SB 2431 was vetoed because of loophole

John White of Pacific Resource Partnership says he "respectfully disagrees" with former Campaign Spending Commission Executive Director Bob Watada that I led the charge to stop campaign finance corruption in 1995 by signing into law Act 10 ("Cayetano did not kill ‘pay to play,’" Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 30).

White points to my veto of Senate Bill 2431, a campaign spending reform passed by the Legislature in 2002.

As usual, White doesn’t give your readers all of the facts. The following excerpt from the Hono-lulu Star-Bulletin (June 25, 2002) explains my veto: "In rejecting the bill yesterday, Cayetano criticized lawmakers for exempting themselves from the legislation. …

"Cayetano said he supported a previous version of the bill, which mirrored the federal law that bans government contractors from giving money to all candidates for federal office. …

"‘To approve this bill would be to give the public the impression that meaningful campaign spending reform has occurred. It has not,’ the governor said in a written statement."

As Bob Watada has said ("Cayetano as governor took lead in curbing campaign finance corruption," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, July 23), when I signed Act 10 into law, it was a significant step in campaign spending reform. I am proud to have been part of it.

Benjamin Cayetano
Candidate for Honolulu mayor

Caldwell does not favor new rail route

Mary Monohon wrongly states that Honolulu mayoral candidate Kirk Caldwell wants to change some rail routes ("Cayetano is not against all rail," Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 31).

Caldwell has never said he wants to change the route of rail. Caldwell wants to build rail better while remaining within the confines of the approved federal environmental impact statement so the project is not delayed.

By this he means: mitigating the visual impacts as rail comes into the most dense and urban part of Honolulu; teaming up with the executive director of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, Dan Grabauskas, on the biggest city project ever to make sure he receives the support he needs; and re-engaging the public in a transparent and open manner. Kirk isn’t satisfied with the status quo. He wants to do things better, and that includes rail transit.

Lex Smith
Chairman, Caldwell for Mayor

Be sure to inspect your ballot carefully

The mayor’s race is on the backside of absentee ballots. A friend told me her mother almost neglected to vote for mayor until she received my email alerting people about this peculiarity.

Please tell everyone you know who votes absentee so that the most important race this August will not be inadvertently missed.

Pearl Johnson
Pauoa Valley

Freeway tolls could help pay for buses

To increase fares or reduce services for bus riders singles out the very ones who need the service most.

Perhaps a toll should be placed on the use of our freeways. Isn’t this the same, except you are singling out the group that is overcrowding our freeways? Buses should be free! Ridership fees provide only a small amount of the total budget. Those like myself who choose to drive cars should pay in tolls or increased auto license fees to cover bus transportation cost. Perhaps then many drivers will convert to bus riders.

Paul Reeser
Waikiki

Traffic engineers did well with lanes

Congratulation are due to traffic engineers and all those at the state Department of Transportation who took the initiative to create four lanes from three in the downtown corridor of the freeway. Traffic is significantly swifter. It validates that there are common-sense solutions to our traffic woes, including updating and improving existing highways.

Fred Hemmings
Candidate, Senate District 25

Social justice better served by TheBus

It is interesting to hear from some that rail is being built for jobs, for political power, for business, for transit-oriented development, for developers and bankers, and now for "social justice and a fair distribution of resources."

It may be about some or all of these things, but it is supposed to be about transportation.

Moving the most people effectively is accomplished by bus rapid transit. Buses can fan out to all parts of the island and specifically to the University of Hawaii and Waikiki where rail will never go. Instead of serving a small, 20-mile linear section as the rail backers promote, buses can go everywhere. That is true social justice.

With buses, money will be left over to handle our roads, sewers, water mains, playgrounds, parks and public restrooms. The truth is, rail will never be paid for because of its visual blight and ongoing operating costs.

Susan Quimby
Honolulu

Don’t rely on cats to solve rat problem

Karen Sisler’s suggestion to use cats to curtail Hawaii’s rat population is well intentioned but misinformed ("Use cats to control isles rat problem," Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 30). Indeed, Hawaii needs fewer outdoor cats, not more.

Cats are an invasive species that threatens our native birds, many of which are endangered. The American Bird Conservancy estimates that up to 500 million birds are killed annually by domestic and feral cats in the U.S. alone.

But birds aren’t the only ones at risk. Outdoor cats have been shown to live shorter lives — victims of cars, dog attacks and other cats. Unvaccinated feral cats also pose a hazard to humans by serving as vectors for diseases such as rabies and toxoplasmosis.

"Trap, neuter and release" does not address the issue of cat predation. Outdoor cats should not be seen as a solution to the rat problem, but a problem in itself.

Marc Nakashima
Mililani