A recent editorial stated that a Honolulu Police Department officer was given preferential treatment following his drunken driving arrest two weeks ago (“HPD should expand dialogue with public,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, April 19).
HPD has since reviewed the arrest, and there are no indications that a member of the public would have been treated differently.
Section 291E-21 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes mandates that drivers involved in a collision that results in injury or death submit to a blood test if there is probable cause that the driver is under the influence of an intoxicant.
This law makes it mandatory for drivers to take a blood test. The law allows, but does not mandate, the use of physical force to draw blood from drivers who refuse to provide a sample.
Most drivers voluntarily submit to testing, and use of force to obtain a blood sample is extremely rare. In cases where a driver refuses, officers must decide whether use of force would be reasonable. Force is not used if officers do not think that a blood sample can be safely drawn.
HPD considers impaired driving to be a serious offense, and the arrested officer faces criminal charges and possible administrative sanctions. His police powers have been removed, and he will be subject to disciplinary action including possible termination.
Jerry Inouye
HPD assistant chief
Matsuda right about Horner, rail project
After reading innumerable anti-rail rants in your letters columns, it was a relief to come across Fujio Matsuda’s response (“Don Horner is truly outstanding citizen,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, April 17). Matsuda is a truly distinguished citizen — former director of the state Department of Transportation and then president of the University of Hawaii. His ability, experience and integrity are unquestioned.
Matsuda stated his regret over the requested resignation of Don Horner as chairman of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board, calling him “truly an outstanding citizen and human being.” True, and he is a better person than the politicians who forced him out.
Matsuda also recalled the bitter fight over H-3, which resulted in years of delays and an escalation of the initial cost of $300 million to $1.2 billion. And he appropriately compared the wretched H-3 experience with the current travails of the rail project.
“Disable HART,” he warned, “and you get more cars, more urban sprawl and less agricultural and conservation land, and that will require a new general plan.”
That is a warning that should be heeded in the face of the naysayers.
Carl H. Zimmerman
Salt Lake
H-3 can’t compare with urban rail system
With all due respect to Fujio Matsuda, I take issue with his letter. To draw a comparison between the opposition to H-3 and the construction of the rail transit system is, in my estimation, invalid.
H-3 was projected to traverse Halawa Valley — essentially uninhabited but containing some historic artifacts. In marked contrast, rail transit will soon come crashing into the intimate scale of Chinatown, then on to our sophisticated business district and waterfront and finally on to our majestic government district.
Although it’s a bit late to do so, one has to wonder if every alternative was given its day in court. Unlike the impact on Halawa Valley, the damage to our fair city will be permanent and painfully visible every day. Most assuredly, once constructed, it will be, unlike H-3, very hard to forget but very, very easy to hate.
Ed Sullam
Aina Haina
Beachfront rentals bring millions in taxes
According to a 2014 Hawaii Tourism Authority study, there were 9,395 guest rooms in 4,411 short-stay accommodation properties on Oahu, out of 22,238 short-stay properties statewide. These Oahu properties can host 1,089,983 visitors in transient vacation units and B&B homes in 2016, with spending of $1.1 billion in our communities and around $110 million in taxes payable.
The city is imposing Chapter 21 land use regulations on our rural communities. This will close short-stay accommodations all over Oahu beachfront communities. This will cost around $55 million in lost taxes. Roughly one-half of short-stay accommodations are illegal, located in our beachfront communities outside of the resort areas.
This $55 million could be used for providing housing to the homeless and temporary rental vouchers, and contribute to the lowering of regulatory development costs for affordable housing.
Do the math and observe a winning solution for the homeless, government and the burgeoning vacation rental industry in Hawaii.
Abe Aiona
Waimanalo
Law restricts rentals for community good
There has been a fair amount of coverage of vacation rentals in our local media. Proponents suggest it is all very benign, and critics suggest it is destroying our neighborhoods.
This is illegal behavior by otherwise law-abiding citizens. I wonder what could motivate people to believe that they are above the law and that they can disregard zoning laws put in place to protect us from activity that is considered, by our elected officials, to be contrary to the well-being of our community?
We limited the number of legal permits decades ago presumably for this reason. Does this mean it’s OK to participate in other illegal activities if it presents a benefit for you?
Michael Morelli
Kailua
FROM THE FORUM
Readers of the Star-Advertiser’s online edition can respond to stories posted there. The following are some of those. Instead of names, pseudonyms are generally used online. They have been removed.
“Blank bill obscures the future of energy on Big Isle” Star-Advertiser, April 17:
>> I have to give Rep. Chris Lee some credit for openly admitting he and his fellow elected bureaucrats do not always know the answers and many times make issues worse by passing obtuse and out-of-date bills just so they can say they did something “with reservations.”
>> Home rule. Don’t let the state take over. Not only will it screw the whole thing up and cause costs to rise for the people, but the energy comes from Hawaii island, and residents there should say where it goes and who uses it.
——
“Residents dissuade Ozawa on homeless centers for East Honolulu, Waikiki” Star-Advertiser, April 17:
>> Typical East Honolulu hypocrisy. Helping the homeless is good for everyone else as long as it’s not in your neighborhood.
>> Where you live, will you give your City Council member a call and tell him or her you want them?
——
“Police allegedly ignore rules in colleague’s DUI” Star-Advertiser, April 18:
>> It seems like most smart people and those trained in the law or law enforcement know better than to take a Breathalyzer or blood test. Maybe the penalty for refusal should exceed the penalty for DUI.
——
“Bill aims to put wheel locks on shopping carts” Star-Advertiser, April 19:
>> If these bureaucrats want “wheel-locking mechanisms,” then they need to give business owners a way to pay for it. How about a 50 percent tax deduction, dollar for dollar, for two years? This way businesses can share the cost with the city.
>> Shopping carts are not cheap. They’re going to require it but it can be stopped by enforcing theft laws for carts that have been stolen.
>> Push comes to shove and the supermarkets will not have wagons for us to use any more.
——
“More schools sought as rail is constructed” Star-Advertiser, April 20:
>> It’s only fair that the developers near the rail stations help to pay for the new schools along the metro line between Kalihi and Ala Moana Center.
>> The (state Department of Education) should not get even one more school until it can adequately take care of the ones it has.
Likewise (but too late) for the rail. Caldwell and Company had no business starting this project without first having the rest of the city in order.
——
“A&B to restore water to 7 streams in East Maui” Star-Advertiser, April 21:
>> Sugar will soon be gone and the next step is to remove all the irrigation systems that supported it. Not just East Maui but also Kauai, Oahu and Hawaii island. It’s time to restore all the streams to their natural states — no one should be allowed to divert the water.
>> Are you serious? Then stop flushing your toilet and taking a shower because when you do it’s diverting water.
——
“Ala Moana Regional Park renovations proposed” Star-Advertiser, April 22:
>> The inevitable is happening. Ala Moana Beach Park will now become an exclusive park for the wealthy new residents of Kakaako. If everyone had been following the marketing efforts by the sales and marketing staff for the Howard Hughes Corp., et al., you would note that the park is depicted as the backyard for the new condo residents of Kakaako.
>> This is a heavily used park. The improvements are much needed. Parking will always be an issue. Just do it!
>> The proposed version of the park looks nice. I just want to see more bicycle racks. We don’t need more parking spaces.
