It’s time for Pat Saiki and Charles Djou to back off. They don’t realize when enough is enough.
Saiki’s comment that “all bets are off” if Donald Trump doesn’t win in the first ballot is typical of the defeatist attitude of local Republican “leaders.”
The majority of GOP voters here chose Trump. Republican leaders need to support the will of the voter.
They’ve let the lifetime politicians jam us with more taxes, an unaffordable rail transit system and gutless leadership.
It’s time to move to a level of confrontation not seen in local politics. Remember, a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.
Allen Canter
Manoa
Trump represents disgust with Congress
I experienced my first caucus on Tuesday night and I voted for Donald Trump.
When will our elected officials learn the reason Trump is soaring in our presidential primary election? It was only a matter of time a revolt would occur that voices our disgust with Congress. The cronyism has to stop. This is such a time.
Stella Yasuda
Aiea
More people hearing what Sanders saying
Hillary Clinton’s loss in Michigan demonstrates that she can lose the Democratic primary.
From the start, the mainstream media and the Democratic National Committee worked together to silence Bernie Sanders; they didn’t want any distractions from the eventual Clinton presidency.
What happened between the latest poll, with Clinton leading by 20 percentage points, and Tuesday were a debate and a town hall meeting, which allowed Sanders to share his platform, and when people hear him, people listen. That is how he turned a 20-point deficit into a come-from-behind victory.
Now that he has pulled an upset victory, more people will start listening when he berates Wall Street and the “billionaire class” who have gained wealth through the established system. His platform would tax the billionaires their fair share, which would allow the nation to refocus its priorities.
Suddenly, there would be trillions to invest in our failing infrastructure, public education and universal health care.
Van Law
Palolo Valley
Ivory dealers also motivated by greed
Randy Harris defends collection of ivory by “ordinary citizens, museums and antique dealers” (“Proposed ivory ban should not treat everybody like elephant poachers,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, March 6).
However, I maintain that poachers, at the time of the kill, do not make judgments as to how the ivory or other body part will be used.
The poacher seeks only personal enrichment — and did historically, as have dealers.
The slaughter of walruses in Alaska in the 1870s, together with alcohol abuse facilitated by greedy merchants, resulted in mass starvation of Yupiks on St. Lawrence Island. Whalers killed walruses to sell as far away as Asia. In 1876 alone more than 35,000 Bering walruses were killed.
Antique ivory, as well as currently traded ivory, is most likely tainted.
Lida Chase
Makiki
Firearms ownership a fundamental right
In your recent article, “Firearms measures advance at Capitol” (Star-Advertiser, March 7), you covered no fewer than five separate gun bills designed to restrict access to firearms to various classes of individuals.
In the current climate of anti-gun hysteria in the midst of an election year, it would be valuable to remind your readers of some relevant facts.
The right of the people “to keep and bear arms” was important enough to America’s founders to include in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.
In 2008 the U.S. Supreme Court, in District of Columbia v. Heller, affirmed an individual’s right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes such as self-defense within the home.
Hawaii already has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation.
When will Hawaii lawmakers recognize this fundamental right of American citizens?
Mark Saxon
Kahului, Maui
Handi-Van drivers deserve some aloha
It is neither accurate nor fair for the city Auditor’s Office to base “service” of the Handi-Vans on on-time arrivals (“Handi-Van service goes downhill,” Star-Advertiser, March 8).
If the audit was based on the level of compassion and care these employees displayed for their customers, service would not be an issue. How do you measure on-time performance when traffic and the level of construction work has increased each year? This isn’t something Handi-Van drivers and employees can control.
Unless you want the Handi-Van drivers to endanger the lives of riders and pedestrians to improve their on-time performance by speeding or running red lights, on-time performance will be difficult to improve each year. Give these “drivers of aloha” a break.
Roger Higa
Salt Lake
FROM THE FORUM
Readers of the Star-Advertiser’s online edition can respond to stories posted there. The following are some of those. Instead of names, pseudonyms are generally used online. They have been removed.
“Bill would ban gun purchases by anyone on terror watch list” Star-Advertiser, March 7:
>> This bill should become the law of the land (the entire U.S. and its territories).
>> So, you think someone should be able to put you on a secret list, in secret, not tell you why, not ever let you off it, and then use that secret list to take away your constitutional rights? In America?
———
“Deep-sea octopus called new species” Star-Advertiser, March 7:
>> Aw, he’s cute.
>> OK admit it: How many of you guys wondered if it would make good poke?
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“Ganot hits paydirt earning Coach of the Year, season title”
Star-Advertiser, March 8:
>> It’s great to see hard work pay off like this. I hope the University of Hawaii figures out how to keep him here for a long time, like it did with Coach Riley Wallace.
>> I hope the assistant coaches can get some sort of bonus as well.
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“Homeless sweeps turn into ritual of moving and returning” Star-Advertiser, March 8:
>> It seems like the state is in the hotel business. Every week the homeless get their “rooms” cleaned and they come back in and mess it up again, just like your hotel room. Kind of a sweet deal, in my eyes.
>> That guy in the picture sure has a lot of bicycle inner tubes, more than just for “personal use.” It looks like he’s operating a business out of his tent.
>> Is he paying the 4.5 percent general excise tax?
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“Trump wins among isle Republicans” Star-Advertiser, March 9:
>> Big win for Donald Trump, despite all the big money and power that is against him. The people have spoken and the GOP leadership is in denial. Have a Trump steak and some Trump wine.
>> Trump is far from perfect but he represents an almost guarantee of change in Washington if he gets elected. Both parties are probably fearful of this outcome. Trump doesn’t owe anyone anything and it scares them.
>> Yes, just keep voting for Trump. That’ll make it that much easier for a Democrat to win in November.
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“Hawaiian Electric deal: Ige firm against sale despite criticism” Star-Advertiser, March 9:
>> Mahalo to Gov. David Ige for some spine in this proposed deal with Next-Era. I applaud him for it. If we could exercise the right of eminent domain over HEI and make it truly “public,” now that would be the ticket.
>> That would be worse. The state should not run the power company. I do think that it should be made a nonprofit though.
>> The governor is wrong in this case, and it will cost him his second term. He has blundered many business issues this last year. It is sad. I know he loves Hawaii, but he just doesn’t have the experience and understanding to be the executive.
———
“Police chief gets a good assessment” Star-Advertiser, March 10:
>> Confidence in the police chief and Honolulu Police Commission continues to erode by a performance rating that does not factor all the high-profile and front-page-making blunders.
>> The commission chairman is a very honorable and intelligent man. And so are many of the other commissioners. How they view the performance of the police chief and his department is good enough for me. Collectively, they know far more about the activities of the department than what we could ever learn from a few, sometimes-biased media reports.
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“Waikiki Neighborhood Board urges hotel to dump gym rule” Star-Advertiser, March 10:
>> Who is the commander who changed the regular policy? Retirees are entitled to use military recreational facilities.
>> Dump the new gym rule. Thank you for your service.
>> I agree with the board. Let all military use the facility. That is why the hotel exists, after all.
