Regarding the Ukrainians’ Mariupol extraction plea: What can we do?

Please call your two U.S. senators today in Washington and ask them to address the extraction request by the Ukrainians in Mariupol.

And, use your platforms, issue press releases and advocate for their extraction today — before it’s too late.

Christopher P. Fishkin

Kihei, Maui

Mahalo to so many volunteers in our midst

Let us recognize during National Volunteer Week, April 17-23, the thousands of volunteers in Hawaii. Dedication, compassion and with malama, volunteers help keiki to kupuna.

Organizations such as the River of Life Mission have volunteers helping the homeless, the state Department of Health’s Medical Reserve Corp had volunteers assisting public health nurses during the COVID-19 response, and the Alzheimer’s Association Hawaii chapter has volunteers helping those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias thru education, support groups and advocacy. These are just a few examples of the impact of volunteers in our communities.

Mahalo nui loa, volunteers!

Calvin Hara

Kaimuki

Appeal, overturn judge’s impactful mask ruling

The decision by a Donald Trump- appointed, 33-year-old former clerk of Justice Clarence Thomas to invalidate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s authority to apply science to protect Americans from a pandemic, is troubling. While everyone welcomes the ability to travel without masking, the decision undermines important legal authority of the CDC to address health emergencies in the future.

If there was any reason to empower the CDC to prevent a deadly pandemic (or other future health crisis), its authority to require masking to prevent the spread of a highly transmissible disease in interstate public transportation would be that essential purpose.

As a retired attorney with more legal experience than the judge has in total age, I humbly question the wisdom of this judge, who was deemed unqualified by the American Bar Association, to superimpose her beliefs over health experts applying clear legal power exercised by prior administrations, including Trump’s.

It must be appealed and overturned before the next national health emergency.

Francis M. Nakamoto

Moanalua Valley

Consider alternatives to political status quo

Your article, “Candidate familiarity overshadows policy differences,” acknowledged that the main Hawaii Democrats running for governor (Josh Green, Kirk Caldwell and Vicky Cayetano) are essentially the same in their policies, and the only real differences come down to personality.

If Hawaii voters are content with the current state of the state, they should vote for one of these candidates. If not they should consider an alternative to the status quo (Republican, Libertarian, Green Party, etc.). Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

Mark Saxon

Kahului

Little return for kupuna after lifetime of taxes

On raising the minimum hourly wage to $18: We who are on Social Security and might be fortunate to get $2,200 a month, in pre-tax and Medicare dollars (after tax, around $1,700 a month), get pre-tax money that equates to $13.75 an hour for a 40-hour week. Many have worked in our early teen years for wages that would be insulting to people today, then worked for decades to retire to subpar Social Security payments. We paid taxes on those dollars and yet are taxed today to a rate considered poverty income and then taxed on all of our purchases as well.

A large percentage of retirees struggle with poor health and with ever-increasing expenses. How anyone could justify a $18 minimum wage is an insult to older Americans who have shouldered the burden of excessive taxation, with expenses these days that are mind-boggling. No to that minimum pay increase — but that would be a yes if Social Security was raised to a humane nonpoverty rate that equals minimum-wage increase demands.

Rich Moran

Waipahu

Restrict tour helicopters and their nuisance noise

A nuisance is defined as an activity that is “offensive to the senses or interferes with a person’s reasonable use and enjoyment of life or property,” while in Hawaii a public nuisance is defined as “an unreasonable interference with a common right to the general public.”

If the incessant noise from tour helicopter operations doesn’t meet those definitions, I don’t know what would.

This is a case of the good of the few over the good of the many. Hundreds of thousands of residents who reside under their flight paths and/or in earshot of one of their regular destinations are adversely impacted by their activities.

I’m all for tourism and small business, but not at the expense of peace and quiet for a large segment of the population.

Lawmakers should consider passing legislation restricting tour helicopter flight paths to offshore-only.

David Harrington

Kaneohe

Let’s celebrate Happy Life Day, all year long

Happy Earth Day! That’s it?

A few humans give a few thoughts about our beautiful, but currently unhappy, dear Mother Earth? What about the other 364 days?

How about we show some attention, some love to not only all humans and all our wonderful varieties and manifestations — but also to all creatures, all beings, all forms of life that strive to inhabit this glorious planet?

How about we celebrate a happy life day, 365 days a year?

Happy Life Day!

William Metzger

Manoa

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