“Homeless problem improves, poll finds” (Star-Advertiser, July 18): I read this headline with amazement.
Who’s been drinking the Kool-Aid? Or is an election coming up that has our politicians worried?
There may be fewer homeless in Waikiki so as not to discourage tourists. It’s possible the continual sweeps of Kakaako and Iwilei at taxpayer expense are showing some progress. Yet the reality is that those homeless have gravitated to other residential areas. In East Honolulu the homeless population has soared.
While waiting for an arriving school bus at the “Kiss and Ride,” we were sickened by the stench of human feces. Would this not be considered a health hazard for residents?
Why are taxpayers being put at risk? I hope our future politicians will strive to solve this problem.
Judith Liu
Hawaii Kai
Health centers enjoy bipartisan support
In an election season, the headlines may lead us to believe that candidates can’t agree on anything.
Not so fast. Republicans and Democrats can and do agree on the importance of community health centers to our U.S. health care system.
House and Senate lawmakers in Congress recently declared health centers a model of care that offers a “bipartisan solution to the primary care access problems” facing our nation. Letters were signed by 62 senators and 307 House representatives, and included a nearly equal balance of Republicans and Democrats. How often does this happen?
During National Health Center Week 2016 (Aug. 7-13), many of these same politicians will join other local, state and national leaders to show their support for a health program that has delivered results for over 50 years.
Wahiawa Health, the last of 15 health centers in the islands, comes on board along with Waianae, Waikiki and Kalihi-Palama.
Robert Oliveira Jr.
Wahiawa
Get rid of mosquitoes through gene-editing
Mosquitoes that transmit diseases such as the Zika and West Nile viruses, malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever kill an estimated 725,000 humans annually.
As carriers of avian malaria and avian pox virus, mosquitoes also are responsible for the extinction of many indigenous Hawaiian birds.
It is now possible to eliminate mosquitoes through the gene-editing technology CRISPR. The mosquito genome is modified so that all offspring are the nectar-feeding male, not the blood-sucking female. The modification works its way through the mosquito population until there are no mosquitoes at all.
Since Hawaii never had any mosquitoes until the year 1826, there would be no moral issues about eliminating mosquitoes in the islands. Plus, since Hawaii is so isolated, it would be a perfect place to introduce this mosquito-eliminating technology, because any modified mosquitoes could not spread elsewhere.
James Crittendon
Waialua
Tough rules needed to end police brutality
I was very disheartened and disappointed that a Honolulu police officer seemed to join the ranks of hating Black Lives Matter (“HPD reassigns an officer over Facebook comment,” Star-Advertiser, July 21).
Black Lives Matter stands up for victims of police brutality who were killed recently in Minnesota and Baton Rouge. Instead of targeting hate at people who want to end this problem and pattern of killing black people, there should be more stringent rules and procedures in the police force to prohibit killing innocent people and not incite violence against witnesses, videographers and people who protest the killings of Philando Castile, Alton Sterling and too many others.
I noticed the Hawaii media did not report on the Black Lives Matter protest in Waikiki on July 13, which was attended by 70 people of all races. The protest was peaceful. It was a powerful statement against police departments who do not punish officers who kill black people. You do not have to be black to know that Black Lives Matter.
Daphne Barbee-Wooten
African American Lawyers Association of Hawaii
Fishing’s future needs larger breeding areas
Regarding the proposed expansion of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, I can understand fishermen wanting to catch all the fish they can before the next guy does. But those of us who love our offspring want our grandchildren to be able to put fish on the table.
With the dramatic increase in fishermen, catches, population and climate change, we can only achieve this by vigorously expanding and protecting breeding space. Instead of demanding more freedom to catch more fish, fishermen who love their grandchildren should be clamoring to protect our very limited resource.
Rico Leffanta
Kakaako
FROM THE FORUM
“OHA intends to take state and UH to court” Star-Advertiser, July 25:
>> So a state office is suing the state. What is wrong with this picture? Is this how our tax dollars get spent? And “behind the scenes” stuff? What happened to sunshine laws? The state Office of Hawaiian Affairs needs to clean up its act or the upcoming elections will infuse some new faces.
>> I support this decision of OHA because of the state’s long track record of poor natural resources stewardship.
>> It seems this isn’t really about protecting the mountain. It’s about leveraging a claim that the state and the University of Hawaii have mismanaged the mountain to increase OHA’s wealth.
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“‘Little warrior’ to join UH football team” Star-Advertiser, July 25:
>> Good student academically and athletically. Groom him so he can take what he’s learned back to Japan. He could be the bridge to the Far East that gets the University of Hawaii into the Pac 12.
>> I like this guy. One thing is for sure, we don’t have to worry about him running the wrong routes.
>> I think he might become a crowd favorite.
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“Darby leaves a mighty mess” Star-Advertiser, July 26:
>> It’s laughable how businesses are whining they got flooded, that their merchandise was damaged and time was wasted cleaning up. It’s their own fault for willfully failing to prepare. More than adequate warning was given. They had plenty of time to move property to higher levels, clear the floors, do whatever it takes to reduce water damage.
>> It’s time to find another location for any businesses in a flood zone.
>> This wasn’t a rain problem; it was a problem of poorly planned and maintained infrastructure.
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“Recent bids to cool schools come closer to expectations” Star-Advertiser, July 27:
>> $40K per classroom? Seems awfully high. Collusion, perhaps?
>> It’s not simply installing window AC units. Electrical upgrades have to be made, including any solar additions. Plus, the room has to be sealed and/or retrofitted to make AC efficient. All this cannot be done by an AC installer. Instead, a general contractor will need to do it and have several subcontractors do each portion.
>> It is curious how the re-bids have seemingly come in significantly lower after the publicity from the original bids.
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“Fishermen, ex-politicians rally against expansion” Star-Advertiser, July 27:
>> The longline fishermen are correct when they say there’s no conservation benefit to closing this area. Marine reserves don’t benefit highly migratory fish like tuna and pelagic sharks. The idea that this will help fishing isn’t justified by science. Meanwhile, fishing for tuna doesn’t affect things on the bottom — President Barack Obama could easily prohibit seabed mining and “protect” the WWII artifacts without hurting our local fisheries.
>> If the marine reserve “directly” benefits the sea life that lives full time in the area, doesn’t that, at a minimum create indirect benefits for the migratory fish?
>> This is a “tragedy of the commons” in the making.
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“Man gets 6-year prison term for armed holdup at drugstore” Star-Advertiser, July 27:
>> On the one hand, this guy clearly needs help. On the other, he also needs to be punished significantly. I feel this is a fair sentence.
>> A BB gun looks like a real handgun to any victims who must involuntarily surrender their money and valuables. It is the threat of losing their lives. It is a violent crime.
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“Frustration prompted obscene gesture at Democratic National Convention” Star-Advertiser, July 28:
>> She has disrespected the Hawaii delegates. She should go back to Texas.
>> This wasn’t fueled by frustration, it’s the result of immaturity. Hawaii Democratic Party Chairman Tim Vandeveer did the right thing by stripping her of her credentials.
>> Shameful. Tacky. No class. Certainly no aloha.
