Speed up initiatives to help homeless

The city must speed up Housing First and not concentrate on a few high-cost renovations of up to $80,000 per unit at Winston Hale.

It is critical to provide housing quickly. Repairing what needs repairing quickly will be sufficient for most.

Chinatown is better because of the sit/lie ordinances. Having two public toilets really helped clean up the streets, but social services need to ramp up to accommodate the hard-core homeless. Rules about smoking and drinking need to be revised to accommodate those with these habits so others are not disturbed. Concentrating homeless services in Iwilei makes sense.

Sooner or later our homeless need to move on because of sanitary and health concerns.

It’s only fair that sit/lie rules apply to all our neighborhoods so folks must accept temporary shelters and give up their "freedom" to live where they please.

Chu Lan Shubert-Kwock
Chinatown

Don’t run red lights at crosswalks

Nearly every time a traffic light turns red, someone speeds through it, going against the walk signal at the same time. This happens going straight through a light, or turning on a red light without stopping first.

Because of this behavior, crosswalks are not the safest place to cross the street.

"Click it or ticket" is a good idea. Now how about "Stop for the red light or ticket"? Please be more aware of pedestrians and less anxious to get through the light ("Kapolei woman, 70, killed while crossing the street," Star-Advertiser, May 2).

Michael Zucker
Palolo Valley

Train workers in good government

David Shapiro provides a glimpse of Hawaii’s massive fiscal and operational incompetency ("State’s laxity on little tasks can’t bode well for big stuff," Star-Advertiser, Volcanic Ash, May 17).

For decades, we have had a bankrupt university and elementary school system, road repair system and overall political system. Fiscal education from Grade 1 through college is a must-have.

We pay ample taxes for quality services, but constantly hear, "There’s not enough funding." Why not? It seems that nobody has been educated about how money works, or how to properly do a job. Is it that they don’t care, or are brain dead?

We need to either properly train the incompetents or fire them if they can’t perform such simple tasks as depositing checks on time or properly paving a road. Most of our roadway surfaces are rough and uneven and with potholes. Ouch!

Jon von Kessel
Waikiki

How to act when victim has a stroke

Maureen Dowd wrote about strokes ("Getting a second opinion can give a new lease on life," Star-Advertiser, May 5). It would be important also to know what specialist Dr. Matthew Koning recently sharedon Olelo community television.

» When people have heart attacks, they feel pain and know to get help.

» When people have a stroke caused by a blood clot in the brain, they do not know and others must act for them.

How to guess?FAST says it all.F = Face drops one side.A = Arms. Can’t raise both.S = Speech. Slurred. T = Time. Time is essential. The faster clot-dissolving medicine can be taken, the better.

Thegreat news is that ambulance crews have been trained to call the hospital in advance so medical help will be available on arrival.When you call 911 for either stroke or heart attack, besure to say why you are calling sothat information goes to the top of their list.

Sylvia Mitchell
Liliha

Aloha aina needed in telescope debate

Those in support of the Thirty Meter Telescope claim economic benefits, increased scientific knowledge and community pride. We can reach those same goals through aloha aina and do so without increasing the already significantly adverse environmental impact.

We can encourage our community members to become more aware of the issues that affect them and get more involved with finding and creating solutions. We can fund education, not by taking from others, but by raising our own money in our own communities. We can support local small businesses and farms while encouraging more startups.

No amount of money will ever be worth jeopardizing the future of my home. To me, the construction of the TMT will do just that. The familial relationship between humans and the environment requires that we care for that which cares for us and protect that which protects us. There is no compromise in aloha aina, there is only action.

Jessica Waia‘u
Hilo

Mediation can help in Mauna Kea issue

We support the view expressed in Peter Adler’s excellent article ("Science and Native Hawaiian culture can co-exist," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, May 6).

Not only can kanaka maoli culture and science co-exist, they must co-exist as an example of ho‘oponopono in our conflicted state and world. In a community of conversation, we need to cultivate the empathetic side of our human nature. This side calls for our focused attention, active listening and kindness toward each other.

When will our leaders and kupuna call for a stakeholder agreed-upon peace and reconciliation process involving all Mauna Kea viewpoints, concerns and people? Their call would be to make things right or pono regarding all issues presented at Pele’s home, and solutions that all could live with.

Our homegrown indigeneous and professional peacemakers could help design and facilitate the suggested process with aloha.

Tom DiGrazia
Director, Mediation Center-Windward Oahu

Lisa Jacobs
Collaborative lawyer and mediator