Many responsible for Kailua’s woes

I agree with the sentiments expressed by Leigh Prentiss and Judy Holt as to the stress the tourist business is placing on our Kailua "City" ("Aloha toward tourists waning," Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 1; "Tourists, rentals overwhelm Kailua," Letters, May 5).

Our government, landowners and businesses are hand-in-hand with the overdevelopment of Kailua. If there are money and political points to be made with the unions and business owners, nobody cares how this affects residents. The problem is made worse by the increasing population density with new multifamily residences rising rapidly.

I feel this is a lost battle; I hope rising negativity toward these invaders will take a lot of the "charm" away from Kailua with a resultant loss of visitors.

I disagree, however, with Prentiss as to the loss of aloha. I have plenty of aloha toward our "guests," but of the "Goodbye, don’t let the door hit you in the okole on the way out!" variety.

John Hoover
Kailua

Kawamotos deserve better consideration

What is going on here? We claim we are the state of aloha, where we take pride in our kupuna and veterans, and promote healthy families. Yet, for Mr. and Mrs. Noboru Kawamoto, I feel we have shown them just the opposite — an injustice ("Care home measure is deferred," Star-Advertiser, May 5).

Why is it so difficult for our aging kupuna to enjoy what little time they have left in the same care/foster home to enjoy their silver years?

The Kawamotos are being penalized for working hard and saving their money and not relying on Medicaid.

Perhaps if they had done the opposite, they’d be living under the same roof today.

For our policymakers to not come to a timely resolution on House Bill 600 this session is truly a disappointment.

Let’s hope the Kawamotos will be living in the same care/foster home for their 68th wedding anniversary.

Yvonne Duhaylongsod Yim
Manoa

Alleged prostitutes facing bogus charge

Thank you for reporting on the stupid stunts the Honolulu Police Department’s vice division is doing ("Alleged prostitutes face sexual assault charges," Star-Advertiser, May 7).

Arresting a prostitute for sexual assault for touching is absurd. Undercover police officers were having sex with prostitutes and arresting them until a public outcry did away from with this shameful practice. Can we go back and arrest those officers for felony rape now?

HPD’s vice division officers made these arrests because apparently they are too lazy and unskilled to go after the pimps, and they need to turn in easy arrest statistics to justify their existence.

Thank you for policing the police.

Sang Park
Waikiki

Ho‘opili will create a traffic nightmare

The recent approval of the Ho‘opili development is disappointing. One wonders what the legislators were thinking and what they stand to gain.

I listened to arguments pro and con onthe news. Those people who think this will create more jobs need only look at rail.

Hawaii was promised more jobs, yet much of the work has been contracted out to mainland companies.

At least with agricultural zoning, people are able to earn an income while producing something that benefits many people.

D. R. Horton says it will add lanes to H-1 from Kapolei area — but eventually that extra traffic will funnel into the H1-H-2 junction — I call it "Malfunction Junction" — creating more of a traffic mess than we have today.

It sounds as if Horton will be doing the construction and lane additions while rail work is continuing, so one can only imagine what commuting will be like.

Carol Schmus
Mililani

Pricey condos won’t help housing much

So, who exactly is buying the residences in the Howard Hughes’ towers ("‘Ultra luxury’ tower a moneymaker," Star-Advertiser, May 12)?

And who is actually going to live in them? I would really like to know.

At an average price of $3.7 million for the Waiea condominium tower, these units surely are not going to house many current Oahu residents. So how does that help the housing shortage or anyone but the developers?

The rest of us lose views, shopping and restaurants, and have to share already inadequate roads and infrastructure. I don’t see the plusses for any of us.

I’m certainly not going to go anywhere near that area. I’ll miss some of my favorite restaurants and shops.

Gretchen Gould
Kaneohe

Supplying blood involves expenses

I have been a blood donor for 40 years (157 total pints).

Recruiting and screening donors, collecting blood, conducting tests to ensure that it is safe to use, and processing it into various components for different uses all have costs.

The fees charged to hospitals pay for those costs ("Isle donors’ blood sold to hospitals," Star-Advertiser, May 11).

I commend all of the highly skilled staffers of the Blood Bank of Hawaii for their dedication and hard work. I am proud to be a blood donor.

Judith F. Clark
Kakaako