Deception marks Ward development

When will the residents of Honolulu ever learn?

The deceptive drawings from the developer for the proposed 22 residential towers don’t show any cars driving on the streets ("22 towers dot plan for Ward Centers," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 11). Of course it looks lovely. And all those mature trees pictured will just grow overnight.

To see the reality of the proposed "central plaza with a grove-like setting of palm trees around a waterway," one only had to turn a few more pages of the Star-Advertiser. The picture on the front page of the Local section showed cloudy water from a water main break leaking into the Ala Wai, complete with floating trash.

And isn’t having the proposed developer produce a regional traffic impact study akin to the fox guarding the henhouse? How about an independent group of traffic experts exempt from political, union and developers’ influence?

Pat Kelly
Kaimuki

Top brass use UH for personal gain

I can understand why a university may need a certain amount of academic freedom and autonomy. However, this shouldn’t give the administration leave to operate in secrecy and spend university funds in any way it sees fit, with no oversight.

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents shouldn’t hold closed-door meetings that exclude the public to discuss and make crucial decisions that affect the university. UH leaders must act responsibly. Historically they have failed to do so. They have taken advantage of their high salaries, golden parachutes and ability to unilaterally spend huge sums of university money to cover up their ineptitude and incompetence.

I’m afraid we might be losing sight of the concept that the University of Hawaii is a public college that has a primary mission to provide a good education to the students entrusted to its care, and not a conduit to satisfy the needs and ambitions of a select group of lawyers, bureaucrats and alumni.

Peter Barrett
Kaneohe

Oahu can’t afford rail transit project

The pro-rail commentary by Mark Ridley-Thomas of Los Angeles again distracts from the main issue: whether Honolulu can afford the long-term costs of rail ("BRT costs less than rail, but it offers less and is a safety hazard," Star-Advertiser, Commentary, Oct. 15).

Mayoral candidate Ben Cayetano, at the Oct. 2 Kaneohe forum on his alternative plan, cited Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s own projections. The cost of rail would be $631 million annually by 2030, requiring a $462 million taxpayer subsidy.

Cayetano said the city also must come up with: $5-6 billion to fix sewers ($4.1 billion of that federally mandated); $5-6 billion for the water system (945 miles of the 2,100 miles of pipe are more than 40 years old); and $4-6 billion for road repaving.

Whatever there is to like or not like about rail, its long-term cost is prohibitive. Wise city leaders would save taxpayers billions by canceling the rail project now.

Kay Lynch
Kaneohe

Honolulu needs all transit options

The Insight article, "Rail or Bus?" (Star-Advertiser, Oct. 14) reminded me of my ride on a replica of a Los Angeles Electric Red Trolley car at Disney’s new California Adventure several weeks ago.During the ride the conductor explained that at one time there were 1,000 miles of track and 900 electric trolley cars running in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

When it was time to modernizethesystem,General Motors, with the help of oil and tire companies, was successful in replacing the electric rail system with buses, cars and freeways.

The real question Honolulu has before it is: Does it want a transportation system of only freeways, cars and buses like Los Angeles had for decades, or does it want to offer rail as well, like San Francisco?

Gregory Mueller
Ewa Beach

Warriors fighting against the odds

Phliip White is ostensibly a University of Hawaii Warriors football fan ("Other UH problem is the football team," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Oct. 9).  However, White must not be much of a Warriors fan if he’s already calling the team a "train wreck."

The Warriors’ season isn’t even half over.The team is playing in a brand-new conference, with a new coaching staff, while trying to learn an entirely new style of play.

They have a roster of injured players, many of whom are out for the season. They are a young team with very few seniors and have already had to deal with a schedule that pitted them against top-ranked USC and BYU.

When UH head coach Norm Chow began coaching at USC in 2001, the Trojans went 6-6. In 2004 the Trojans went 13-0 and were the national champions.

The Warriors’ time will come.And when it does, fair weather fans won’t be invited to the after-party.Go Warriors!

Denny Ono
Pauoa Valley

Warnings needed to deter auto thefts

The best way to stop car break-ins is to ensure every rental car has a bright orange warning sticker placed inside the trunk, warning against leaving valuables in the trunk or the car ("Crooks target Dodge Charger rentals," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 12).

State Rep. Tom Brower’s new legislation would include mandatory warnings in rental cars. Most tourists have no idea that it takes only seconds to pop open a locked trunk, and that an auto theft can ruin a Hawaii vacation real fast.

Tom Sebas
Waikiki