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Aloha not enough

Aloha not enough

Sunday’s cartoon about more Hawaii elderly pedestrians killed than in any other state did not surprise me.

Most of us try to drive with aloha, but the fact remains that one cannot depend on everyone to drive with aloha all of the time.

The only dependable alternatives are to: (1) Lower the speed limit in areas known to have pedestrians; and (2) to provide them with a traffic light. This certainly is not 100 percent effective but more reliable than to depend on everyone to drive with aloha.

My example: Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo.

There are five entrances/exits to that mall, yet the only way to get into or exit the mall is with the aloha driving of other drivers on the main streets who stop and allow you to cross/exit/enter.

Last Thursday, I was attempting to leave the mall and make a left turn onto Puainako Street. Everyone stopped and did the normal aloha, waving me into the intersection. I started to enter, and suddenly the car in the far lane drove off and left me facing a county bus.

Needless to say, no aloha with the county bus.

The area around Prince Kuhio Plaza is much like playing Russian Roulette. The speed limit should be lowered to 20 mph because of the pedestrians and multiple cars turning into and out of the exits.

I hope Sen. Lorraine Inouye, Mayor Harry Kim and the owners of Prince Kuhio Plaza will sit down and work out a solution to allow safe passage for cars and pedestrians before someone gets killed.

For me, I lived through that accident, but I will not go back to Prince Kuhio Plaza or that surrounding area to shop until I see traffic lights installed and the speed limit lowered and I feel that I can come back home safe.

Carol Weldon

Laupahoehoe

For real?

You got to be kidding me!

The Honolulu Police Commission is giving Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha (presently under federal investigation) a separation package in addition to his $150,000 per year pension.

The separation package is bad enough, but think about this — will your retirement benefits amount to 84 percent of your annual wages?

No wonder Hawaii has one of the worst unfunded liabilities in the nation for government workers’ pensions.

Perhaps it’s time to make some significant changes at the state level, too.

Fred Fogel

Volcano