I’m not cutting the Navy any slack for the Red Hill debacle, by any stretch. The negative environmental and economic impacts are still unfolding and sadly, the onus falls with the Navy.

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply’s request to conserve water could be a restriction come summer given we’ve consumed more, and not less water, than normal since the request was made. Although the residents who are affected reside from Aiea to Hawaii Kai, all of Oahu and the neighbor islands should join them in the conservation effort.

If there is any good to come out this bad situation, it’s a collective and persistent effort to conserve our precious resource. It will help us be resilient in this age of climate change.

Dan Nakasone

Wahiawa

$300 tax rebate dismays as ERS liability grows

It was with some dismay, coupled with a shake of the head, that I read that state Rep. Sylvia Luke and state Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz are proposing a $300 per person tax rebate. It is hard to find exact numbers, but the unfunded liability of the state’s Employees’ Retirement System (ERS), which was $7 billion to $8 billion in 2010/2011, has now grown to more than $15 billion for 2021.

This is a major financial crisis looming because state legislators are not doing their job and paying the bills. They would rather siphon off money from the ERS than keep it solvent. At the very least, they should change the retirement-calculation basis to be like the Feds and only count base pay and not add in overtime. This whole situation is nothing short of ridiculous.

John Arnest

Wilhelmina Rise

Hapalua half-marathon deserved some coverage

The Hapalua half-marathon race was run on Sunday for the first time in three years. There were more than 4,500 runners who finished. Thousands more participated and/or cheered the runners on.

But there was not a word about it in Monday’s newspaper, no pictures, not even a condensed listing in the sports Scorecard section. Why was this major event totally ignored by the Star-Advertiser?

Edward Conklin

Waikiki

Raising minimum wage past $15 could hurt many

I am in favor of raising the minimum wage but favor making the ceiling $15. At $18, a lot of small businesses might close, contributing to more unemployment.

I believe education comes with more pay. So why doesn’t the state offer free education to the needy so that they don’t have to start their employment at minimum wage? This would benefit the majority of the people in our state, too.

It doesn’t make sense to help a small group of people by hurting the majority. Don’t get me wrong — I believe in helping the needy, but how this is going to affect the majority also should be considered.

Kenneth Ikenaga

Pearl City

Close Olomana between second and third peaks

It is time the government step in and fence off the area between the first and second peaks of Mount Olomana to protect people from themselves (“Visitor, 30, falls to his death near third peak of Olomana,” Star-Advertiser, April 7). Signs on the fence warning of a fine would not deter some, but if just one life is saved from the fence and signs, then I think it is worth it.

Where is the City Council when it is needed to intervene to get this done? Yes, someone might climb over the fence or cut the fence, so planting bougainvillea on both sides of the fence with all its thorns will deter most people.

Ken Takeya

Kailua

Reducing feral chickens would be a good thing

It is astounding that there is a group that wants to protect the invasive feral chickens in our midst (“Supporters speak up for Hawaii’s feral chickens,” Star-Advertiser, April 4). I applaud Senate Bill 2195, which would create a five-year program to reduce the number of feral chickens in the state.

Chickens were accidentally allowed to proliferate after post-hurricane escapes from farms and illegal cockfighting operations. Hawaii has a long history of limiting nonnative species that endanger our fragile environment. Feral chickens are not native to Hawaii and tarnish the beauty of our state.

While the some of the fowl have beautiful colors and feathers, feral chickens are overall a nuisance and affect the quality of life in paradise. Loud crowing by roosters in the early morning hours is not a welcome sound. Hens with chicks parading around parking lots and in neighborhoods pose health hazards. Feral chickens dig up landscaping.

Chickens belong on farms, not in residential or commercial areas and not in our parks.

Gena Whitten

Kahuku

Raise isles’ marriage age requirement to 18

In 44 states, parents can consent to have their child married before 18, Hawaii being one of them.

Currently in Hawaii, the minimum age for marriage with parental consent is 16 years old. About 45 girls in Hawaii under 18 are married every year, causing Hawaii to be ranked 30th for states with the highest child marriage rate. Certain circumstances, such as pregnancy, allow 15-year-olds to obtain a marriage license.

Child marriage undermines efforts to stop statutory rape and creates a loophole for abuse and domestic servitude, leaving girls with physical and psychological damage. Hawaii should immediately raise the minimum age for marriage to 18 to stop the vicious cycle of child marriages.

Elena Tanaka

Manoa

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