State no longer trustworthy

As I watched the demonstrators at the Ilikai recently, protesting jobs lost through condominium conversions, it occurred to me there is something more important that has been lost in Hawaii: trust.

Trust by the Hawaiian Homes Commission to Native Hawaiians’ homestead claims, and trust by the Hawaii Community Development Authority for changing the rules for condominium developers from the mainland, whose shortsightedness and greed will put the final nail in the coffin of whatever beauty still exists on this island, never to be seen again.

There was a time when at least the pretense of fairness and goodwill existed between the state of Hawaii and the people it was sworn to serve.

No longer. It disappeared before the self-interest and greed of a few. Native Hawaiians should have the land promised to them returned.

The rules for development should be strengthened, not compromised. The individuals responsible for this sad state of affairs should be made accountable for this breach of trust. It’s not too late.

Gregory Carley
Waikiki

Install walkway near Laniakea

The daily traffic jam of people crossing the road at Laniakea to see the turtles might be fairly easily and relatively inexpensively alleviated by installing a pedestrian walkway under the road in the middle of the parking area.

There’s easily enough headroom, much more than the bridge at the west end of the area.

Modular sections could be built elsewhere, traffic temporarily routed to the mauka side, a trench dug in a day or two, with concrete foundations, and the prefabricated walkway dropped in by crane and paved over.

Properly planned, and by working at night, it could be done in several days and all the finishing work done after that.

With proper signage, barriers and visibility,l bet it would help a lot, although winter surf traffic jams will never go away.

Bill Romerhaus
Haleiwa

Sharpton being opportunistic

Well, the Rev. Al Sharpton and his bunch are having their day in the lime- light, again.

George Zimmerman was found not guilty by a jury of his peers. The FBI investigated racial bias and found it did not exist.

The federal government, and especially Attorney General Eric Holder, has no business interfering in a state court decision. This is not a federal matter.

Once again the federal government is sticking its nose into places where it does not belong.

Bob Dukat
Pahoa, Hawaii island

Obama right about rapes

President Barack Obama has a right to state what other common-sense folks in the public feel when U.S. military personnel rape someone ("Remarks by Obama delay 2 trials," Star-Advertiser, July 22).

Obama said, "I have no tolerance for this.I expect consequences."

And so does the public.

The mortal enemy of military justice, Navy judge Cmdr. Marcus Fulton, is allowing U. S. military personnel to get away with a little more than a slap on the wrist for the crime of rape.

Nancy Manali-Leonardo
Diamond Head

UH tuition rates are a mystery

There have been a couple positive stories of late regarding college tuition in Oregon (perhaps tuition-free) and Washington (freezing tuition at Washington State University).

Still, I’m wondering how I can get in on a deal that has a payout like the University of Hawaii’s tuition rates.

Math is not my forte but, since 2006 until this next year, UH-Manoa’s undergraduate tuition will have risen 112 percent.

Bear in mind that during some of those years, inflation was near to zero. In 2009 and 2010, Social Security did not increase its cost-of-living allowances.

There is much buzz today about keeping student loan interest rates low, yet I’m not sure I’ve found the answer to the question of why tuition rates at UH are forever increasing.

Tim Miller
Hawaii Kai

Will any heads roll in ORI case?

What sort of legal example is the Honolulu county government setting by offering to repay only 25 percent of the $7.9 million in federal grant money it mismanaged ("City offers $1.88 million to resolve feds’ dispute over ORI," Star-Advertiser, July 20)?

Are any heads going to roll? There are numerous candidates.

We taxpayers set the standard of excellence in government.

Dennis Egge
Salt Lake