Lack of sit-lie bill is disappointing

Monday’s Star-Advertiser editorial opinion was right on ("Limited sit-lie bill better than nothing," Our View, July 28).

It’s hard to believe our City Council can’t come up with a bill to stop vagrants (not necessarily homeless) from peeing, crapping, barfing, laying and panhandling on the streets of Waikiki.

The Council doesn’t seem to realize that our visitor industry is one of the primary engines of Hawaii’s economy.Imagine a Japanese bride coming out of her hotel in her wedding dress and having to step over a drunk, half-dressed vagrant laying on the sidewalk in a pool of pee and asking her if she has some change. What happened to common sense?

Something has to change at the City Council.An election is coming up: Throw the bums out!

Maury Myers
Former chairman, Hawaii Visitors Bureau; former CEO, Aloha Airlines Diamond Head

Mayor needs more help at City Council

The "sit-lie" bill was heard, then deferred, at Thursday’s Zoning Committee meeting.

Having been an initial champion of the concept and also having sat through three separate introductions at City Council by different Council members, I am left with a sense of exasperation and feel like the character Bill Murray portrayed in the movie, "Groundhog Day."

This concept was meant to apply in Waikiki only, and the mayor picked it up and gave it yet another try.

On Thursday, his representatives clearly failed in their presentation; they need to immediately come up with alternative housing for Waikiki’s homeless — now, not months from now. Perhaps the mayor needs fresh faces in those positions.

Dave Moskowitz
Waikiki

Bus baggage rule not applied evenly

It amuses me that every time I catch the bus, passengers bring all sorts of luggage onboard, such as large shopping carts, oversized backpacks, strollers (not with children but used as shopping carts) — and not a word is said.

Yet when I purchased a mid-sized bag in the early morning for my wife’s extra shopping and went to board an empty bus back to Waikiki, I was bluntly told no bags allowed. My bag was no larger than other items brought onboard, and could sit on my lap.

TheBus sign states no bags; small, medium, large. I clearly understand large bags can be a problem in a full bus, but so do those other items I mentioned.

Others have raised the question about the purported rail link from the airport and problems with luggage. The current policy will cause chaos if some common sense does not prevail.

Robert Mork
Sydney, Australia

Interisland fliers might like using rail

I support the idea of a rail station at the airport. It is one of the few features that makes sense to me.

I agree that the first-time tourist may not use the rail. However, every day we have so many people flying among the islands and so many people working at the airport. These folks typically carry a briefcase, knapsack or small bag. They drive to the airport and park there all day. I think it would be very popular with that type of driver to have this alternative.

If it is popular, it will pull hundreds, if not thousands, of drivers off the road and free up parking at the airport.

Jo-Ann Adams
Waikiki

Politics should be for the people

This is the time to vote, but it also is the time to remember what occurred this past year, especially with the special election.

Voters should remember how their elected officials turned their backs and deaf ears to what people said about issues such as same-sex marriage, and show their displeasure by doing the same and turning deaf ears and their back son those who failed to listen to those who elected them in the first place.

Let’s get politics back to what it should be: for the people.

Ben Johnson
Waipahu

Same-sex marriage was about justice

This is regarding Melvin Partido Sr.’s prediction that legislators who voted to enact marriage equality will face retaliation from the vocal minority of registered voters who oppose marriage equality ("Same-sex marriage still election issue," Letters, July 22).

It bears repeating that equal justice under the law, a foundational principle of this country, is not served when heterosexual murderers, rapists and child molesters may marry even while behind bars — while law-abiding, taxpaying gays and lesbians are denied access to marriage.

To punish legislators for making Hawaii’s marriage laws more nearly consistent with liberty and justice for all is to support the legally and morally indefensible argument that anti-gay injustice must never be completely eliminated.

Fortunately, the proportion of voters who oppose marriage equality is decreasing, while the proportion of voters who accept marriage equality is increasing.

As Thomas Jefferson stated, "Laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind."

Kent Hirata
Punchbowl

Will Kakaako be like Amsterdam?

On Kakaako development: Economic and social apartheid-school teachers and hotel workers need not apply.

The state, urban planners and developers are selling us Amsterdam, but will they deliver us Rio de Janeiro with its favelas, Johannesburg with Soweto, instead?

Developers are asking for variances for height and density limits, building alignment, etc., in exchange for affordable housing.

For whom are these housing units really affordable? And with all these changes, are we really going to get Amsterdam?

Howard Kadohiro
Manoa