• Cruise line breaks silence
• Common sense vacationing
• Right to repair
Cruise line breaks silence
We are writing in response to a June 14, Letter to the Editor from Mr. Denny Jackson (“The feds might care,” Letters, June 14). Mr. Jackson’s assertion that Norwegian Cruise Lines America discharges human waste in Nawiliwili Harbor is incorrect and we want to set the record straight. NCL America does not discharge any waste while in the waters of Nawiliwili Harbor or in any Hawai‘i port.
All NCL and NCL America ships are equipped with a state-of-the-art advanced wastewater treatment system. All water from toilets, sinks, galleys, etc. is treated by this system, through a five-step process. The end result is clean and clear water which meets all applicable effluent limitation standards of the most stringent federal laws in existence.
The protection of the oceans on which we make our living is of paramount importance to NCL. We have invested heavily not only in new environmental protection technology but also in a shore side department devoted to environmental protection and we have trained environmental officers onboard every NCL and NCL America ship to assure compliance.
NCL America appreciates your giving us the opportunity to share with your readers the truth about our environmental practices.
Capt. M. Myrtidis
Vice President Environmental & Regulatory Affairs NCL
Common sense vacationing
I just had to write on this one.
This morning is the third time in two weeks I’ve seen tourists hop the “keep out” barrier and ignore the warning signs at Opaekaa falls. This is where two female visitors lost their lives on a dangerous trail recently. I even stopped my truck on the second incident because these visitors were tossing their two small children over the metal barrier erected by the county. I told these tourists that it was a restricted area and that two people recently perished there. And all the parents could do was laugh at me. Now these kids looked like they were about 4 or 5 years of age. Way too young to be on a trail that has claimed lives. I even called KPD and dispatch said that they couldn’t really do anything but understood that what the tourists were doing was reckless. This morning a visitor (saw the rental car) was hopping the same fence. Is it not obvious with the “No Trespass” signs, metal fencing, memorial marker and flowers that something says “do not go beyond this point.” What in the heck are they thinking? Sorry, I guess I just don’t tolerate this very well. If any visitors are reading this letter and contemplating doing this trail, rethink it. Being bold and so called “one with nature” is no substitute for common sense. There are so many visitors that have lost their lives here. Most preventable. But I think most were due to ignorance and sometimes sheer stupidity.
Sound harsh? Maybe.
When going on vacation, don’t forget to pack some common sense … don’t leave home without it.
Stephen Shioi
Kapa‘a
Right to repair
Where do you have work done on your car?
If you are like most folks, once your new car warranty expires, you like to take your vehicle to a repair shop you trust and that is convenient to your home or business. But imagine if you could no longer do that, and had no choice but to return to the new car dealerships for the entire life of your car. This could happen. Why? Cars are run by computers today. The car manufacturers don’t want to release the computer codes which are required for anyone to determine what is wrong with a car before it can be fixed. Without these codes, the local independent business owner cannot compete.
Would the service be the same? Would the prices be competitive? How convenient would it be? Whether you like your car dealer or not, it doesn’t take an economist to figure out that when there is no competition, prices rise and service suffers. This is truly a consumer protection issue.
In Hawai‘i alone, there are nearly 1 million vehicles and only 74 car dealerships. I’m not great in math, but 1,000,000 divided into 74 looks like the makings of a disaster for the consumers in our state unless something is done. In addition, there are thousands of businesses in our state which repair automobiles for their living to keep you on the road. Over time, they would be forced out of business because there will be fewer and fewer repairs on an automobile that they could fix.
Many in Congress fully understand the problem, and for the last couple of years have pressed for passage of the Motor Vehicle Owners Right to Repair Act. The bill would require the car companies to share the same information and tools with independent repair facilities that they provide their new car dealers. Last year, the legislation gathered 100 co-sponsors, but Congress failed to pass the bill before it adjourned.
The problem is that the American public does not seem to be aware of this challenge to their choices and its impact on both their pocketbooks and their mobility. Therefore, they are not contacting their elected officials about their concerns. However, the new car dealers and the large car companies have been making their voices heard in strong opposition to the legislation. Needless to say, they have very large and organized lobbying organizations in Washington.
While they may be powerful inside the halls of Congress, the motoring public is considerably larger and we can make our voices heard in the voting booth. Fortunately for the people of Hawaii, Sen. Daniel K. Akaka and Sen. Daniel K. Inouye are in a position to help. But, they must hear from you. If we work together, we can pass consumers’ Right to Repair legislation and thus ensure that the motoring public, and not the car companies, determines where its vehicles are repaired.
Call Senator Akaka’s office and Senator Inouye’s office or visit www.righttorepair.org to send a message to the Hawai‘i congressional delegation supporting Right to Repair. Tell them that it should be your right to choose your service and repair source.
Kathleen Schmatz
President and CEO Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association
