Kakaako future lacks supermarket?

My wife and I love living without a car, and have been looking at the possibility of relocating to Kakaako, a community advertised as being walkable.

However, with all the development going on, there is no information about the construction of a supermarket. If a community is to be truly walkable, it needs a major supermarket. The planning and construction of the condominium developments include parking spots for each condominium home.

Has the construction of a supermarket, which would enable people to walk to a local supermarket, been left out of the plans? If my wife and I are to relocate to Kakaako, we would need to hear more about the construction of a supermarket, as well as continuous sidewalks along all roads to make Kakaako a truly safe, walkable community, instead of another place on Oahu where people live with a car.

Kenneth Fehling
Waikiki

Legislators letting paradise disappear

The letter, "Mandates and taxes aren’t helping much" (Star-Advertiser, Feb. 16), perfectly illustrates the growing problemsnow faced by Hawaii residents.

Our legislators should realize they were elected to represent their constituents and preserve the beauty and integrity ofour Hawaiian islands, rather than ruin what has long been considered paradise by residents and visitors.

What will it take for our legislators to realize thatenough is enough?

Judith Liu
Hawaii Kai

Homeless camps should be named

During the Great Depression, homeless camps sprang up across the U.S.

Because Herbert Hoover was president at the time and assumed much of the responsibility for the Depression, the homeless camps were referred to as Hoovervilles.

Although Lingleville, in honor of Hawaii’s former governor, may be an appropriate name for many of the homeless camps here in Hawaii, that won’t help solve the homeless problem.

If we name the present homeless camps Abercrombievilles or Caldwellvilles, and people in the media refer to the homeless camps by those names, it might serve as an incentive for those in power to find a quicker solution to the present pervasive homeless problem.

Bill Astman
Makiki

FBI raid of collector worthy of old USSR

It is official — we are now living in a police state.

I read with dismay the story of Donald Miller, the Indiana man who amassednumerous artifacts from a lifetime of collecting ("FBI sorts through amateur curator’s artifacts cache," Star-Advertiser, April 4).

He was passionate about his collection and proudly showed it to anybody who was interested. There is no evidence he violated any laws in his collecting activities.

The FBI seized his collection and plans to catalog it in an attempt to see if any arcane regulations or treaties were violated. This is outrageous. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?

This story should send a chill down the spine of every American. Just like the old Soviet Union, whispers from envious neighbors could send a SWAT team to break down your door and seize your stuff, after which bureaucrats would take their sweet time to see if you ever get it back.

Rhoads Stevens
Hawaii Kai

Student athletes could use more help

Joe Nocera writes of the impending battles over the megabucks going to the NCAA and none to college football players and other athletes ("‘This is a gigantic business,’" Star-Advertiser, April 2).

I believe athletes deserve some additional consideration, given the time and effort they are required to give to the schools.

An even better place for those many millions would be financial aid for the students of those universities, too many of whom have to borrow money and leave school with very heavy debt.

William Metzger
Manoa

Critics of church should switch faiths

Dawn Morais Webster bemoans that Catholic schools seek to ensure that their teachers adhere to church doctrine ("Catholic teacher contracts violate pope’s teachings," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, April 2).

My wife and I pay a great deal of money so that our kids can receive a Catholic education from teachers who talk the talk and walk the walk.

Teachers may freely refuse to sign the contracts and just as freely, work elsewhere. They won’t face punishment.

Does she believe in punishing those who question climate change and thatthe church’s opposition to abortion is merely "obsessive policing of what people do … "?

Perhaps Webster should exercise her right to worship in a different faith tradition instead of negatively influencing the Catholic Church. Her reliance on Pope Francis to support her argument is misplaced and shameful, unless of course, she has spoken to His Holiness personally.

Patrick McCarthy
Makalapa

Many moped riders are simply rude

I totally, absolutely agree that mopeds and motorbikes apparently have a "special exemption" to noise and air pollution laws.

This is not at all fair to law-abiding citizens and especially our seniors and veteran citizens.

Many moped and motorbike operators are simply illegally inconsiderate of others with their noise and anti-green attitudes.

When will our politicians and law enforcement officials crack down on this nuisance?

W. Hank Nagel
Salt Lake