I am not surprised at the defeatist attitudes of the City Council and others in regards to the rail project.

The lack of vision, glorified by the media, impedes a true sense of tomorrow.

The absence of heavy traffic when school is out for the summer shows the need to take the rail to the University of Hawaii.

Make the future as best as can be.

Bite the bullet and raise the money by whatever means necessary.

Tax me, tax the large moneymakers, tax the developers.

Taxing for the future is nothing new; this is just on a larger scale.

See the most positive end result possible as the most important factor, and get rid of the negativity.

Philip McInerney

Kailua

Rail opponents now dictating its future

If the city had originally proposed to build a rail system from Kapolei to Middle Street, almost no one would have supported it.

A system going to Ala Moana Center was less preferable than going all the way to the University of Hawaii and to Waikiki, but a majority supported it.

Now the forces that have opposed rail from the beginning are being allowed to dictate the outcome.

Apparently Mayor Kirk Caldwell is willing to have his legacy be a half-built system.

Maybe it’s time for a new mayor.

Just figure out how to finance it and get it done.

Jim Richardson

Waialua

Middle Street hub could serve us well

To those who believe the rail project must be completed as planned, go take a look at the guideway construction along Farrington Highway.

Now imagine those massive pillars and beams running along Nimitz Highway and Ala Moana downtown, effectively walling off the city from Aloha Tower and the harbor.

Is this really what we want for our city?

San Francisco once had an ugly elevated freeway between the city and the bay, but that was torn down after the 1989 earthquake. Now there is a beautiful waterfront.

We would do well to stop at a transportation hub at Middle Street. If a hub is well-planned and executed, it would serve all commuters well. Then we would not need to ruin the character of downtown in the interest of more development.

Kay Kibby

Makiki

City parking fees could go toward rail

In Japan, in order to own a car one must prove he or she has an off-street parking space.

Based on my property value here in Salt Lake, it costs $80,000 to park our two cars on my property.

Free street parking is always a hot commodity and one can find cars parked in the same spot for weeks, even though there is an islandwide 24-hour parking limit. Perhaps a way to pay for rail’s shortfall, and not let it end at Middle Street, would be to install smart meterless parking for all public streets like many mainland cities.

Our City Council seems to have already embraced this thinking. In applying to place an accessory dwelling unit on my property, I am required to provide one extra off-street parking space in addition to what I currently have — unless it’s one-half mile from rail.

Mark Ida

Salt Lake

Trump presidency worries our allies

My biggest concern with Donald Trump becoming president is foreign policy.

He has doubts about NATO and is buddies with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump brought Miss Universe to Russia, and wanted to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

Putin has been in power since 1999. Does anyone truly believe he is not a dictator? Trump has never held any government office and makes irrational, bad decisions. Like his bankruptcies, the proof is in his actions.

A recent Washington Post story details the flattery and gifts between Trump and the Russian strongman that go back years. Trump’s campaign adviser, Paul Manafort, has done multimillion-dollar deals with the Russians. Our allies are extremely concerned about a Trump victory in November.

Philip Thorp

Nuuanu

Falls of Clyde being unfairly maligned

We’ve heard Falls of Clyde falsely referred to as derelict. We continually work on the ship while focusing on drydock. We recently reroofed two deck cabins, for example.

We’ve received only vague allegations that Falls of Clyde is a safety and security hazard. We have no specifics. While the state Harbors Division has a responsibility to protect the harbor, we believe it has a responsibility to identify a specific hazard for correction.

As to slowness in fundraising, anyone involved in major campaigns knows that planning and timing influences the result. It takes a year or more to find the right sources. We ask for that time.

We hope our situation raises community awareness and support for Falls of Clyde, a maritime educational and cultural icon, which may be lost to the world without local support.

Bruce McEwan

President, Friends of Falls of Clyde

Contractors could do pro bono for kids

The legal profession has a longstanding tradition of “pro bono” work, providing legal assistance for the public good without charge.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the major building contractors, in return for their profitability in Honolulu’s booming construction environment, also adopted this policy?

They could start by contributing their efforts to cool our public classrooms at a reasonable cost and help our keiki get the education they need in comfortable working conditions.

Edward Conklin

Waikiki