Union woes put young at risk

All this talk by government worker unions threatening to strike should be a wake-up call for new and young government workers: Should a union go on strike, they will be the first ones to go.

It has been and always will be a "last one in, first one out" policy, unless they change it.

Furthermore, although the Hawaii Government Employees Association has settled, its members in the state Department of Education may be laid off if the Hawaii State Teachers Association strikes and wins concessions and the DOE has to carry out its stated position of needing to lay off possibly 700 employees.

Like the tea party group, new and young government workers need to rise and let their voices be heard.

Ernest Y. Suemoto
Mililani

Lingle will move back to center

Former Gov. Linda Lingle appeared to be looking for her next political job when she sang the praises of George W. Bush and John McCain during the 2008 election cycle.

Her insults about President Barack Obama just added to her resume.

And her national audition occurred when she introduced Sarah Palin to the Republican Convention. The GOP felt they had a real chance of winning.

Employment survival drives all of our politicians. "Maverick" McCain changed his principles toward the tea party in Arizona in order to get re-elected to the Senate. "Free-thinking" Lingle will now move to the center in order to position herself with independents in Hawaii for the 2012 elections.

The Republican National Committee will provide financial support and payback to Lingle.

Dare we dream that we will see the Palin Bus Tour cruising the H-1?

Jim Wolfe
Nuuanu

Vanpool Hawaii a great service

I’ve been participating in Vanpool Hawaii’s valuable ride-sharing program since 2005.

While I enjoy the benefits of personal savings (fuel costs, wear and tear), the thing I’m most proud of is that when seven people ride together in a van, it removes six vehicles from our roads, reducing our environmental impact by cutting carbon emissions, further decreasing our consumption of fossil fuels.

Our Vanpool group’s commute is 50 miles a day (round trip), which equates to roughly 13,200 miles annually for a combined mileage savings of 79,200. Utilizing the average of 17 mpg, this equates to 4,600 gallons of fuel savings per year.

Another benefit is the ease of parking and overall reduction of parking congestion.

With increased rates and rising gas prices, I truly hope that the state is committed to assisting Vanpool Hawaii in securing available federal funds to keep this program available for years to come.

Antonio Zambrano
Kailua

‘Good news’ seemed satirical

In their commentary "Freedom flotillas to Gaza will continue …" by Carol Murry and Greta Berlin (Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Aug. 8), the pair noted, "The good news in the overreaction of the U.S. and Israel to Freedom Flotilla 2 and the Boycott, Sanctions, and Divestment movement is that both countries have suffered a significant loss to their international standing, a sign of the success of both movements."

Good news? I fell out of my chair while reading this outrageously funny satire. Did you guys read this article before printing it?

Joe Murphy
Hawaii Kai

Stop noisy night roadwork

The project to replace sewage lines along Ala Moana boulevard started about four months ago and they are still not done.

Removing and putting back steel covers every night is not a quiet job.

The city requires the work be done at night to avoid rush-hour traffic. The City Council might strongly reconsider this practice and let us taxpayers get some sleep at night.

Rick A. Symbol
Honolulu

Wild West along Ward Avenue

Regarding the rail, I won’t even take the time to comment on all the back-room deals, incompetence and inefficiencies built into this project.

Driving down Ward Avenue from the H-1 to Ala Moana boulevard is like driving in the wild, wild West, with all the swerving to miss the potholes.

We cannot even repair the roads and here we are trying to construct a major project.

Ted Ray
Punchbowl