Roger Babcock, director of the city’s Department of Environmental Services, estimated the city would need to pay about $7 million in “tipping costs,” which is the amount that is charged when there’s not enough trash to burn at HPOWER to meet the contracted quota (“Honolulu exploring new ways to manage food waste,” Star-Advertiser, June 14).

Years ago when we started mandatory recycling, there was an advertising campaign that said what should and should not be put in the blue recycling bins.

People have forgotten. I see blue bins overflowing with cereal boxes, beer boxes, disposable diaper boxes and more, all of which are not economically recyclable here in Hawaii.

I believe a renewed effort is needed. First, the city should conduct a random audit to determine how much nonrecyclable material is placed in the blue bins. Then develop an educational campaign to remove these items from blue bins and get them into the gray bins where they will best benefit Honolulu.

Bob Volkwein

Aiea

City should support popularity of pickleball

Congratulations to the organizers, sponsors, volunteers and the 443 participants of the inaugural Hawaii- Pacific Rim Pickleball Cup held at the Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park (CORP) from June 16-19. The tournament was a success, and the CORP was filled every day with hundreds of people enjoying great competition and sportsmanship in age categories from keiki to kupuna.

Pickleball is one of the fastest, if not the fastest-growing sport on Oahu. It’s a pity there were absolutely no pickleball courts located in the CORP before the start of the tournament. Tournament volunteers had to tape the boundary lines to create the pickleball courts and provided all the pickleball nets without any assistance from the city Department of Parks and Recreation.

No complaints, as this was the first large-scale pickleball tournament on Oahu. But one can only hope that the city will wake up to reality and better support the sport of pickleball in the future by providing pickleball courts with nets in our parks. It could start with CORP and Ala Moana Regional Park.

Stephen Tom

Alewa Heights

Give new HPD chief a break from criticism

Give our new police chief a break (“New Honolulu Police Department Chief Arthur ‘Joe’ Logan is sworn in privately,” Star-Advertiser, June 15). I totally understand the private swearing-in ceremony to get on with the job for which he has qualified.

With the media coverage he has endured concerning his adult son’s life choices, pomp and circumstance can come later. His job comes first.

I wish you well, Chief Logan. Stay strong.

Deborah Freitas

Kailua

There are better ways to reform criminal justice

Mahalo for highlighting the compelling case for criminal justice reform in Hawaii (“Beyond the bars,” Star-Advertiser, Insight, May 22).

I hope it is dawning on us that incarceration does not work, and instead only makes our islands and world more dangerous.

Unfortunately, it will take much more than the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission’s tepid call for the already overburdened Department of Public Safety (DPS) to “form a community advisory committee to explore policies and programs needed to right-size OCCC,” which is clearly way beyond the scope and expertise of DPS.

It would be better to bring together all the relevant partners from corrections, education, health, vocational rehabilitation, courts, police, business, social services and under the auspices of experienced national experts as available through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for little or no cost, versus continuing to waste taxpayer time and money on expensive yet piecemeal and ineffective efforts as we’ve repeatedly done over the past few decades.

Let’s start fixing our mistakes before they need “corrections.”

Edward Suarez

Manoa

Republican politicians must reject the Big Lie

Many people seem to agree: Hawaii needs a viable alternative choice, after decades of single-party rule. As a Democrat who voted for Linda Lingle twice, it is obvious to me that we desperately require a “loyal opposition” to keep our politicians honest and responsive to the concerns of their constituents.

But here is the dilemma for people like me: The only other viable party on the ballot lacks a platform, and is controlled by Donald Trump, who demands that his party members embrace the Big Lie concerning the outcome of the 2020 election — judged legitimate by everyone who matters, including Mike Pence.

Each local Republican candidate, therefore, must answer two questions: Do you support Donald Trump in 2024, should he run? And do you believe that Joe Biden is currently president? In other words, do you believe in the Constitution and the rule of law? Republicans who remain silent on these questions or duck them, are not, by definition, worthy of any American’s vote.

Kevin O’Leary

Kalihi Valley

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