North Shore doesn’t need a Hanauma Bay

We welcome tourists to visit us, to see the lifestyle of the truly local people of the Hawaiian Islands, but we don’t feel that we need to change our way of life to attract them, nor should we have to give up agricultural lands with historical sites for the tourist industry.

The North Shore residents should be careful of what they ask for.

Soon the country will no longer be country.

We need a solution to stop the traffic mess, not ask to accommodate more parking to create more traffic.

We don’t want another Hanauma Bay on the North Shore.

Flo Robinson
Waialua

Marriage equity will foster better society

I am a longtime, happily married heterosexual who stands in complete favor of affording same-sex couples the right to get married.

I applaud Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s decision to hold a special session and implore our legislators to pass the marriage equity bill.

I cannot find any reason not to promote loving and committed relationships, and firmly believe that passage of this legislation will create a better and more just society.

In the words of the recently deceased Irish poet Seamus Heaney: "When History says, don’t hope / On this side of the grave. / But then, once in a lifetime / The longed-for tidal wave / Of justice can rise up, / And hope and history rhyme."

I urge Hawaii legislators to create a tsunami of aloha and enact this legislation.

Lee Curran
Hawaii Kai

Alleged savings don’t match cable costs

Spending on energy research and development should not be put on the backs of consumers.

It’s no wonder that Hawaiian Electric Co.’s profits are so over the top.

The state estimates it would cost $700 million to develop an undersea cable from Maui to Honolulu ("Cost of undersea electric cable put at $700M," Star-Advertiser, Sept. 15). But the experts at the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism report that it would save ratepayers $425 million over a 30-year period.

These same people are in economic development? Have they ever heard of return on investment? That’s about the fuzziest math I’ve ever heard.

When do the consumers get any protection from all these rate hikes?

How many more people will be forced to do without medicines or food or even shelter while this spending goes unchecked?

Phil Smotherman
Pearl City

School principals support evaluations

It came as no surprise that you once again based your editorial on your own assumptions and biases ("Settle principals’ evaluations now," Star-Advertiser, Our View, Sept. 25).

It’s unfair to be so critical without completely understanding the complex issue of principal evaluations and the circumstances surrounding it.

Contrary to what you may think, our public school principals are fully committed to the performance evaluation system and there has been no delay in its implementation.

You were quick to assume there’s a "dispute" between HGEA and Department of Education and wrongly concluded that our principals are reluctant to be evaluated. In fact, because DOE for many years didn’t have the capacity to develop the evaluation, the principals themselves took the lead to work with DOE and develop a comprehensive, fair evaluation system to continuously improve educational outcomes.

Blaming the lack of progress on unionized employment shows your ignorance. In 1971, educational officers approached HGEA to create its own bargaining unit — to this day, we are proud to represent the interests of our dedicated education leaders and advocate on their behalf.

Randy Perreira
Executive director, HGEA/AFSCME Local 152

Hawaiian activists could use a little tact

Not only was David Shapiro’s article on getting rid of artwork excellent, his comparison of the new breed of Hawaiian activists to the Taliban is spot-on ("Getting rid of artwork takes protecting ‘sacred’ too far," Star-Advertiser, Volcanic Ash, Sept. 15).

Someone needed to say this, and I applaud Shapiro’s bravery in doing so. The discussion needs to be started, but doing so will likely not be without ramifications.

As Shapiro points out, the proposed destruction of this artwork is absolutely no different than a good old-fashioned book burning.

There are many things that these Hawaiian activists need to learn as they attempt to throw around their newly acquired muscle.

Ronald Kienitz
Kailua