What in the world is happening? The cost of living keeps going higher and higher each month.

The cost of things is not as low as before, even in Chinatown. These merchants are either raising the cost of items or cutting down the portions, or both.

I always buy butter rolls at the bakery. There used to be six of them; now there are only five. I occasionally buy soft wonton mein at a Chinese restaurant, but the portion of noodles was cut for more vegetables, and there used to be five wonton, but now there are only three. L&L plate lunches are $10 and above, when they used to be $4 or $5.

When will it ever stop?

We senior citizens who worked for private companies starting at $1.25 an hour, with both husband and wife pensions and Social Security, cannot afford or have enough to travel as we did in the early years of our retirement before the 21st century.

All we can do now is stay at home and watch television.

Who cares? It’s pay, pay, pay!

Albert Chang

Aina Haina

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Plant a Norfolk pine for Honolulu Hale

Wouldn’t a nicely groomed Norfolk pine in front of Honolulu Hale make sense?

It would take some years to become a beautiful, full tree, but would be a tree of pride for two months each year.

Like Castle Medical Center’s full and manicured tree, it could save thousands each year.

Steven Togami

Kailua

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Accusations can ruin a person’s reputation

Thank you to Valerie Ossipoff for her prompt letter, “Rush to judgment not fair to Rucci” (Star-Advertiser, Nov. 17).

The torture and anguish of the accused person and his or her family from the public shame, permanent ruin of reputation and loss of work, caused by the suspicion of guilt, is unconscionable.

Years ago a man in Kailua was accused of a similar crime; he was later acquitted, but the damage was already done.

The newspapers and TV stations should not broadcast the name and pictures of the accused until he or she is proven guilty by the justice system, if then. The tabloid news media do that, capitalizing on the public’s love of sensationalism and titillating gossip. Do not stoop to their level.

Marian Heidel

Kailua

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Examine charges against Trump

I’m sorry to say it, but these sexual harassment charges directed at Roy Moore, Al Franken, Bill Clinton, George Bush Sr., and our current president of the United States should be addressed, or at least investigated, by congressional ethics committees.

Not even the president is above laws protecting women from sexual advances.

Why hasn’t President Donald Trump come under some form of scrutiny as the others have?

The alleged improprieties with these women, who came forward speaking of groping and kissing without consent, have not been addressed.

What does that tell us about our society — it’s OK if you are some high-ranking official? Trump was heard clearly saying what he can do to women. Is this the kind of person we want leading our nation for our children’s future? He’s a predator and this has nothing to do with Republicans or Democrats.

Voters need to speak up.

William T. Pirtle

Waipahu

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President reaches people with Twitter

Twitter is President Donald Trump’s way to talk directly with America. The press uses, “it’s alleged that,” “sources are quoted,” “not authorized to speak,” and numerous other evasions.

Sure, Trump gets hot under the collar, often with just cause. Remember Theodore Roosevelt’s, “Speak softly but carry a big stick.” Or even better, the famous, “Give ’em hell, Harry,” and Harry Truman did.

Trump’s Twitter is FDR’s fireside chats, a modern way to speak directly to people. And I’m an avid newspaper reader, if a discriminating one, I hope.

So, welcome to the age of technology.

Betty Berry

Makiki

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Apartments need fire-resistant doors

One major reason for the intensity of the Marco Polo condominium fire was the type of apartment doors with louvers that allow crossflow ventilation which, with the present fire code, would be illegal. These types of doors in all apartment buildings need to be replaced immediately, preferably with fire-resistant doors.

Paul Gundlach

Pupukea

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Theologies fuel global conflicts

Look at history and look around. Have we learned nothing?

Conflicts are still ravaging every continent. The only hope for the human race is to have worldwide education, from elementary level, based upon reason, logic, science and good sense, and have all theologies relegated to the Mythology Department.

In this way we might be able to mitigate the evil of radical, extremist fanaticism inherent in a number of ideologies and resolve our differences in a manner befitting an advanced species.

It would not solve all our problems, but it would at least be a step in the right direction and make this planet a better place in which to live.

Quintin Chambers

Wahiawa

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Don’t kill elephants for hunting trophies

The Trump administration has considered lifting the ban on the importation of body parts from American elephants shot for sport (“Trump reverses ban on elephant trophy hunting,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 17).

The reason provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is that allowing elephants to be killed will enhance the survival of the threatened species by raising money for conservation programs from wealthy trophy hunters who pay to shoot them.

Why can’t these wealthy people just write a donation check and leave these magnificent elephants to live in peace?

The wealthy should have plenty to spare once the proposed tax changes favoring them go into effect. Then they can go find a real sport.

Colleen Haviland

Haleiwa