Letters for Tuesday, May 10, 2011

• Explore proven alternatives

• Perpetuating it by playing into it •

Saving lives

Explore proven alternatives

The Garden Island’s May 5 front-page story “Top this” about 71 percent of our bus stops being unsheltered was quite interesting. Is this just another story of our county’s policy of “ready, fire, aim” when deciding to take action on a subject?

Since bus stops are generally built before the buses service the area and since these stops have a high number of passengers who are elderly and have disabilities, why were they not made to accommodate these citizens with roofs and proper sheltering? Isn’t it a lot more costly to retrofit a stop than to have built it right from the beginning?

And this story had an extremely interesting secondary point that was brought up but may not have registered with the people.

It said that, “the county is projecting to collect $750,000 in revenues for the Kaua‘i Bus in FY12 which starts July 1. This represents a five fold increase since 2003.” However, in that same period of time there has been at least a $5 million increase in operating costs. Each year the spread between operating costs and revenues widens.

On page 6 the article continues, “The entire proposed operating budget for the agency for FY12 — including salaries, wages, benefits, operation, equipment and leases — is $5.5 million dollars, up from $4.6 million for the current year.” About a 20 percent increase in one year!!

This means that our tax dollars are subsidizing this bus system an amount of $4.75 million a year — the difference in the income and the actual cost.

Do we need a transportation system for those not capable of driving or who need help in getting from point A to point B — certainly we do.

But has the benefit of the system for those people who use it been commensurate with the costs of the system for the general public? So is there any other choice to lower this huge financial burden on the tax payers and possibly make the system more efficient?

Recently, a young lady, Debra Kekaualua testified before the council that she had lived on the Big Island for eight years and told of how they have a free bus and taxi paratransit program that sounds far superior to our Kaua‘i Bus system.

Debra has driven buses and taxis on Kaua‘i so has the expertise to factually evaluate both systems. So wouldn’t it be prudent to look at the Hawai‘i County transportation operation and see if, as Debra has said, it is more efficient and cheaper to operate than ours?

We need not perpetuate a system that is costing our citizens millions of dollars a year if there are other municipalities that can supply the same needs for far less with more convenience than we are now getting on Kaua‘i.

Glenn Mickens, Kapa‘a

Perpetuating it by playing into it

“It’s time for real discussion to solve our problems, not this silly rhetoric and political positioning that does nothing to advance us toward our goals.”

This is such a wonderful idea (“Tired of misinformation,” Letters, April 18). I’d be compelled to throw myself fully behind the author of these words if it weren’t for two other statements made prior to this true pearl of wisdom:

“This falls in line with the latest left-wing nonsense about ‘starving grandma,’ ‘killing women,’ etc., that have been thrown about in the last few days.”

and

“The letter … is simply more disinformation from someone I have to assume is a left-wing …”

Huh? So, this person wants to do away with silly rhetoric and political posturing, but they try to make the point in a way that is full of both? They might actually be saying something important, but the hypocrisy outshines it.

To put it in pithy and trite terms: practice what you preach; be the change you seek. If you want the political posturing to stop, you need to stop using language which reveals your political posture. Come to the center where the real solutions reside.

Drop the pointless theater of “left vs. right,” “FOX vs. CNN,” “red vs. blue,” and sensible ideas hijacked and twisted beyond recognition by the most extreme elements available.

As a result, an actual discussion and real work to solve problems can take place. You only perpetuate this nonsense by playing into it.

Michael Mann, Lihu‘e

Saving lives

Regarding the letter entitled “Police should prioritize crimes pursued,” author Ellis Brooks is so right that police should prioritize crimes such as burglaries, assault, etc.

However, all traffic violations (even if it’s only a small infraction such as seatbelts) involve saving of a human life. One can never know when or where an accident can occur.

So, Ms. Brooks, just be glad that these officers are out there to save lives by enforcing the seatbelt law. And don’t worry, these officers will respond to a crime scene when reported and when dispatched. They’ll even put their lives in harm’s way to protect and serve us.

Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele