The rail project, if completed as proposed, will be a building block to upgrading the Honolulu transportation system.

Many transportation systems in mainland and foreign cities have an integrated system with rail transportation.

Honolulu needs to substantially improve its transportation infrastructure if it wants to help its residents get to work without wasting time in traffic. Visitors stand to benefit by having the option of catching the rail into Waikiki and downtown.

What’s impeding this goal is wrongheaded obstruction to the funding needed.

For the last 10 years, the residents and visitors of Honolulu have been paying the 0.5 percent rail tax and I don’t think there was much complaint about it.

If the rail financing becomes the burden of Oahu property taxpayers, it will severely impact property taxpayers who have already seen double-digit tax increases over the last 10 years. Now they are expected to see an additional 8-14 percent increase?

Stuart Shimazu

Kapahulu

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Trump is artful in how he plays us all

President Donald Trump’s missile attack on an empty Syrian airfield in response to horrific gas attacks is a perfect example of how he plays us all.

He tells the Russians in advance, the Russians tell the Syrians and nobody gets hurt. Yet, the media fawn all over the president as though he had achieved an enormous victory for world righteousness.

At the same time, the president has diverted attention away from both an investigation that may lead to treason charges within his administration and a less-than-effective negotiation with the Chinese premier. Whatever happened to currency manipulation?

David Campbell

Kailua

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GOP leader enforces Dem’s empty threat

Here is a simple truth and a warning to our next Democratic leader: Don’t draw red lines unless you have the courage to press the red button. Once again, we see a Republican leader enforcing a warning/promise imposed by a Democratic leader.

Anyone who actually believes diplomacy would force Syria to give up its chemical weapons is who America should be angry with at this moment.

Kris Schwengel

Hawaii Kai

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Enact red-light cams to deter, save lives

Most major cities utilizing the red-light cameras have reported a dramatic reduction in “T-bone” intersection collisions and fatalities. Some cities report as much as a 50 percent reduction.

After living here for 36 years, I have seen many drivers zooming through the intersection well after my light has turned green. I feel certain that a $500 fine would be a deterrent (it would be for me).

One of your previous letters to the editor brought up the matter of revenue. I’m 85 and still believe “the glass is half full,” and think the city would be utilizing the red-light cams to save lives — period!

Tom Nilsson

Waikiki

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Ban civilian copters above Pearl Harbor

I would like to add to the recent complaint, written by a visitor, about the sightseeing helicopters above Pearl Harbor.

I recently visited the USS Arizona Memorial and was dumbfounded when the helicopter noise drowned out the National Park ranger.

Given the sacredness of all of the memorials, the recent helicopter crash fatality just offshore of the National Park, and the military usage of Pearl Harbor, I urge whatever entity/entities that authorized civilian helicopters above Pearl Harbor, to forever revoke it.

Laura M. Fink

Makiki

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Speed is bigger issue than slow drivers

I suggest that Kent Sharrar, who suggested fining left-lane slow drivers, to first suggest fining people who exceed posted speed limits (“Let’s start fining slow drivers in left lane,” Letters, Star-Advertiser, April 10). That would really help the city budget.

I admit to being, on occasion, one of the slow drivers in the left lane.” Sometimes on Pali Highway I move into the left lane, going 40 mph on a posted 35 mph highway, because I make a left turn at Jack Lane.

Speeding is a bigger problem than impeding the left lane.

Mandy Bowers

Manoa

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Hawaii’s parole rules are not too lenient

Claims that Hawaii’s parole guidelines are too lenient are bogus (“Parole guidelines too lenient in Hawaii,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, April 6).

I am currently on parole for over six years, after having completed more than 27 years in prison for crimes that included attempted murder. To hear someone opine that Hawaii’s parole guidelines are too lenient and that “rarely does a prisoner sentenced to life serve anything like a life sentence” tells me that the person is ill-informed or biased.

In general terms, according to societal norms, a generation is 20-25 years, thus, equivalent to a life time.

As someone who knows virtually all of the lifers in Hawaii’s prison by name, I know very few who have gotten out of prison who have gotten out of prison before their 20th year. Those few who are able to get out before 20 years are those with connections in society and high-pay lawyers.

De Mont R. D. Conner

Waianae