In an attempt to save money, House Bill 2561 aims to lower the cost of incarceration — by raising the minimum threshold from $300 to $750 for a theft to be considered a felony.

This means a person could steal up to $749 and it would be a misdemeanor offense. This, plus other proposed changes, would send the wrong message that stealing from a business is not a serious crime.

To small business owners, $750 might be the mortgage payment on their homes or businesses that they no longer can afford to pay, or perhaps an installment for their childrens’ college tuitions.

Career criminals understand this number and repercussions if caught, and steal almost-to-the-penny below this threshold. That’s the reality.

We urge lawmakers to support victims of theft and vote no on any bill to raise the minimum threshold.

Sheri Sakamoto

President, Retail Merchants of Hawaii

Keith Kaneshiro

City prosecutor

Michael Tam

President, Martin & MacArthur

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Lanikai Beach has no public amenities

The underlying message in the letter accusing Lanikai residents of deterring public parking using various barriers is apparently suggesting that more such spaces should be made available in their community (“Lanikai barriers installed illegally,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 8).

The attraction, of course, is Lanikai Beach, with its gentle surf and two beautiful offshore islands.

But the last thing Lanikai needs is more visitors to its beach. There are no bathrooms, no showers, no drinking fountains, no trash cans and no lifeguards there.

People have encountered feces and diapers in the water and litter is often found buried in the sand.

While it’s a public beach, it completely lacks any facilities to properly serve large numbers of people.

In addition, more public parking in Lanikai would only increase the already-severe Kailua traffic congestion that regularly occurs in the late afternoons or when it starts to rain and almost everyone leaves the beaches at about the same time.

Robert Engelbardt

Kailua

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Landfill operator upbeat about future

Readers may have been confused by a quote attributed to me in a recent article (“It’s lights out at troubled Honua Power,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 8).

As an officer of the company that operates the landfill Honua Power had been drawing waste material from, I was quoted as saying, “Hawaii is rich in renewable energy alternatives. We have wind, ocean, geothermal, solar — and we have trash, which we can turn into synthetic natural gas that can be combusted to produce electricity.”

That remains true, and we are proceeding with the same business model, notwithstanding the unfortunate demise of Honua Power, which was but one of several renewable energy providers with whom we are working.

In addition, we will be using a portion of the feedstock we produce for PVT’s internal power production needs. We remain very enthusiastic about biomass as one of solutions to Oahu’s and PVT’s energy needs.

Steve Joseph

Vice president of operations, PVT Land Co., Nanakuli

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‘Gay conversion’ has poor track record

David Beers implies that the bill to ban “gay conversion” therapy, among other things, infringes on his constitutional free-speech rights (“‘Gay conversion’ bill a free-speech threat,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Feb. 9).

If so, then he certainly will not have a problem with me assembling some “professionals” and opening a straight-conversion therapy clinic. If sexual orientation is indeed malleable, I should have no problem getting the same illustrious conversion results as gay-conversion therapy has produced over the years, which is to say, close to zero percent.

Trying to convert someone’s innate sexual attraction through these dangerous “therapies” is a waste of time, a waste of resources and an application of needless psychological abuse to innocent victims. That is why this law is needed.

If one questioning youth were to be saved by this law, it would be worth it.

Jeff Merz

Waikiki

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City waits too long to trim back weeds

Weeds are 3 feet high along Date Street adjacent to the Ala Wai golf course, along the Ewa side of Kapahulu Avenue by the golf course and the mauka side of the Ala Wai Canal.

University Avenue between Kapiolani Avenue and South King Street is another neglected spot.

I bicycle this route nearly every day and know that it has been three to six months since these weeds were cut.

To me, this represents a failure of both leadership and execution of what should be a simple task: mobilizing workers with weed-whackers.

Is this really rocket science?

I would think that someone working for the city who gets a decent salary and stellar benefits would have enough pride in his or her job to remedy this situation before people like me have to write letters like this.

Ken Sentner

Moiliili

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Superferry could help cut Oahu traffic

It’s about time we responsibly bring back the Superferry — not just interisland, but also intra- island.

We could reduce traffic on H-1 with a ferry to and from Kapolei, Barbers Point and Ewa Beach. This would also support tourism, if we could responsibly ferry people to other popular destinations, such as Aulani and Hanauma Bay.

Further benefits include reducing interisland travel costs and allowing more people to visit family on neighbor islands. This could boost family, community and the economy, if done correctly, and with consulation and cooperation with the environmental communities.

Carl Campagna

Alewa Heights