City and state need to be ready for storms
Two storms back-to-back. Property owners of residences along Halawa Stream will be on alert for rising waters. It got pretty close with Darby. Will we be lucky again?
When FEMA placed our properties in a designated flood zone, the informational meeting conducted was more along the lines of, “You’re in a flood zone. Buy insurance.”
It’s been a decade or two since proactive and preventative maintenance has been done and the neglect is obvious. We teach our children to be responsible. Is that too much to ask of those who have begged for our votes with promises of working to improve our communities?
Lynn Wong
Halawa
Cut deal with websites featuring vacation rentals
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Regarding vacation rentals, there is a very simple solution to the potentially unenforceable parts of Act 204 and the concerns surrounding House Bill 1850.
Pass a bill similar to HB 1850 that requires hosting websites to adhere to the principles laid out in Act 204 if they want to participate. They would agree to be responsible for ensuring that both the transient accommodations tax and the general excise tax ID numbers are posted for all listings in Hawaii, or be held liable for fines. In exchange, they would get to collect the taxes on behalf of the landlords.
Everybody wins, except for the illegal landlords. The worst case is no websites agree and we remain where we are now, with Act 204 enforced on only the landlords.
Michael Lung
Kailua
Voters have a right to fraud-free elections
I strongly support nationwide required proof of identity and right to vote.
Why? Common sense. Every program any government has devised that enables people to get something such as Medicare, or the vast variety of welfare programs we have, experiences fraud, costing billions of dollars. Other federal laws will influence what we do or how we do it.
In Hawaii, we get two U.S. Senate votes and two U.S. House votes on federal legislation. There are 531 other votes in Congress on federal legislation that will affect us in Hawaii. I am entitled to be certain all of those other votes were by people legally elected to their office.
Jim Pollock
Kaneohe
Public always invited to make views known
Kathy Leong is misinformed about the various public hearings that have been held on the approval of a project to build a tower on the corner of Atkinson and Kapiolani (“Variances for tower don’t smell good,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 29).
On June 3, a public hearing was held by the city’s Department of Planning and Permitting.
The Council’s Zoning and Planning committee held a hearing on Aug. 25 and the resolution will subsequently be on the agenda of an upcoming full Council meeting.
Members of the community are encouraged to contact Council members directly at any time and also are afforded the opportunity to testify at any public hearing.
Neighborhood-specific transit oriented development plans, including the one for the Ala Moana community, are intended to provide flexibility in redevelopment while retaining community character and incentivize the revitalization of our communities.
The TOD plans allow for increased heights and densities that provide the framework for increased utilization of these properties.
Trevor Ozawa
Council member, District 4
24 responses to “City and state need to be ready for storms”
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Councilman Ozawa, was that June 3 meeting the one where you showed up late announcing that you were late because you were hung over because you were partying late the night before with Council Chair Martin? And wasn’t that the same meeting where you kept interrupting and talking down to the constituent there to challenge the proposed project – clearly communicating to everyone that if they disagree with you or any developer, then no, they are not welcome to come and share their views at these meetings because they will be mistreated, talked down to, and bullied by you in public? Oh, and one more thing… isn’t that also the meeting where you stormed out because the adults in the room said maybe the committee should move along instead of berating citizens who took the time our of their day to come and testify before their elected officials? Yes, yes it was.
Maybe that was another meeting, I’m not sure really, but it is pretty clear that people are not truly “afforded the opportunity to testify at any public hearing” if they are treated the way you treat them and scornfully disregard their concerns. Maybe this sort of job doesn’t suit you very well.
Hopefully, the councilman has learned a lesson.
He’s a pretty bad politician. He and Ernie make a pair.
IRT Jim Pollock: Of course it makes sense Jim. It’s only the Democrats who disagree with you because they want the ability to have voter fraud. Who else goes after votes from illegals, prisoners, and dead people? Everyone who votes should be required to provide I.D. Petitions in 2008 that put both Clinton and Obama on the ballot were discovered to be completely fraudulent. They should have never been on the ballot, as the signatures were forged. Four people were convicted. Of course with Obama and Clinton, one would expect this type of behavior. It’s how they both roll. Crooked.
I’m told that aripiprazole can be a big help along with the Aricept.
Yeah, I went and looked it up. Yeah, I then LOL.
You’re speaking from experience? Oh, both probably used by “a friend”.
“The TOD plans allow for increased heights and densities that provide the framework for increased utilization of these properties”
GIVING AWAY everything for what ??? Rail development ??? CRAZY people destroying this city for GREED. The fact there is no FEE for every developer to help PAY for infrastructure is INSANE.. but this is Hawaii with insane people in charge.
ZERO CONFIDENCE in any of these elected fools !
With higher densities around train stations, more businesses and residents will be within easy walking distance to the station.
This is a good reason to abandon climate killing, fossil fuel consuming automobiles. Electric cars wont work. Gas prices are coming down.
Wrong again as usual. But I have to give you credit for being consistent.
Fossil fueled cars will be around for decades. Thanks to advancing technology, they are far cleaner burning, more mileage, a quantum leap from cars of the 60s.
Soooo, electric cars will not work but electric rail will? Give me a break. Electric cars work just fine. Advances in battery tech continues to increase mileage and power. And lets not forget the coming hydrogen powered cars.
Then by your reasoning, Ho’opili and Koa Ridge is should not be built since it’s urban sprawl and there will be little density around the station
“Gas prices are coming down” ~weewili
Hmmmm….any wonder then why MASSIVE truck and SUV sales are UP island wide????
IRT “Public always invited to make views known” Where this opportunity may be available the out come of a contentious issue should weigh in favor o the majority rule practiced in a democracy. This often does not happen on Oahu as money interests often drown out community sentiment. This regrettable out come is also true at the federal, state and county levels. Agenda driven initiatives [projects] are not interested in opposition!
such rubbish. Nice to know you believe in big government though. Lets make citizens jump through hoops in order to vote and lets hire more and more bureaucracy to protect you from your imaginary fears.
If I may add, while this opportunity may be available, it’s often held at times when the majority can’t make it to said hearings without having to take time off from work since since these hearings are usually during work hours hours for the majority of of the population. The say you can write a letter, but who’s to to say your letter is read. It’s always better better to be present since you can ask questions and bring up concerns that you may have missed when writing a letter letter. Being present may may also change ones mind after hearing what others might have have to say also.
You can testify until you’re blue in the face. Won’t make any difference as their minds are already made up before the hearings ever start.
Ozawa is a poor steward of the kakaako people.
Free preschool for needy kids.
Hide “needy” kids from pervy pedo weewili
wiliki is a shameless liar. He lies about rail and free preschool.
Fraud Free Elections?
Isn’t it ODD? After Hackers infiltrated our election computers,we have this sudden urge to fix the problem? ie Jeh Johnson. It’s not the Hackers I’m worried about.It’s the Democrats attempts on Rigging the system! lol.
Typical Trevor Ozawa, can’t hide what a jerk he is and his contempt for us even when he can take all the time he wants to write something civil that isn’t filled with obfuscation. Yes, Trevor, we know developers consider variances from the zoning code to be maximizing the space. It’s supposed to be YOUR job to watch out for the citizens and keep to the zoning code.
May put a pinch in his cash flow?
Apparently the definition for “representative” is as fluid as ethics in HNL government.