Bill 54 clearly aimed against the homeless

The French poet Anatole France said, "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich and the poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

While one may argue that Bill 54 pending before the Honolulu City Council is one of "general applicability," that does not mean it is a law of equal applicability.

While I don’t doubt that the law’s intent is to ensure public access to sidewalks, its value should be analyzed in terms of its applicability.

Bill 54 prohibits persons from storing personal property on public property. Who primarily does so? Answer: the homeless.

Our success as a society should be judged not on the commodities and luxuries available to be purchased by consumers, but rather on those same goods we give freely to those in need out of our own collective abundance.

What does it say about us if we strip the homeless of what little they have left?

Kyle Dowd
Aiea

HECO should be able to lower fuel charge

Your Page A1 headline was a warning when I opened my Hawaiian Electric Co. bill this morning ("Turn ’em off!," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 13).

We have used less power this billing period than at the same time last year, yet are paying more for it and providing our own envelope and stamp to do so.

If Matson is able to lower its fuel surcharge, surely HECO can do the same.

Ross McGerty
Waialua

Society can’t ensure safety for everyone

The Star-Advertiser thinks motorcyclists should be forced to wear helmets ("Require bikers to wear helmets," Star-Advertiser, Our View, Oct. 10).

The argument is that some motorcyclists don’t have insurance, therefore the taxpayer is burdened with those expenses. This is true, but where do we draw the line?

Americans enjoy countless risky behaviors that cost the taxpayers a fortune. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading cause of death is heart disease. We spend thousands of times more on the medical expenses caused by obesity than we do on uninsured motorcyclists. Should we outlaw fast food? What about swimming? More people die in the waters of Hawaii than they do riding motorcycles here, and yet we foot the bill for the uninsured surfers and swimmers.

Americans value freedom of choice above all else. We have fought with our very lives for it since this country began. I’ve seen our freedom chipped away, little by little. I think it is crazy to ride a motorcycle at all, but I’m not going to try and block my neighbor from it.

Be careful when you point at someone else, because it is certain that something you value could be on the chopping block next.

Tim Syrop
Kapolei

Waikiki restrooms are in terrible condition

Currently, Honolulu is spending $5.5 million on Kalakaua Avenue’s sidewalks, covering them with a tan stone surface so Waikiki’s visitors will take home a good impression.

However, the lasting memories both visitors and residents take home after a Waikiki visit is the appallingly nasty, poorly cleaned condition of the city’s 11-year-old, heavily used public restrooms along Kalakaua Avenue.

The constant odor in the men’s restrooms and their appearance proves no disinfectant or scrubbing has been used effectively on the porcelain fixtures, floors or wall tile in a very, very long time, and the scum and spit visible on much of the porcelain is disgusting.

I am told that the women’s restrooms are in the same condition.

Mayor Peter Carlisle should work to provide adequate funding, staffing, training, equipment and antiseptic products to keep these important restrooms and showers professionally cleaned all day, every day.

This would do much more to create a good impression of Waikiki than stone sidewalks.

Robert Rodman
Honolulu

Nimitz tree plantings a blast from the past

The planting of trees along Nimitz Highway reminds me of President Lyndon Johnson’s visit in the 1960s.

A friend and I hitchhiked into town from Ewa Beach to watch him drive by.

As the motorcade was starting off at the airport, workers were still planting palm trees along the route he would take: Nimitz Highway.

Those trees were never watered except by rain. I watched those trees over the years. Even neglected, some of them survived for a long time.

Now we are doing it again. At least this time it appears that workers are installing a watering system of some kind instead of just digging a hole and pushing in a tree.

Jon Crocker
Salt Lake

Statistics show kids leaving public schools

The Star-Advertiser’s front page news about public school enrollment trumpets a telling trend in our educational systems: Parents are abandoning standard public schools in droves in favor of public charter schools to the tune of more than 8 to 1, percentage wise ("Class count hits 6-year high," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 13).

One in four students now attends either a private school or a public charter school, many of which are already at capacity and have waiting lists.

I think it’s high time our state Department of Education and Legislature change their intransigent ways and take a serious, pragmatic look into this trend before it’s too late.

Instead of limiting or withholding charter school funds to maintain its control on education, they should be embracing this paradigm shift and taking advantage of it.

Also, look into the possibility of school vouchers to let families choose their schools, where our tax dollars could be better managed.

Orson Moon
Aiea

Too bad Hirono voted against trade pact

We should be pleased that Congress finally came together and passed this very important piece of trade legislation — important for the U.S. and for Hawaii ("Congress endorses free trade pacts with 3 countries," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 13).

Implementation of the U.S.-Korea trade agreement will mean hundreds of thousands of added jobs in the U.S. and tens of billions of dollars in increased U.S. exports to Korea.

It is the most important bilateral trade agreement ever approved by the U.S. — and with a country with which we share close economic and security ties.

Hawaii will benefit greatly from this agreement. I applaud Hawaii’s congressional delegation for voting "yes" on the agreement — all except Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, who voted "no."

I had hoped the entire Hawaii delegation would be unanimous on a vote so important to Hawaii and America, especially in these difficult economic times.

Bill Oberlin
Aina Haina

Make sure kupuna protected from fraud

I am voicing a caring concern for our kupuna and their rights ("More seniors victimized by financial abuse," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 12).

I was appalled at the breach of trust represented by these cases. The bar graph tells a horrifying story, with a 36 percent increase in reports of financial exploitation since 2003, of which about 17 percent of those were confirmed. This is an epidemic.

The Legislature definitely needs to develop a stopper for this type of fraud. Rep. John Mizuno’s statement about Hawaii aging faster than other states is shocking when compared with the rise in financial exploitation cases in the last nine years.

I applaud those who are willing to give of their time and money, and commit to taking care for our kupuna in their time of need.

There must be a measure enacted that can ensure the capacity of the kupuna. They need to understand the consequences of their actions when establishing a power of attorney. They must be safe from dishonest people.

Our kupuna deserve better than this.

Frankie McCurley
Ewa Beach