It is very wise for Hawaii County to shut down vacation rentals (“County shuts down vacation rentals as residents are left to deal with more lava outbreaks,” Star-Advertiser, May 13).
Kauai should do the same. Look what problems they create during natural disasters. Hotels have staff to help people, advise them ahead of time, and tell them what to do afterward. Hotels will be responsible and might make refunds.
B&Bs, many of which do not even have an owner on site, cannot do these things. VRBOs (vacation rentals by owner) are not going to help renters. They take no responsibility for anything (not even if the cleaners walk in on you ahead of check-out time, and then get angry at you — a true account).
We the people are going to end up helping those renters with county and state services. Are we really that desperate for tourists? We should not be.
Should people who defy the law, do not pay taxes and make money on their rentals be helped out by us law-abiding residents? No! Stop anything but true B&Bs, which are licensed, pay taxes, including tourist taxes, and have owners actually on site who serve breakfast.
Gretchen Gould
Kaneohe
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Invoke Christian, Hawaiian gods
In 1824, Chiefess Kapiolani, cousin of Kamehameha I, colleague of Kaahumanu and convert to Christianity, prayed to the missionaries’ God to stop flowing lava. She climbed into the volcano crater, ate forbidden ohelo berries, cursed Pele, threw rocks, said the old gods were fake. And the lava stopped.
In 1881, Princess Ruth Keelikolani, who rejected Christianity, invoked her ancient gods and saved Hilo. She stood in front of flowing lava, prayed to Pele. And the lava stopped.
Where are the Christian ministers today? Where are the “traditional practitioners” and kumu hula who celebrate Pele/Hi‘iaka legends at Merrie Monarch? This is their chance to put their faiths to practical use, get face time on national TV and lots of donations.
Let competing gods battle it out, hope they all succeed, and the people of Hawaii island will be the winners. True ecumenism.
Ken Conklin
Kaneohe
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Homeless campers in danger on road
Driving through Waimanalo recently, my car lights illuminated tents along the highway.
If someone had to make an emergency swerve to avoid an accident, there could be serious carnage if the car hit these darkened tents where homeless people sleep next to the highway. Reflective tape is a must for these tent people who blight our beautiful aina.
God bless them, but they must find a place that is safe, not 15 feet away from speeding cars.
Jim Delmonte
Hawaii Kai
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Waiting rooms need better entertainment
Spending time in a medical facility is exasperating. The reading material, if any, is outdated and boring.
Then there is a TV blasting away showing people making fools out of themselves on quiz shows. These are so bad that even the office staff doesn’t watch them. So your only recourse is to pull out the cell phone and send out messages since it will probably not connect to the office Wi-Fi.
A way to shorten the stay and make it enjoyable would be to find or develop a TV presentation of interest or amusement to all ages. I am sure watching a collection of YouTube clips showing pets such as cats and dogs romping at play with each other or toys would do it and fill the office with laughter.
Bob Stengle
Aina Haina
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Math doesn’t add up for Trump support
Armando Mejia Takara needs to do the math (“Trump represents the views of many,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 14).
His statement that President Donald Trump represents more than half of this country is untrue. If he is referring to the 2016 election results, he should be aware that Trump garnered 62,980,160 votes to Hillary Clinton’s 65,845,063 votes, and more than 6 million votes went to three other candidates.
If he can cite one legitimate source showing over half the country believes Trump now represents them, then I will stand corrected. Until then, count me in the majority.
Colleen Haviland
Haleiwa
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Symphony of birds a musical delight
Talk about thinking out of the box.
An event at Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall on May 9 was a hugely creative and successful collaboration between Hawaii’s musicians, artists, teachers and scientists. Middle-school students from all over Oahu were bused to the concert hall for an illustrated concert by the entire Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. Animated, hand-drawn paintings of endangered Hawaiian birds done by students and professionals were projected on a large screen above the symphony, while a narrator told the story.
It was an intellectual, visual and auditory delight. Congratulations to all involved! Let’s have more of the same.
Fran Margulies
Niu Valley
