Immigration policy broken, inhumane

By all accounts, Andres Magana Ortiz is a decent human being, a devoted family man, and a contributing member of society (“Running short on time,” Star-Advertiser, July 2).

He has been described as an asset to the Kona coffee industry. He married a U.S. citizen, and he has children who are U.S. citizens by birth. He loves this country and he loves Hawaii.

However, he came to the U.S. many years ago without being processed, so he is an undocumented immigrant who does not have a clear path to citizenship. He is now facing deportation.

President Barack Obama deported more than 2 million undocumented immigrants, but he focused on those who had committed serious crimes. President Donald Trump signed an executive order that makes all undocumented immigrants subject to deportation, including those who have committed no crime at all.

The Ortiz case shows that federal immigration policy is broken, and the way Trump is implementing it is inhumane.

John Kawamoto

Kaimuki

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‘Single-use’ bags get reused all the time

You recently commented on the total plastic bag ban yet to be implemented, chiding the stores that still hand out the evil plastic (“Don’t backslide; ban plastic bags,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, June 6).

You refer to the banned plastic bags (biodegradable, by the way) as being “single-use.” I honestly do not know one person who used those bags only one time. After emptying groceries, the bags were used again and again in numerous ways.

Now we have to buy or are given thick bags made from plastic or paper that take up enormous amounts of space. Heck, I even throw many away, as they pile up; how can that be good? They will sit in a landfill a lot longer than a flimsy, thin, plastic bag made to biodegrade. Or heaven forbid, land in the sea.

Meanwhile, I’ll buy manufactured plastic bags to do the things my old grocery bags used to do as I, guess what — reuse them.

Faith Burns

Aina Haina

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Promote hemp use, addiction treatment

The Star-Advertiser editorial staff deserves commendation for its leadership on the potential of growing hemp (“Test market for industrial hemp,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, July 1).

We are decades beyond the time of separating the benefits of hemp production from the dangers of drug use. The misguided connection of hemp to its cousin, marijuana, is a carryover of the fears that besieged the 1950s. Our island economy needs the positive infusion guaranteed by industrial hemp.

Congratulations to our Legislature and state Department of Agriculture for their important roles in making this happen.

In a similar fashion, we need leadership in sorting through our concerns for the very real dangers of drug use. Rather than a military-style “war on drugs,” we need a community-wide program of moral education. Prohibition failed with alcohol and it’s baffling that we expect different results with any form of substance abuse.

Addiction is the actual problem, and those afflicted need medical assistance, not incarceration.

John Heidel

Kailua

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AG Chin looking like a politician

When state Attorney General Douglas Chin announced his lawsuit against the Trump travel ban, it was on the front page of the Star-Advertiser. When the local federal judge agreed, it was on the front page. When the ultra-liberal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed (80 percent of this court’s decisions have been overturned), it was on the front page. When the U.S. Supreme Court said the government could ban entry of nationals from six countries, carving out an exemption for individuals who have a “bona fide relationship” to a person or entity in the U.S., the Star-Advertiser had another front-page article.

Now Chin is once again on the front page, requesting clarification from the federal district court on the parameters of the partial travel ban now being implemented.

I think Chin’s agenda is being orchestrated by the national Democratic Party as part of its “resistance” to President Donald Trump. In Hawaii we are concerned with rail, homelessness, state public worker pension payments, health care and child welfare protection. How does Chin get so much attention? He should run for political office.

Kent Davenport

Kahala

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Deregulate taxis to get cars off road

I ride a bike, so I am interested in the Biki bikeshare program. This newspaper and the city give their blessing, but I haven’t heard of an employee from either trying it out and giving a review.

Years ago, Mayor Jeremy Harris promoted biking by taking Sunday rides. I haven’t seen the current mayor riding a bike yet. Hey, there’s a Biki rack near his office. Will he use it?

I can’t really see how this will get cars off the road, but I do know a scheme that might. Deregulate the taxi industry. The city had an opportunity to do that when Uber arrived, but they just increased regulation.

No, the Biki bikes will not take cars off the road; will not improve our health; and may not help the restaurant business in Kakaako.

Bobby Stevens

Ala Moana

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Attach solar panels to rail transit line

I’m grateful our legislators didn’t waste more taxpayer money on the ill-conceived and grossly under-budgeted rail. Since we are stuck with its ugly infrastructure, let’s make rail pay for itself by double-purposing it.

Cover the several miles of rail and its stations with solar panels connected to storage batteries. That generated energy can power the trains, and any excess could be added to Hawaiian Electric’s power grid to reduce the electric bills of Oahu’s taxpayers. Shade from the solar-covered roofs will reduce the trains’ air conditioning needs.

Elon Musk’s companies, like Tesla, make both lithium-ion batteries and new solar panels for roofs. Perhaps Musk would be amenable to partner with Hawaii to showcase his products for other mass-transit projects in the U.S. and the world.

Paul Wermager

Hawaii Kai