Party should not endorse for mayor

The recent endorsement by the Democratic Party of Hawaii for the nonpartisan mayoral race in Honolulu has us concerned.

The responsibility of our party is to assure active engagement in the process — giving people a voice as well as a vote — otherwise we run the risk of creating a division between the party’s leadership and its members.

The Office of the Mayor is nonpartisan and is for very important reasons. From an ethical perspective, the party should continue to be involved in partisan races but should not be involved in nonpartisan races.

George Ariyoshi, Ben Cayetano and Neil Abercrombie

Former Hawaii governors

Colleen Hanabusa

Former U.S. representative

Ambitious Caldwell backs away from rail

It’s difficult for the taxpaying public to judge the merits of Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s criticism of HART CEO Andrew Robbins, but it’s richly ironic and disingenuous for the mayor to characterize Robbins’ efforts as “ill- conceived” when Caldwell’s fingerprints are all over this project from its “ill-conceived” beginnings (“City’s exit from rail phase equated to a ‘divorce’,” Star- Advertiser, Oct. 15).

It’s hardly surprising, however, that the perpetually politically ambitious Caldwell would be casting about for a scapegoat as he seeks to create some distance in the minds of voters before the 2022 gubernatorial election.

Caldwell’s calculation about the public’s gullibility or willingness to forgive and forget says more about him than us.

Doug Lamerson

Kailua

72-hour coronavirus tests aren’t useful

Accepting coronavirus test results from three days ago is useless. It takes five to 10 days for the virus to multiply in the body and antibodies to be produced, thus producing a positive test. This also assumes the person doesn’t go out and get infected in those three days after the test (celebrating going on vacation, sitting in an airport, sitting on an airplane).

A more rational approach, though not nearly perfect, would be to require the 72-hour test, quarantine the visitor upon arrival for seven days, test again, and reevaluate.

Many people take good care of their health, but find themselves in a high-risk group, like me. I do not want to get COVID-19 from a person I don’t even know, who has no regard for my island and thinks it is appropriate to come here during this pandemic.

Carol Williams, M.D.

Captain Cook, Hawaii island

UI call center should hire all local workers

I find it ironic and sad that at this time of record unemployment in Hawaii, the new unemployment call center has hired 120 people (out of 200) from outside the state (“New Hawaii unemployment call center swamped,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 13).Those jobs should be brought home ASAP.

Using the numbers provided by the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, it’s clear the call center needs at least 500 employees, even if only temporarily. Those people should be hired, and they should be hired locally.

It’s shameful that this is only now being addressed, and addressed inadequately, eight months into the pandemic.

Shari Sprague

Manoa Valley

Tourists could start community spread

Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that with some kind of secondary screening for tourists, “you’re going to dramatically diminish the likelihood that an infected person enters.”

But is that the problem? Allowing even a healthy tourist population into the state creates a highly mobile sub-population that can travel wherever and whenever throughout the state, coming into contact with all the elements of our resident population — some of whom will likely be COVID-19 positive.

This is a new kind of community spread. Think of the tourists as vectors or potential carriers. Mosquitoes don’t have malaria per se, but they sure can spread it. A strictly enforced masking and distancing program, applied to everyone, will be necessary to curb this spread. Tourists probably won’t like it.

Richard M. Tuggle

Kaneohe

Would Biden be able to complete term?

The reasons your editorial provides for supporting Joe Biden may be true if you actually believe he has the stamina and health to complete his four-year term (“Elect Joe Biden to the presidency,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, Oct. 15).

If he doesn’t complete his first term, then Kamala Harris will take over as president, which will result in California politics in all 50 states.

Harris has one of the most liberal voting records in the U.S. Senate and, in the primary, had several policies that were 180 degrees from Biden’s.

So over four years, whose policy are we getting: Biden’s or Harris’?

Fred Van Osten

Lahaina

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