Maybe Hee’s pals could repay funds?

I write in response to the article about tax cheat Albert Hee (“Politicians, kin and pals of tax cheat push judge for lenience,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 3).

I think most of us who are not friends of Mr. Hee would be more in favor of leniency if his group of friends who have supported him in their letters to the judge, now public, would reimburse what Mr. Hee stole.

Elizabeth Andrewes

Lopez Island, Wash.

Sad to see sisters get the bum’s rush

If you want proof that we live in a disposable society, look no further than the 24 Sisters of St. Francis School.

We are told that these aged women, who have devoted their very existence to schooling and mentoring the youth of Hawaii since 1932, now will be herded off to some building in Pearl City.

Apparently, they have not even visited the facility.

How very rude!

I attended a Catholic School from the first- through eighth-grades. I received a fantastic education. Most of these women taught each grade every day balanced in all subjects, including math, grammar, history, music, art. What a great deal for the Catholic Diocese. One teacher for each grade year.

So now that they are getting along in years, the religious order decides to push them away from the only adult home they have known.

I seriously doubt that Pope Francis is aware of this, or that he would approve.

Joseph Hilton

Manoa

Arrogance at root of recent bungles

Your Dec. 3 front-page story (“Back to Square One for TMT”) was a striking reminder of all that is wrong with government in Hawaii.

In a word, arrogance.

The ill-fated interisland ferry and now the telescope project demonstrate an attitude of disrespect for the law and for the taxpayers who provide the paychecks for government employees, elected and other-wise.

We are witnessing the ultimate outcome of this attitude and behavior with the rail. As it lumbers closer to town, businesses are closing, traffic is dreadfully snarled, half-truths and misinformation are dished out daily and every family is being taxed to make it happen.

Ferry, TMT and rail: all examples of the arrogance of our government in Hawaii. Sad.

Stuart Allan

Waikiki

Mayor failing at his basic responsibilities

People who drive Ewa-bound down Kuhio Avenue from the Honolulu Zoo into the heart of Waikiki should look at the areas of planted trees inside the little islands in the middle of the street.

Weeds. Trash. No maintenance. No flowers.

It represents exactly what Mayor Kirk Caldwell and our tax dollars stand for: waste.

Caldwell is in over his head and unable to handle the basic responsibilities of the city.

Weeds, trash, filthy restrooms, tardy trash pick-up and general lack of care are found citywide. These are suppose to be basic city responsibilities.

We simply cannot afford Caldwell and our present politicians wasting our money. They are all talk and no action.

John Wong

Aiea

Ratepayers getting shortchanged again

NextEra Energy wants to pay $4.3 billion for Hawaiian Electric. NextEra, its bankers and its shareholders all need to get a return from this money.

How will they get that return? Only one place: us, the ratepayers of Hawaii.

How does this benefit the ratepayers?

NextEra has indicated it will get returns through efficiencies. Well, goodbye, good-paying management jobs at Hawaiian Electric and hello management from the mainland.

How does that benefit ratepayers? Who actually benefits the most from this transaction?

Oh, yeah. The big bankers who are financing the sale and the executives who get bonuses and commissions from making the deal go through.

If I am missing something here, please let me know. Otherwise, I am really tired of watching Hawaii’s working families getting shortchanged again.

Peter McClaran

Makiki

We need to broaden definition of terrorist

We’ve seen terror and grief from Columbine to San Bernardino. These are acts of terrorism. When are we going to get it?

We shouldn’t care what these perpetrators of terrorism’s last names are. We shouldn’t care about the manifestos they’ve written, or what they call themselves.

If they act the way terrorists do, and murder people randomly, then they are terrorists. If they committed acts of terrorism, then they should be called terrorists, period.

When are we, after due process, going to deal with terrorists as terrorists, by broadening our definition of terrorists, whom we currently are at war with, and finally, shunt them to a footnote in history?

Robert Makinodan

Nuuanu

Cal Lee among state’s best coaches

I have been watching high school football for 73 of my 80 years.

I think Cal Lee of Saint Louis has class and is probably up there with Father Kenneth Bray of ‘Iolani School.

He teaches his players not to taunt. He does not “high five” and jump around a player who just made a good play. His calm demeanor with arms folded is all that you see after a good or bad play. You will never see him go for a field goal with 10 seconds left when the game is out of reach. He would take a knee.

Lee is a teacher of good sportsmanship and football, and will go down in the annals of Hawaii high school football as one of the best coaches, along with his brothers, Ron and Tommy.

Joseph Tseu

Hawaii Kai