House Finance Committee Chairwoman Sylvia Luke and Vice Chairman Ty Cullen killed Senate Bill 2498, a bill to ban the sale and use of polystyrene containers (“Despite support, foam container ban bill fails to pass,” Star-Advertiser, April 14).
By not hearing the bill, they denied members of the Legislature the opportunity to do the job for which they were elected: Vote on important legislation.
Astonishingly, Luke said that “it is people’s individual responsibility to take care of trash.” Is that her solution to the foam container trash problem?
Luke cited the potential loss of a few jobs at the only producer of polystyrene packaging in Hawaii as a reason for killing the bill. She is seemingly unaware that the loss of polystyrene packaging would create increased demand for more sustainable packaging (recyclable or compostable).
More demand creates more jobs. The bill had wide support. Luke either did not take the time to fully understand the bill or she lacks good judgment.
Leonard Lepine
Kailua
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Lava rock structures emerge from brush
Recent construction activities have caused a little bit of history to reappear along Kamehameha Highway in Waipio, where for years some lava rock structures were hidden in the brush.
These were part of the original gateway to the road leading to the Mililani Cemetery and the Waiawa Correctional facility, and became part of the historical film record when Elvis Presley drove a group of schoolgirls through the gateway on their tour of the pineapple fields in the movie “Blue Hawaii” (www.youtube.com/watch?v=egx7HEEfzmk).
My, how the world has changed. The pineapple fields are all gone now, replaced by the Waipio residential and commercial areas, and across Kamehameha Highway by the Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park. The gateway and the old road were eventually replaced by the new access to the cemetery and prison off the H-2 freeway at the Ka Uka exit, but of course H-2 didn’t exist in 1961.
None of this is earth-shattering news, but what a great question for a trivia quiz.
Lester Iwamasa
Wahiawa
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Centers must include abortion information
Know your rights. Understand your options.
Our most vulnerable citizens have a right to know their legal and medical options. In Hawaii, a woman’s medical options include family planning and abortion access.
We have so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” that mislead young women about their options. They distort the facts and fail to fully and honestly educate vulnerable women. Hawaii law now requires that such centers provide clients with information on all their rights, including the option to choose a safe, legal abortion — even if that center does not support choice. The center’s position does not override the woman’s rights.
If you become aware of a so-called “crisis pregnancy center” that neglects to fulfill its obligation to fully educate its clients, please file a complaint with the Hawaii Attorney General’s Office.
Dorien McClellan
Waianae
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DPP can get tough on illegal structures
The Department of Planning and Permitting should just do its job (“The monster on Date Street,” Star-Advertiser, April 13). It’s not that hard.
If the builder and owner do not have the required permits and proceed beyond a “stop work order,” DPP should issue a “cease and desist” order. Serve that through the Sheriff’s Department and have arrest warrants issued if the order is refused or ignored. Require any and all inspections (regardless of how intrusive) be conducted by DPP (not the untrustworthy builder), requiring the builder to pay the additional costs and fines prior to any inspection or permit issued.
Then withhold the “certificate of occupancy” until all is cleared up to ensure that no occupancy of any kind is allowed until then.
If law enforcement does not enforce these laws when purposely ignored or flouted, then Honolulu becomes just another sanctuary city where only convenient laws are complied with, and DPP risks being ignored by all.
Joel Brilliant
Hawaii Kai
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Don’t let Maui condo build new seawall
University of Hawaii professor Chip Fletcher warns us that we need to protect our beaches now (“Erosion eating away at the shoreline,” Star-Advertiser, April 16).
One way not to do this is by building seawalls. Fletcher tells us that seawalls eventually cause the destruction of our beaches by withholding sand that could replenish the beach and by causing erosion on both sides of the wall (flanking). There are ways, such as beach replenishment, that will protect our beaches without resorting to coastal armoring.
On Maui, a group of people who live in the Hololani development want to build a seawall to protect their property. This would set a very bad precedent. It should be the last option. Let’s look at beach replenishment and other options. We must adapt to sea level rise, not fight it.
Yes, it will be expensive to move people and infrastructure mauka. But it will be much more expensive if we do nothing.
Randy Ching
Kaimuki
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No consequences for child’s death
The article about a child who died of starvation makes me sick to my stomach (“Shaelynn,” Star-Advertiser, April 15). I couldn’t help but get very angry at our city and state government, which said that they, along with the social workers, had no idea a child was being tortured to death.
No one in government has recommended a special counsel be appointed to thoroughly investigate social workers, as well as the mayor, on possible criminal charges relating to the death.
Alexander Atienza
Kakaako
