The May 18 article regarding the first all-digital neighborhood board elections, and editorial the following day, left out important facts and created a distorted picture.

For example, the policy of pre-registering only those voters who cast ballots in the previous election is not new, and was not instituted for this election due to budgetary constraints. This is a longtime practice based on reason and experience. If someone did not take the time to vote for president or governor in a previous election, should it reasonably be assumed that they would participate in a meighborhood board election?

If an eligible but inactive voter did wish to participate, they had the opportunity to do so by simply filing a voter registration form by Feb. 20. Other categories of potential voters, such as non-U.S. citizen residents and military personnel, could also avail themselves of this opportunity.

Also, the decision to not mail out voter passcodes for uncontested races is a practice dating back nearly a decade. It simply would not make sense to spend an extra $98,000 to conduct races already been decided by default.

We encourage people to participate in and serve on their neighborhood boards. More information can be found at our Web site, www.honolulu.gov, or by calling 768-3710.

Joan Manke | Executive secretary, Neighborhood Commission Office

HMSA ONLINE CARE

PROMOTING SERVICE AS SUBSTITUTE UNWISE

Sen. Josh Green is correct in objecting to HMSA's misplaced recommendation of its online consultation service (Advertiser, May 21).

With some possible exceptions, the quality of the consultation does not adequately protect the patient. The online doctor can't look down your throat or in your ear, for example, and so the care that can be given is very limited. It remains to be seen whether patients will learn to make only appropriate use of online consultations.

There is a better alternative to visiting the ER — do what the tourists do, where possible — visit an after-hours walk-in clinic. On rare occasions when something needed immediate attention, our family did just that. A live doctor was able to provide top-notch medical care.

Our Department of Health could promote the availability of walk-in clinics as part of a comprehensive healthcare solution for Hawai'i. HMSA's promotion of its online service as a substitute for a visit to a flesh-and-blood doctor is irresponsible.

The service could become a useful adjunct to treatment if a patient's primary care physician is participating in the experiment, and of course could answer general questions authoritatively, or assist those too remote to have any other option.

Larry Geller | Honolulu

PHONE CHARGES

911 SERVICE FEE SMALL COMPARED TO OTHERS

As I was paying my monthly phone bill this morning, I was reminded of a recent letter to the editor complaining about the state continuing to collect the 911 Emergency Service Surcharge. So I reviewed all of the surcharges that Hawaiian Telcom collects. The 911 surcharge is a whopping 27 cents! One that seems completely superfluous to me is the $2.15 they collect as an "additional service" for Touch Call. Are there any dial phones out there yet? Wasn't the cost of this equipment paid for a long time ago by Hawaiian Telephone Co.? Not to mention GTE and then Verizon.

Also, there is something called "Inter Acc Chrg Sgl Ln." I should probably try to find out what that is, as it is costing me $6.50 per month. Along with this, I am being charged $4.93 for an Intrastate Surcharge on a phone line that I don't use for long-distance calls, since they are included on my cellular phone.

And then the phone company wonders why people are dropping their hard-wired land lines!

Wayne Herlick | Honolulu

HOMELESS

STATE'S OFFICIAL COUNT UNREALISTICALLY LOW

Regarding the article, "Hawai'i homeless down from 2007," May 20:

This article rightly mentions that "the figure is likely conservative since known homeless were not counted if they refused to be interviewed or were in areas deemed unsafe or inaccessible for surveyors."

Indeed, counting only 384 homeless in 'Ewa and along the Wai'anae Coast is extremely conservative. Reporting such an anemic and inaccurate census misleads the public.

As we do every Wednesday, a group of volunteers from Our Lady of Kea'au served a hot meal, water, jello and dessert to the homeless living in Kea'au Beach Park and in the nearby bushes, between Farrington Highway and the ocean. We had 150 complete set-ups and 88 additional meals. We gave out the 150 and approximately 75 of the additional entrees very quickly. And remember, this is in just one short portion of the Wai'anae Coast, the area between Kea'au Park and Ohikilolo Ranch.

If the survey-takers would like to return, we can introduce them to scores of people, some with young children, who live in tents, buses, trucks, and under the bridges. The number in the official count is so low as to be laughable.

Granted many of these individuals and families have chosen not to take advantage of the various shelters now available, but they still need a range of social and health services. Addressing this problem appropriately begins with a realistic notion of its scope.

Ann S. Shaver | Volunteer, Our Lady of Kea'au