We urge Gov. David Ige to immediately sign into law the minimum-wage increase (“Wave of bills that could become law sent to Gov. David Ige,” Star-Advertiser, May 4). Don’t make our lowest-wage earners wait and wonder any longer. They need and deserve this modest raise.

Approximately 88,000 workers earn less than $12 per hour and will benefit from this much-needed boost in their incomes to $12 an hour in October. More workers will benefit as additional increases in the state minimum wage gradually take effect until the minimum wage reaches $18 per hour in 2028.

This legislation also would make the state earned income tax credit (EITC) permanent and refundable. Hawaii’s existing earned income tax credit expires this year and is not refundable, meaning many low-income taxpayers can’t use it because their earnings are too low to require significant taxes. The boost provided by a refundable state EITC is necessary now more than ever to realize a full economic recovery in the islands.

The Rev. Samuel L. Domingo

Hawaii Workers Center

Return of fireworks to Waikiki a welcome sight

Mahalo to Hilton Hawaiian Village for bringing back the Friday night fireworks. We are among the many kama- aina and visitors who enjoy them from Ala Moana Regional Park every week. Please keep sponsoring them.

Valorie Carpenter

Hawaii Kai

There’s no real defense in Pacific missile radar

After years of lobbying the Pentagon to build an immensely costly ($2 billion) radar system, our congressional delegates have decided to no longer support it (“Hawaii delegation backs off radar as military rethinks Pacific missile defense,” Star-Advertiser, June 5).

The question is, why did they in the first place? The most likely answer is that our congressional delegation liked the prospect of taking credit for the cache of federal dollars coming into Hawaii from the hugely expensive system.

Members of Congress may talk about the safety and security such a radar system would provide, but it is negligible: After all, we live in Fortress Hawaii, one of the world’s prime nuclear targets. How many of us would survive Chinese and Russian nuclear bombs falling on our military bases and cities? And the dangers are real: Only a few weeks ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin was testing one of his hypersonic missiles, and the Chinese military is active in new areas of the South China Sea.

The only sane defense against nuclear destruction in the future is to begin an honest and comprehensive search for a global plan to eliminate all nuclear weapons and delivery systems.

Noel Kent

Manoa

Require homeless people to accept needed help

It is very obvious that the homeless situation is out of hand and that the current solutions are working only for those who want the help.

The current visible homeless who do not want help need to be forced to get help.

It is ridiculous for these legislators to espouse rights for these homeless people over the interests of the community they vowed to protect. The solution is to forcefully provide mental health services to those with mental issues and incarcerate those with drug issues into a drug-free environment to rid them of their habit.

The current attitude of these homeless is they won’t give up their current lifestyle to have rules and regulations imposed on them. Unless they’re forced to change, it’ll only get worse.

Carlton Chang

Waialae

Don’t confiscate guns; enforce stricter laws

Democratic politicians and anti-gun activists for years have tried to ban or take away semiautomatic weapons. Some say you don’t need this type of firearm for hunting or for self-protection.

Maybe you don’t, but maybe you will if you are fighting your government. Why do you think the government wants to disarm you?

The gun is not the problem; it’s the consequences of using that gun that is the problem. There should be tougher consequences when you commit a crime with a firearm. If you commit a crime with a firearm, the minimum sentence should be 10 years in prison. If you kill with a gun, death by firing squad, with the sentence carried out immediately. That’s the end of gun violence.

David Wada

Lihue

Liz Cheney should mull running for president

The Republican Party primary in Wyoming is Aug. 16. According to one poll, U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney is trailing her leading GOP primary rival, attorney Harriet Hageman, by nearly 30 percentage points.

If Cheney loses, she should launch a third-party bid for the presidency. This would give reasonable Republicans someone to vote for. Win or lose in the general election, she’ll take votes from what’s-his-name, the way Ralph Nader took nearly 3 million votes and the margin of victory away from Al Gore in 2000.

She could call it the Lincoln Party. Lincoln was a founding father of the Republican Party and is the only person ever to stand up to white supremacy and win.

Jay Henderson

Ala Moana

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