CAMPAIGN FILING

CALIFORNIA RULE OFFERS ELECTION IDEA FOR ISLES

Section 8022 of the California Elections Code provides that, in the event that an incumbent does not file for re-election, the deadline for filing is extended five days. The incumbent may not file during the extension period.

A similar provision in the Hawai'i Revised Statue may be warranted.

RAIL DEBATE

MIDDLE STREET MERGE CAUSES A BIG SQUEEZE

The freeway system that goes through the center of Honolulu was built in the 1960s. It was designed to handle less than half the number of cars that we have on O'ahu today. It still has three lanes going either way.

As the population grew to Central and West O'ahu, the H-1 was extended with the airport viaduct (number of lanes expanded to four and five going all the way out to Kunia).

The congestion problem in the morning is caused by the fact that we have four to five lanes coming into town (expanded to seven to eight lanes when you add Moanalua Freeway) converging at Middle Street (three lanes).

To take the pressure off this situation, we need to continue the H-1 airport viaduct over Nimitz Highway and eliminate the option of going mauka from H-1 to the Middle Street merge. Bring the elevated H-1 Nimitz down to ground level just before Downtown. Additionally, widen the short connection from H-1 to Moanalua from existing two lanes to three.

This would take much of the pressure off the commute in (and out) for everyone who lives in Central and West O'ahu, and might eliminate the need for a fixed-rail system.

There would be no need to condemn any property and it would save future generations the financial burdens that fixed rail will bring.

GOVERNMENT

NEW BUDGET PRIORITIES NEED TO BE ESTABLISHED

Given the recent shameful election shenanigans, the Democratic Party in Hawai'i needs to raise the bar on leadership.

Here's one suggestion: Instead of the parade of thousands of bills next legislative session, leadership and committee chairs should agree only to hear those measures that require reauthorization (due to sunshine provisions) or emergency appropriations, so that the focus of the legislative process can be on a deeper restructuring of the entire state budget that is based on priorities.

As the state and nation may well spiral further into a prolonged economic recession, repeated "across the board cuts" will only result in further social mediocrity.

'OPALA

PAY PEOPLE TO TAKE TRASH TO THE DUMP

Trash on the side of the roads of Hawai'i neighborhoods, highways and in "the country?"

One radical solution might be to pay people to enter the dumps instead of charging them. Taxpayers have to pay for it one way or the other.

Why not save the city's refuse department a trip — and keep the old sofas and lamps off the corner down the street?

PRESIDENTIAL RACE

MCCAIN WON'T BRING TROOPS HOME FROM IRAQ

John McCain is in an awkward position. The American will for setting a timeline to bring our troops home from Iraq is greater than ever. McCain's new strategy is to use rhetoric that sounds like he would favor a timeline or that he will bring our troops home, but he has not committed to an actual plan to do it.

And his underlying position has been crystal clear. He has no plans to bring our troops home from Iraq, he only has a plan to stay — 100 years, "if necessary."

For the past five years, McCain's strategy has been the same: Promise that victory is around the corner and advocate to keep our troops in Iraq for a while longer. He has no proposal for how to bring our troops home, he only has plans to occupy Iraq.

Sixty percent of Americans want a timeline to bring our troops home. Voters have to understand that McCain won't deliver that.

It's important to cut past his spin and examine his record. He wants us to stay in Iraq indefinitely — against the will of the Iraqi government and the American people.

OBAMA POLICIES WILL HURT HAWAI'I TOURISM

The scariest threats to tourism could be right around the corner unless people wake up. Barack Obama's policies of drastically raising taxes and refusing to drill for more oil could deliver a double whammy to our state's economy.

His plan to raise the top bracket to roughly 40 percent and remove the cap on deductions for Social Security will significantly reduce discretionary income for vacations to Hawai'i. These vacations fuel a third of our economy when you count both tourism and tourism-related businesses.

Raising the capital gains tax will also adversely affect discretionary income, particularly for our retirees. Obama's proposed tax increases would also negatively affect Hawai'i's small businesses, which account for 95 percent of our companies and two-thirds of our jobs.

Obama's refusal to include more domestic and off-shore oil drilling as part of a comprehensive strategy for energy independence will keep the cost of aviation fuel and airfares so high it will continue to make the cost of a Hawai'i vacation beyond the reach of many who otherwise would come here.

We can avoid this scary scenario in November by voting for Sen. John McCain.

TRAFFIC

SHIFT WORK SCHEDULES TO SOLVE DRIVING MESS

After six years of working the night shift, I was pleased to learn I was going back to days. Now that I'm here, I'm not so happy.

When I'm on the road I'm stuck in traffic, when I'm in the store I'm stuck in line, when I'm at the beach it's crowded and when I'm hungry I have to wait to eat.

Life has once again become a waiting game.

While I was working nights, the rail debate meant nothing to me. I had three big empty freeways to myself!

We have too many people on O'ahu to all try to drive to work at the same time. We cannot build enough railways and roads to cope with that.

The good news is we already have a lot more roads than we need, we just have to stop trying to use them at the same time.

Get your employer to shift your schedule, and you will be out of traffic tomorrow. No other solution can promise you that.

ENERGY

GASOLINE PRICES RISE QUICKLY, DROP SLOWLY

Isn't it funny how the oil companies in Hawai'i say that it takes two weeks for gas prices to go down when the cost of a barrel of oil drops, but as soon as the cost on a barrel goes up the gas prices in Hawai'i reflect that increase with only a delay of one day.

SUPERFERRY

OCEAN NOT BARRIER TO COMMERCE IN HAWAI'I

Our family of seven adults and four children took a trip to Maui on the Superferry. Although the early morning trip to Maui was a little uncomfortable, we all managed to laugh about it and plan for our return trip to O'ahu.

My real purpose of writing this letter is not so much about how the ride was to Maui, but about the things we saw getting on and off the Superferry.

We saw a grandmother who was traveling from Maui to O'ahu to be with her two newly born grandchildren (twins) who required additional medical attention in Honolulu.

We saw two large Love's Bakery trucks coming off the Superferry at Maui and within an hour, were coming back to the Superferry headed for O'ahu.

We saw two large trucks belonging to a Maui tree-cutting company loaded on to the Superferry bound for O'ahu.

The ocean is no longer a barrier for commerce in our great state of Hawai'i.