In his testimony on Bill 58 CD1, an affordable-housing measure before the City Council’s Zoning and Planning Committee, a representative of a real estate developer suggested that putting affordable-housing requirements on developers is like “regulating farmers during a famine” (“2-bill housing plan passes Round 1,” Star-Advertiser, June 30).

Really? If there’s a famine, and the only thing farmers want to grow are pretty, expensive flowers, regulations requiring that they grow at least some food crops might be the only way to keep people from starving.

Luxury developers are like farmers, all right — farmers who refuse to grow food during a famine, and still want taxpayer-funded fertilizer.

In this housing crisis, we don’t need self-entitled mainland developers, we need bold action to ensure housing for residents.

Passing Bill 58 CD1 is one small thing that the City Council can do.

Joel Mark

Manoa

—

Ige shouldn’t veto aquarium measure

The potential veto of Senate Bill 1240, a bill to protect Hawaii reef wildlife, comes at a perfectly ironic time, as the Hokule‘a basks in accomplishment, bringing its message of hope and Malama Honua home.

Meanwhile, the director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, Suzanne Case, claims that it is premature to consider a ban before more studies are done.

Why should anyone listen to the very agency that has failed for decades to evaluate the environmental effects, neglected to collect data or use precaution when allowing commercial aquarium trade and trafficking of reef wildlife in Hawaii?

Now is the time to leap to action to protect local reefs from further degradation. Many passionate organizations and individuals have labored to see this become law now.

We all need to stand together and let our governor know that we support this law so he can say no to those asking for a veto.

Lisa Rey

Hawaii Kai

—

Universal health care proven success

Of the close to 50 countries that have some form of single- payer universal health care, isn’t it interesting that not a single one of them has ever dropped it?

No one who supports the Affordable Care Act or Trumpcare can point to a single other example where systems like these actually work.

Nearly 2 of every 3 health care dollars in the U.S. is spent on administration. Overhead in the Canadian system is 1 percent. A Canadian doctor can bill the system in under 15 seconds.

When I pay my taxes for the military, the parks, the libraries, the roads and for the kids across the street to go to school, I also want my taxes to pay for health care.

Jim Quimby

Kapalama

—

Legalize, regulate marijuana industry

Legalize, tax, regulate. That is the government process that can best control the marijuana industry in Hawaii.

Of course, the prohibition of alcohol back in the day did not work in American society. Demand was such that “moonshine” came to supply the illicit market.

In much the same way, illegal pakalolo has come to supply the recreational pot market. That makes good people criminals and some bad people richer.

We led the nation to the groundbreaking legalization of gay marriage. U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard likewise envisions the national legality of recreational marijuana. With legalization, tax funds will pay for regulation that can eliminate the possibility of pakalolo joints laced with dangerous substances such as crystal meth.

Come on now, Hawaii. Let’s join the 21st century.

Stuart N. Taba

Manoa

—

Homeless dump site mars side of H-1

Am I the only person who drives westbound on the H-1 near School Street (Exit 21A) and sees the homeless camp on the embankment, with a garbage dump sliding down the hill toward the freeway?

It literally looks like we have a dump site on the side of the road. Is this another one of those situations where the state and the city can’t decide who is responsible for it, so we will just ignore it? As our tourists are heading to the airport for their departure flight, this is one of the last things they see in Hawaii. What an indelible memory to take home.

I have traveled to Oregon and Tennessee almost yearly and you would not believe their beautiful, clean highways and freeways. We really could take a lesson from them.

Clean up the aina before spending billions on rail.

Frankie L. Ruggles-Quinabo

Makiki