We commend the Star-Advertiser and other local media for their continued coverage on Hawaii’s housing crisis.

The Hawai‘i State Judiciary was recently featured as part of the “Homeless in Hawaii” series, for leading a grassroots effort that encourages tenants and landlords to use available resources in a more timely and effective manner.

The group is called STAE (Steps to Avoid Eviction). For more information and a list of available resources, please visit the STAE page on the Judiciary’s website.

We would like to thank representatives from the City and County, state, William S. Richardson School of Law, Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Hawaii, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, Helping Hands Hawaii, Catholic Charities, Mediation Center of the Pacific, the Honolulu Board of Realtors, and private attorneys for their commitment, dedication and partnership.

Hilary B. Gangnes

Judge, lead civil judge, First Circuit District Court

Michael K. Tanigawa

Judge, First Circuit District Court

Foreign-flag ships can ship to Hawaii

John Wesley Nakao identified how the federal shipping laws impact Hawaii and other noncontiguous jurisdictions (“Jones Act great for some but most of us here suffer,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Dec. 23).

However, Nakao repeated a common misconception, that the Jones Act “mandates that all goods — even from Asia — be shipped to the islands by expensive American-built, -owned, -flagged and -crewed ships.”

This and similar notions are widely held in Hawaii, but they are not true.

The Jones Act (Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920) is a domestic shipping law generically known as cabotage. It doesn’t regulate waterborne transportation in the foreign trade. Foreign-flag ships are allowed to discharge foreign import cargo and load export cargo at U.S. ports.

Ship traffic in Hawaii belies these misconceptions. During 2013 there were approximately 261.5 foreign-flag ship arrivals at Hawaiian ports for the purpose of transacting foreign cargo.

Michael N. Hansen

President, Hawaii Shippers’ Council

U.S. already great and getting better

President Barack Obama has given us reasons for optimism in 2016.

Things are not perfect, of course. There are new threats of terrorism, military-grade weapons sales, racial unrest and growing income inequality, but if we work together we can deal with these challenges.

To those who side with Donald Trump and say, “Make America great again,” I say we’re already great and getting better: higher employment, less war, more available health care, more renewable energy and more international cooperation.

To those who say, “We must take our country back,” I say, “Back to what? More unemployment, more recession, more full-scale invasions, more women’s health care restrictions, fewer voting rights, more hate and fear and more carbon in the air?” No, thank you.

Obama shows aloha to the world, and he’s making the future better for my sons and daughter and for all of us.

Emi Choy

Hawaii Kai

Thomas column was brazenly dishonest

With his climate change column, Cal Thomas has shown he is unworthy of publication (“‘Climate change’ orthodoxy is about money and power,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 15).

Thomas uses a John Kerry quote to attack the Paris agreement, claiming that Kerry “confessed” the agreement “is pointless.” But the actual quote doesn’t criticize the agreement at all. Kerry argues that developing nations need to commit to greenhouse gas cuts, and the Paris agreement (which he negotiated) is the first time developing nations have agreed to cuts.

Next, Thomas cites data showing surface temperatures in the U.S. have cooled over the past decade. Irrelevant again.NOAA data shows the average world temperature rising 1.4 degrees since 1880, and bigger increases are imminent. Climate change threatens every country. This transparent attempt to confuse people is dangerous and disgusting.

If Thomas wanted to engage in a real debate about climate change, he wouldn’t lie about quotes or use irrelevant data. His brazen dishonesty renders this column a total waste of space.

David Diamond

Kailua

Hee obviously not your ‘average Joe’

Regarding Albert Hee, Steve McGarrett would have said, “Book ‘em, Danno.”

People should be held accountable for misusing or stealing Hawaii citizens’ hard-earned money. Justice must be served.

It is appalling that his cohorts and sidekicks are calling for probation, given the degree of the crime (“Politicians, kin and pals of tax cheat push judge for lenience,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 3).

If the average Joe got caught doing what Hee had done, the court would have thrown Joe in jail and tossed the key out the window.

What happened to honesty and integrity?

Earl Cosma

Salt Lake

Sharia law conflicts with Constitution

With all this talk of the danger of refugees coming to this country, what about the danger from those who believe that sharia law should be the law of the land?

Sharia law and the Constitution cannot exist together. They are mutually exclusive.

So why do we allow those who believe in sharia law to immigrate to this country? Many of those who immigrate do not respect the customs and laws of the host country, but instead form enclaves, staying to themselves, living by their own laws, forcing their laws and culture on the host country where and when then can, and taking from rather than contributing to their host country.

Is this not one of the greatest dangers, that their end game is the global rule by sharia law?

Rob Rietow

Nuuanu