‘Barrier free’ is only for rail

Recent letters regarding the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s consideration of a barrier-free fare collection system have ignored important facts.

The term "honor system" implies that no verification is required to confirm whether a passenger has paid the fare. Nationally, there are more than 20 barrier-free rail systems that rely on fare inspectors and fines for fare evaders. This approach is similar to coin-operated parking meters.

Dave Verret’s letter implied that the barrier- free system would apply to TheBus ("Honor system will cost a lot," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 16). HART does not control the fare policies of TheBus. If adopted, the barrier-free system would apply only to rail.

The level of crime on rail transit systems depends more upon the surrounding area rather than the fare collection system utilized. Honolulu is among the safest cities in the nation and the HART system should experience less criminal activity than most urban rail systems, regardless of whether fare barriers are used.

Simon Zweighaft
Chief project officer, HART

Medical facilities in Hawaii lacking

With the anticipated closure of Hawaii Medical Center, for the first time in decades there will be no organ transplant center in the entire Pacific region.

This is in addition to Hawaii lacking a nationally designated level trauma center, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, and basic medical residency training programs for specialties such as emergency medicine, anesthesia, oncology and neurosurgery.

We are talking about really basic health care infrastructure that some places in the Caribbean do better at. Yet, the City Council wants to bankrupt itself by building a $5 billion train. And people wonder why Hawaii can’t recruit medical sub-specialists to Hawaii.

Just remember, if you’re in Hawaii, try not to get sick.

Stephen Chun
Dallas

Obama has been doing a good job

While it seems the media broadcasts continuous negativity about President Barack Obama, there is tremendous good that has happened during his service, which reveals a person who strives to do what is best for the country, for individuals and families.

Our president is the kind of person who does not impulsively make decisions, but gathers information from many sources in order to make comprehensive and informed choices.

As a result, Osama bin Laden, who terrorized us for so long, is dead, our troops are finally coming home from Iraq and there is an overall calm we have not experienced in years.

The economy can’t be fixed overnight. It is the result of many prior years of mistakes — and like Thanksgiving dinner, the cleanup is always longer and more dirty than the preparation.

Let’s give Obama another four years!

Ingrid Middleton
Honolulu

Give from heart, not for tax credit

It’s the season of giving. And most people give, but only if they get something monetary in return.

Constantly we hear that some charity pleads for your donation, and to entice you they offer something in return — a tax deduction.

Isn’t it wonderful that this holiday time of the year coincidentally signifies the end of the tax year? The message is: "‘Tis better to give than receive (but there’s a tax saving in it for you!)"

Now I’m not against giving; I just have a problem when it is tied to Form 1040.

Call the blood bank and make an appointment to donate. You’ll receive no instructions on how to claim anything. But you will get, perhaps the most gratifying feeling — that you have, in your own non-tax deductible way, assisted an anonymous individual survive for another holiday.

Or allow a very sick child to receive one more holiday toy.

That’s truly giving from the heart.

Michael L. Last
Naalehu, Hawaii island

OWS violates the golden rule

It was an odd letter from a writer who connected Jesus and the 99 percent ("Jesus would be with 99 percent," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 30).

Of course Jesus would be in the 99 percent. He was not a multimillionaire. However, I doubt he would approve of the Occupy Wall Street movement. I do not think he would like the destruction of public and private property, the deaths, the public urination and defecation, the drug usage, the fighting with police, the alleged rapes, the foul language, the destruction of private businesses, and the tons of trash left behind.

I know he said do unto others as you would have done unto you.

No, Jesus is much more like the religious right than OWS. Remember, Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s." In other words, pay your taxes and also honor your God.

Jesus just might be in the 53 percent of us who still pay taxes.

James Quimby
Kalihi

Bill 54 put cart before the horse

Mayor Peter Carlisle signed Bill 54 to shaft the homeless ("New city law lets private property be cleared from public areas," Star-Advertiser, Dec. 10).

This is putting the cart before the horse because now where do the homeless go? This law should have been passed after there was sufficient aid available to the homeless.

Carlisle hypocritically said that he hoped those affected will seek available services, as though there are enough services in this state, both governmental and church-operated, that could handle all the street people affected by Bill 54.

This law was obviously made because all the tents and the belongings that belong to the homeless are an admitted eyesore.

David Yasuo Henna
McCully

Have Marion Higa audit DOE

From the way the state audit describes the operation of our public charter school system, you would think the sky was falling (“Charter schools’ spending ‘illegal’,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 16).

Yes, it certainly needs oversight and governance as described, but charter schools are a nascent industry and growing pains are to be expected.

Here’s a suggestion to our legislators who have an agenda against charter schools: Send your personal mudslinger, Marion Higa, to audit our nearly $1 billion annual public school system and let the taxpayers know what she finds. At Waipahu High School alone, nearly $500,000 was found to have been stolen over a five-year period — and only because of an alert new principal. Some oversight needed there?

When audits are used discriminately, it gives the perception that they are being used for more than fact finding. I would even go so far as to say someone, somewhere, wants the public school status quo to remain.

Orson Moon
Aiea