It is heartening to learn of plans to clean up the city Department of Planning and Permitting (“Planning and Permitting moves to curb corruption,” Star-Advertiser, April 23), but I will believe it when I see it. For the illegal vacation rentals along the beach, and in the hills of Lanikai, it is business as usual.

High-end vacation rentals are not harmless. When high-end housing is diverted to vacation rentals, high- income renters displace lower-income renters, and so on down the income ladder until our lowest-income renters are pushed out the bottom, homeless.

Crime pays in Lanikai.

Neil Frazer

Kailua

Politics has become win-at-all-costs effort

Is it just me, or do others get the impression that our constitutional, democratic form of government is being usurped by a desire to cheat?

Republicans add conservative justices to the Supreme Court, as is their constitutional prerogative. So, the Democrats propose packing the court to add additional liberal justices.

The Democrats legally and constitutionally win the presidency. So the Republicans use the “Big Lie” to call the election a sham and begin a campaign in numerous states essentially calling for voter suppression. Not to be outdone, the Democrats are calling for Washington, D.C., to become a (blue) state.

It seems the intent of our political parties is to win by any means, even if it means bending the Constitution possibly too far. This is nuts!

Davis Hawkins

Portlock

Thiessen makes case for ending filibuster

Marc Thiessen made the perfect argument for ending the filibuster rules in the U.S. Senate as it exists now (“Biden should reach across aisle on police reform bill,” Star-Advertiser, April 23). He explained how U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., could not get the Democrats to agree to a bipartisan police reform legislation. Instead, the Democrats voted to filibuster the bill.

Now, Thiessen advocates that the Democrats and President Joe Biden allow Scott to negotiate a bill for police reform, apparently to avoid a filibuster by the Republicans in the Senate and to pass a bipartisan police reform bill.

So here’s the rub. If the minority party doesn’t get to write the bills the majority party wants, the minority party will filibuster the bill. It doesn’t matter which party is in the majority. The modus operandi of the Senate is that the minority rules, the tail wags the dog.

Get rid of the filibuster and the majority rule will be established, as in a real democracy.

Ben Toyama

Ewa Beach

Hawaii cannot keep selling itself to tourists

Our elected leaders have lost incredible opportunities this year to develop a plan for sustainable tourism, diversification of our economy and ensuring that our people are paid a living wage.

Instead, we are rushing headlong into tourism as usual and bemoaning the cost of a wage increase on businesses. We have seen the results clearly this year with quiet neighborhoods for residents, increasing health of our coral reefs and fish, rebounding trails and uncrowded beaches.

We have seen the pain of many of our residents who again face jobs that do not sustain families and force them to rely on government-funded assistance such as food stamps or Medicaid. Yet our elected leaders have done nothing.

We need new leaders with courage, integrity and a vision of what our state could be for all of us.

Barbara Mathews

Kailua

Nation still polarized after Chauvin trial

With the Derek Chauvin trial just concluded, the country is more polarized than ever and will remain so for some time. With such polarization, all need to step back and be aware how we interact with each other people with respect and sensitivity. The state of reckoning for the nation has a very long way to go to reach the semblance of peaceful thriving together. We must not live in fear, but we must face reality with open hearts and minds. That way we can change for the better.

However, we have a major agenda that needs urgent attention. We need to establish an inclusive commission with a three- to six-month deadline for police reform, especially regarding shoot-to-kill, or shoot-to-disable only if absolutely necessary, among other major issues. We also need progressive recommendations on how we all can be responsible citizens so that we feel safe, creative and productive.

The change has to happen at all levels. Never forget we are a diverse nation. It is best for us to have empathy to adjust and thrive.

Birendra Huja

Waialae Iki

Jordan berates Fauci, demands certainties

In a recent shouting match in the House of Representatives, Republican Rep. Jim Jordan assailed Dr. Anthony Fauci’s competence and authority, demanding to know exactly when we, the public, would be free to resume the freedom of our lives prior to COVID-19.

Although Fauci could not pinpoint an exact date, he assured Jordan that we were on the way to a full recovery. But that was not good enough for Jordan, and he continued to demand, at the top of his voice, a definite time.

But Fauci is a scientist. And science deals with probabilities, not absolute certainties.

Mark Helbling

Manoa

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