Charity, self-help ought to be tried

Could the neighbors of Mayor Wright Housing assist in coordinating a volunteer effort to do the upkeep on this housing? Could Mayor Wright Housing provide the public with the list of home repairs needed? Could it become a thriving community?

Could each construction business donate one tankless water heater? Could several contribute for rooftop solar water heating or cooling?

Could construction unions donate apprenticeship hours for installation and repairs? Could repairs and construction cleanup be considered community service?

Could organizations recycle the removed materials? Could recycling companies teach recycling on the spot? Could Mayor Wright citizens become certified landscapers and practice on the property? Could the City and County of Honolulu assist with rubbish removal and building permits?

Could each Mayor Wright unit contribute a certain number of hours as is done in self-help, build-your-own-home types of situations?

Services abound for the homeless

I’m getting so tired of people saying we need to provide cheap housing for the homeless. We do. It’s there: shelters, halfway homes, state government programs. But the homeless don’t want to follow simple rules.

If the homeless cared for themselves, they would be taking full advantage of these programs, including the education programs for their children. The best way to combat homelessness is with education and opportunities, through programs to keep the homeless off drugs and alcohol and to teach children what’s right and wrong. Provide drug testing and counseling for those who need the helping hand.

If the current homeless decide not to participate in our programs, place the children in foster care and the adults in jail or hospitals until they choose to become productive citizens. It’s tough love but someone has to say it.

If we’re going to be held accountable for their lives, let’s get something back for our investment.

Politicians bad money managers

We just learned that, a year from now, the City and County of Honolulu will be $383 million in debt, double what it was seven years ago.

On top of that, the state is facing a budget shortfall of more than $800 million.

And let’s not forget the federal government, which is now more than $14 trillion in debt.

Do you ever get the feeling that politicians and government bureaucrats aren’t real good at managing money?

School closure hard to believe

I’m not even Hawaiian and I feel insulted and violated for the imminent closure of Liliuokalani Elementary School.

I moved here in 1994 and was fascinated by the rich history of this beautiful state.

Now, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of our queen’s dedication of her school, it is being shut down by its own people? Am I to understand that correctly? So where are all the Hawaiian groups who should be protesting this insult to the queen?

I am outraged and you are not? Something is wrong with this picture, or did you guys just lose heart for your own?

Rail will attract new businesses

I don’t understand how people can tell the government in one breath to get rid of the rail system and then in the next breath tell it to bring in new businesses so people can have jobs. Isn’t that what the rail is all about?

Warn tourists about isle crime

Recently at my job in Waikiki I spoke to two tourists who got robbed on the same day. One had the car trunk broken into and the other had items stolen at the beach.

Since tourist theft is rampant lately, I have some ideas to help stop it. On the plane, a short warning on the welcome video could warn tourists to not leave items in car trunks or leave any items on the beach when swimming. Rental-car companies should put a bright orange warning sticker on the inside of each of the trunks of their cars.

I have found that tourists are so happy to get to Hawaii that they forget about crime and become easy targets for criminals.

Opera at school was a delight

Now that another successful Hawaii Opera Theatre season is almost concluded, how are we in Honolulu going to adjust to a sudden operatic deprivation?

Having just seen Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Pirates of Penzance" presented at Kaimuki High School, I would strongly recommend a trip to that campus this coming weekend to enjoy this marvelous student production.

The voices were melodic, fully up to the semi-operatic range required, with hints of satire of grand opera divas. Every ounce of comic gold in the now-classic Victorian-era script was mined — both verbally, with the famous major general’s patter song, and in dancing, with the startling originality of the police sergeant.

Singing and laughter — what a treat! I know I’ll be attending the show again this coming weekend.

GOP has ulterior motivations

The GOP in Congress is simply playing chicken with its Democratic opponents.

This will promote its agenda of cutting all Democratic-backed programs, such as the regulatory mission of the Environmental Protection Agency and the social programs intended to assist middle-class Americans, in the attempt to discredit the Obama administration.

If Republicans want to balance the budget, their first order should have been to increase income by restoring the individual income tax rate to the wealthy earning over $250,000, assessing any outsourcing corporations doing business overseas, and increasing corporate taxes to big oil and mining companies, partly to cover for worker health and safety.

None of the above will ever be done as long as the GOP is beholden to the corporate and financial interests, such as the Koch brothers who skew the political rhetoric.

Similarly in Hawaii, the GOP will not be in shape until it rejects its legacy of elitism and social conservatism. The Democrats took over state politics precisely by paying attention to the needs of its people.