Bar homeless from business restrooms

Regarding Alvin Murphy’s suggestion that businesses allow the homeless to use their restrooms: This may be called "giving," but it would be giving way too much ("Open up bathrooms for use by homeless," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 29).

The tents that they live in look and smell like pig pens. Their trash and garbage is everywhere for someone else to clean up. And you must know that they would be bathing, smoking pot, drinking and sleeping in these bathrooms, if such a suggestion were implemented.

This is not an idea that any business should consider.

James Robinson
Aiea

Sand Island ideal for homeless site

I agree with having the homeless go to a compelling and compassionate area. The question is where?

How about Sand Island? It’s out of the public eye.

With permission from the state and city governments, establish an amnesty zone with portable restrooms and showers. A shuttle to transport if need be. Food can be donated by churches or from the private sector.

Patrick Carvalho
McCully

Hawaii’s No. 1 asset includes homeless

If Mark Webster is not calling for a homeless shelter in Waialae-Kahala, then he must be encouraging our government to practice Chinese-style repression of its citizens to protect "our No. 1 asset: Tourism" and that just doesn’t make sense ("Keep homeless away from tourists," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Jan. 7).

I’d like to suggest that the true No. 1 asset in Hawaii is our people, and the best way to help those experiencing homelessness is to work with them to secure stable housing and a pathway out of poverty — not criminalize them and drive them further to the margins of society.

In Hawaii’s extended ohana, it is everyone’s kuleana to help care for those who are less fortunate, including those struggling on the streets.

Alika Campbell
Kailua

Higher assessments hurt homeowners

My neighbors and I are in shock after receiving our 2014 real property assessment notices from the city.

In my case, my assessment for 2014 is 23 percent higher than 2013 and 40 percent higher than 2012.

This accelerating trend is forecast to continue over the next two years or more. The effect of this rapid inflation may soon become exacerbated when the City Council addresses the tax rate in June.

Many of us who live on Oahu have no interest in selling our homes. We just want to live out our lives in them without being taxed excessively because of values determined by property buyers who may have been willing to pay any price to capture low mortgage interest rates before they inevitably increase.

Of course, we have the right to appeal our assessments, but to what end, when the process is arduous and lengthy in terms of the time it takes to receive a decision, based on my past experience?

I hope Mayor Kirk Caldwell and the City Council won’t attempt to balance the city’s budget on the backs of Oahu’s property owners.

Terry Inglett
Waialae

Firefighters’ raise seems excessive

The salaries of firefighters will be raised by 18 percent ("Firefighters to get 18 percent pay raise," Star-Advertiser, Dec. 20).

Recently, the Social Security Administration has raised benefits to recipients by 1.6 percent, which means the handicapped, wheelchair-bound, blind and deaf will receive a whopping

1.6 percent raise on the amounts they previously received.

Benefits range from the low $100’s and upward.

While our landed-gentry forefathers may have had the right spirit in 1935, when the original Social Security Act was passed, it has sadly eroded.

People who have been discriminated against in the past on whatever basis have traditionally received low wages, and left virtually penniless in the future.

After World War II, my father was a volunteer fireman. I volunteered in the Peace Corps, and I never expected to become rich, but I never expected that I would starve either.

I believe that money wasted on other things could be best spent on the citizens who have worked and served the country through assisting others.

Cathleen Pomponio
Kalihi

Presidential library would lure tourists

Having the Obama presidential library in Honolulu will be a wonderful, worthwhile attraction.

Presidential libraries provide the visitor with an excellent history lesson for the period involved, at whatever depth the viewer — a tourist or a scholar — wishes to pursue.

This is an excellent opportunity for Hawaii to increase tourism.

I have seen people from all over the world at the 11 presidential libraries, museums and homes I have visited.

It would greatly enhance Hawaii as a vacation destination.

Paul K. Funkhouser
Wahiawa

Nothing good about deal for drone tests

Regarding drone testing in Hawaii, does the truth of any situation ever matter in our current climate ("Hawaii among states selected by FAA for drone testing," Star-Advertiser, Dec. 30)?

The answer is no, absolutely, it does not matter.

What is the truth of this situation?

The state of Hawaii is accepting money from the federal government to carry forward a program that we as a state would never promote unless the state was paid.

The state should have refused. There is nothing good about this deal. There is a great deal to hate.

Nandarani Evans
Makiki