Drivers should give bicyclists their aloha

There have been a couple letters appearing here disparaging the new King Street bike lane and the "inconvenience" it will cause motor vehicle divers.

What appears to be unrecognized is that bicycle commuters have endured years of inconvenience and risks getting safely into town from Honolulu’s eastern neighborhoods.

With the recently enacted "complete streets" law, all modes of travel — motor vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, or skateboards for that matter — must be accommodated in use of our public thoroughfares.

Bicyclists don’t take parking or pollute the air, and they generally live healthy lives (except when they are hit by drivers not paying attention).

Drivers should try to understand the concerns of bicyclists and give them their aloha.

Richard Sullivan
St. Louis Heights

Election was for more of the same

So, the Hawaii Democrats voted again for same-old same-old.So, please, no grumble!

Michael Acebedo
Kailua

Veterans picked on from left and right

Last month, there were a few articles in the local newspapers on suspected Nazi World War II criminals receiving Social Security payments from the U.S.

Nothing has been done yet about these people receiving monthly supplements, except that they were asked to leave this country.

Why is the head of the Social Security Administration not being called in to stop making payments to these Nazis?

Also, it was really sad to read that a member of Congress made comments about veterans being so-called triple dippers. The Social Security Administration considers federal and state retirees double dippers. All of us veterans proudly served in the armed forces. All retirees, military or civilian, deserve what they receive.

We veterans are being picked on left and right. Where is the support that some veterans have been awaiting for years?

Norman Yoshimoto
Hilo

Accident likely on Leihoku Street

Leihoku Street in Waianae is a thoroughfare for cars, trucks and motorcycles — an easy route to get to Lualualei farm lands.

This street is residential all the way up to Leihoku Elementary School, which intersects Lualualei Homestead Road.

There are no interval speed-limit signs, and children cross Leihoku Street after school hours. I called the city’s road maintenance division but got no immediate response. So, I called the state Department of Transportation, which referred me back to the road maintenance division.

The residents of Leihoku Street need some assistance before a child gets hurt.

Al Mejia
Waianae

Homeless returning to streets of Waikiki

After four months away, I returned to my Waikiki neighborhoodin late October and found that I could get up at 6 a.m. and take my usual two-hour walk through the community without being surrounded by the homeless.

Early risers were able to enjoy the beach, the sidewalks and the benches on which to rest with their morningcoffee. What a change.

I found that during my absence the city and the state had passed new laws taking back Waikiki for the residents and tourists.Things were as they should be for the first time in ages.

Today things are definitely getting back to the old normal. Recently Iran into at least eight homeless men and women, four of whom desperately needed to be in hospital or treatment facilities.The mayor and the police chief need to take action, before this situation gets worse. They now have the lawsto do something.

Gordon Wolfe
Waikiki

GOP should work with Obama on TPP

Now that the Republicans have taken control of the U.S. Senate, it is time for them to work with President Barack Obama, who wishes to be known as the "Pacific President," to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Doing so would bring about an economic element to complement the security element of the pivot to Asia. Both would bolster America’s position in the Asia-Pacific region, the world’s fastest growing economic center.

Given the crucial role thatTaiwan plays in the global supply chain of information technology, Republicans and Democrats alikemust insist thatit be included in TPP.

Bill Sharp
Moiliili

Kudos to fine folks at Tripler Hospital

Over time, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Tripler Army Medical Center have taken a number of raps.

I would like to say something positive. The VA put me in the care of Tripler for my prostate and bladder cancers. Over the past two years I have had two major surgeries and 10 lesser procedures.

The staff and all concerned have gone the length to be sure that today I am as well as can be. I have nothing but high marks for everyone, from my physicians to the medics in the wards. They all treated me with total respect, making my total wellness a high priority. Each of them is at the top of my list of caregivers.

Robert Zimmer
Makiki