to-month lease, the Waimea Valley Audubon Center remains a thriving natural and community resource to be enjoyed by all.

We hope you'll visit us soon.

MIDEAST

PROBLEMS NOT CLEARLY IDENTIFIED IN IRAQ

Our congratulations and thanks to Carolyn Dingus for her letter in the Sept. 30 Advertiser.

She clearly and concisely identified the key problem regarding the Superferry, which also directly applies to all problem-solving. The first step is identifying the problem.

This failure permeates every level of government and society. The politicians who campaign on claims that they are leaders and problem-solvers fail to do this, either out of ignorance or to pursue political/financial gains rather than what is best for the electorate.

Politicians from both parties continuously look to the military to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has not dawned on them that the public already knows that they failed to correctly identify the problems.

The military successfully accomplished their missions when they drove the Taliban and al-Qaida from power in Afghanistan and defeated the Iraqi military.

Politicians have not faced the fact that due to the reductions in force since the late 1980s, there are not enough troops to occupy either of those countries, and there is no effective indigenous governing body to assume the new mission of running the country.

RECYCLING

BOTTLE BILL'S 1-CENT FEE SHOULD BE ELIMINATED

Candice Domingo's comments regarding the real cost of recycling (Letters, Sept. 27) were right on point.

One obvious duplication has not been clearly recognized. When the state placed a redeemable deposit of 5 cents on each can and bottle, it also placed a 1-cent fee to administer the program.

Any study of this subject in other jurisdictions would have revealed that a significant percentage of the 5-cent deposit would not be claimed. The deposits that are not redeemed could more than pay for administration of the program.

It is about time the Legislature eliminated the additional 1-cent fee — instead of robbing the fund to support other programs that should be paid for from our already-excessive tax burden.

SHARE THE ROAD

BIKING, WALKING CAN BE MAINSTREAM CHOICE

This is in response to Ms. Kristi Schulenberg's letter, "We must all remember to share the road" (Sept. 27).

The city's efforts to improve its bicycle-friendly status were recently recognized by the 300,000-member League of American Bicyclists. Honolulu has been awarded an honorable mention in the league's Bicycle Community Friendly program.

The city administration supports bicycling and walking as more than just an alternative to automobile use. If we always think of other forms of transportation as alternative, bicycling will never be a mainstream choice. In many other parts of the world, bicycling, walking and transit are transportation choices that are just as popular as driving a car.

The transit project that the city is pursuing will provide another choice for O'ahu commuters. In addition, opportunities for transit-oriented development along the stations and corridor will increase to allow for development where people can walk or bike to the store or other places without having to use the car for every trip. The city is updating the Honolulu Bicycle Master Plan with an eye toward this new transit opportunity.

The city is also committed to safety for all roadway users. We recently produced and aired two public service announcements with a "Share the Road" message.

Let us all remember to drive with aloha and share the road — be akamai.

SUPERFERRY

Should protesters be investigated now?

Sunday's Page One article regarding the reaction of Superferry opponents to the warning issued by the state child welfare agency was at first frustrating, until I realized how humorous their churlish statements were.

Here are groups that wish the state was more "heavy-handed" for the protection of whales, but bristle when the same government wishes to stop them from throwing their children in front of a multi-ton moving vessel.

If they are too blind to recognize the difference, then maybe the state should already be taking a hard look at them.

KAILUA

GATES, WALLS SHOULDN'T DENY ACCESS TO BEACHES

As a Kailua resident and avid beach user I am opposed to gates, walls or any obstructions to deny people access to our beaches.

It is now common practice for homeowners to landscape with rocks and trees on public easements fronting their property to prevent beachgoers from parking near "their beach."

I thought the proliferation of walled estates was bad enough, these selfish residents are now encroaching on public property.

What will you do to ensure public rights-of-way are available to everyone in every neighborhood?

What we need are more rights-of-way, not fewer. Or is the master plan to make Kailua like Portlock — a playground for the rich and famous?

CITY SHOULD ASSESS TAX ON PRIVATE LANES

Kailua and the rest of O'ahu have thousands of private lanes leading to residents' homes. Did you know these lanes are co-owned by the private residents but the city charges no property taxes on them? The city should start doing that.

It only seems fair — after all, the public doesn't have the right to use them. If the city started billing the homeowners for these lanes, it's likely that some of these homeowners would then dedicate (give) them to the city so that they won't have to pay the taxes.

The effect of dedicating them to the city is that those lanes would be opened up to the public.

For those who decide to keep their lanes, and pay the taxes, the city will receive additional revenue.

One idea for the city's use of this new revenue could be to purchase oceanfront property in areas where there is limited beach access.

Remember when former Mayor Frank Fasi bought beachfront properties along Diamond Head for the city? Aren't we glad we did?