Once again our state attorney general is grandstanding while “Rome burns” here at home (“Chin claims guidelines violate travel ban order,” Star-Advertiser, June Opens in a new tab30) Opens in a new tab.
He is squandering not only our financial resources but our credibility worldwide on his false political ambitions. Under one- party rule here in Hawaii, we have the highest rate of homelessness in the U.S.; highest rate of extinctions on the planet; highest disparity of living paycheck-to-paycheck in the nation due to the out-of-control cost of living; the third highest rate of high-rises, with the majority aimed at the second-home luxury market; and lastly, a huge brain drain as our young people flee the islands due to the lack of any sustainable future here.
Need I say more? I think we have more pressing issues here at home.
Mark Blackburn
Black Point
—
Beware vandalism of new bike stations
Bike racks are starting to pop up everywhere. Which means broken, busted, vandalized bikes will soon follow, compliments of our mentally ill homeless. Once again, more money wasted.
John McDermott
Waikiki
—
Help industry keep tourists in Waikiki
In Lee Cataluna’s column, “It’s a small, small island with a great big problem” (Star-Advertiser, June Opens in a new tab28) Opens in a new tab, Cataluna points out the impact that additional visitors will have on our roads, sewers, parking spaces and community beaches.
In George D. Szigeti’s June message from the Hawaii Tourism Authority, he said the increase of visitors resulting from newly added airline seats by United, Hawaiian, Philippine, Air Asia X, Virgin America, Japan and Delta Airlines will lead to “strengthening Hawaii’s economy.”
Rick Egged, president of the Waikiki Improvement Association, pointed out the popularity of Hilton’s fireworks show with many visitors to Waikiki, and how many local businesses plan their events around the Friday night shows (“Hilton’s fireworks show deserves better than DLNR fee hike,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, June 29).
The thousands of visitors who stay in Waikiki to view the Friday fireworks show are not going into our residential communities. Instead, they are using the resort facilities that are designed and built for this impact.
Waikiki needs more shows to entertain our visitors. Waikiki merchants, resorts and hotels need the state to support them in this endeavor.
Bob Hampton
Hawaii Kai
—
West Side contraflow needs more controls
I have been traveling westbound into Waianae after work for more than eight years now. And for the life of me, I can’t understand the real purpose of the recent contraflow process.
I get that it’s supposed to help westbound traffic flow smoother and faster after 3:30 p.m. But when you’re traveling west and you see the eastbound traffic at almost a standstill, what is that really accomplishing?
When the process first began, there were police officers out of their cars directing traffic at several of the intersections, waving the traffic through even though the lights were red when there wasn’t any traffic coming from the side streets.
Now I see all of them sitting in their police cars. What is this costing the taxpayers? Now I have to plan my outbound visits after 7 p.m. or sit in traffic sometimes for more than half an hour just to get out of Nanakuli.
Jim Thornberry
Waianae
—
Rail station will ruin views of harbor area
Aloha to Honolulu, and to the iconic symbol we see daily, our Aloha Tower, steadfastly watching over our Hawaiian Islands main harbor for decades — and, sadly, to our city center of Honolulu, so well positioned around the harbor from the days of the sailing ships.
At my Rotary meeting recently, University of Hawaii professor Randy Roth reminded us of the absolute blight and destruction that this ugly, above-grade rail line will impose on this historic area at the foot of our small city center — and yes, historic Aloha Tower.
What legislator or City Council member, mayor or governor would allow this to happen? Have we lost all sense of aesthetics and grace to destroy a historic harbor and city center?
Just one look at the American Institute of Architects’ renderings of the ugly, elevated concrete structures obliterating out city and harbor should shock every citizen and taxpayer — $10 billion spent to destroy our city.
Stop it at Middle Street. Leave our city as is.
Bob Vieira
Pauoa Valley
—
Columnist imagines the worst in Trump
Ruth Marcus’ column, “Wounded Trump has no patience for the rule of law” (Star-Advertiser, June 21), suggests that President Donald Trump, bedeviled with the morphing investigations associated with the Russian hacking of the election, is impeding or intends to impede the investigations. This should come as a surprise, considering that four investigations by the Senate, House and the special counsel are now actively underway.
The author provides no evidence of obstruction by the president, but lists an imagined series of actions tied to his supposed impatience, including Trump firing of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein “and perhaps others”; Trump firing special counsel Robert Mueller; Trump using his power to pardon some unspecified crime or criminal; and the impeachment of the president, even though no congressional motion exists.
None of this is true.
The president has absolute authority to fire the FBI director and had ample reason to do so, as was widely reported.
The author can be excused for offering an opinion but the proper characterization of this screed is “fake news.”
Tom Freitas
Hawaii Kai
