Tantalus needs road-safety fixes

Thanks for your recent article regarding Tantalus Drive car racing (“Solutions to Tantalus Drive car racing sought,” Feb. 15). But this is not new news.

In front of my house on Round Top Drive, a pedestrian was killed by a bicyclist; four teenagers miraculously survived when their car overturned after missing a turn; and three racers avoided death only because our brick mailbox column prevented their car from plunging over a cliff.

Unfortunately, despite dozens of near-death experiences like these, it is difficult to keep the attention of politicians, government agencies and the Honolulu Police Department unless there is a major incident like the recent bicycle/race car crash.

However, a two-year, Tantalus Corridor Management Plan project, now underway, will result in a major realignment of priorities for road and roadside maintenance, safety improvements and enforcement of traffic and dumping regulations.

Anyone can contribute their observations and ideas by visiting the project website (tantalus-roundtopcorridor.com). Let’s not miss this opportunity for positive change.

Alan Ewell

Round Top Drive

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Net neutrality hailed for Hawaii

Mahalo to Gov. David Ige for his executive order to keep the internet neutral, free and equal for everybody in the state of Hawaii. This order serves to mitigate recent actions by Federal Communications Commission Director Ajit Pai to dismantle net neutrality for private interests.

Ironically, it was reported on Feb 17 that Pai is now under investigation for relaxing media ownership rules to help Sinclair Broadcasting expand with a $3.9 billion buyout of Tribune Media.

Ige may not be able to stop these moves by the FCC director on a national level, but he is definitely protecting Hawaii’s internet users.

David Ellis

Mililani

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Tax cuts will help ease U.S. debt

Where were all of you who are so concerned about the national debt when Barack Obama was president? According to USdebtclock.com, the national debt nearly doubled, rising from $10.699 trillion to $19.573 trillion, or $1.1 trillion each year during the eight years of Obama’s reign. The current tax cut is expected to increase the national debt a total of $1.2 trillion over 10 years or $120 billion per year.

Understand that with the tax cut, more income flows to the average citizen, personal spending and tax collection on those sales will increase, thus potentially cutting this deficit dramatically.

Melanie Seifert Johnson

Kaneohe

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Profits spawn monster homes

Monster homes are nothing more than hotels built on single-family residential lots. They are built for private profit while their true costs are borne by the public in the form of overburdened streets, overflowing sewers, failing utility services and visual blight.

Because city officials have allowed these monstrosities to be constructed, this raises questions not only about the legalities involved, but also about the motivations of those officials.

Civilized societies do not permit individuals or groups to ignore or destroy existing civic rules and safeguards for selfish private profit. The fact that these things are happening now is another indictment of the corruption that passes for governance in Hawaii.

Lono Correa

Kalihi Uka

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Fundraising buoys preschools

The Star-Advertiser’s Feb. 17 editorial, “Special education struggles,” is right on. It states that the solution includes “early education for more preschool-aged children.” This is so important.

Waikiki Community Center (WCC) has created an impressive preschool right in the center of Waikiki serving 99 children. The surrounding hotels and business are supporting this program through their donations to WCC and their participation in the 33rd Annual Duke Kahanamoku Beach Challenge.

Many of our visitors will stay in Waikiki on April 15 to watch the competition between hotels and businesses in canoe races at Duke’s Beach and stand-up paddling races in Duke’s Lagoon. Hilton Hawaiian Village also contributes its property to make this very important fundraising event a success.

We can all contribute to providing early education for those in need through our companies’ participation in activities such as the Duke Kahanamoku Beach Challenge.

Bob Hampton

Chairman, Waikiki Beach Activities

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Look to local militias for security

Where are the militias?

When the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right of citizens to bear arms because a well-regulated militia was necessary to the security of a free state, militias should have been established throughout the country.

If able-bodied men and women in all 50 states were required to serve, there would be ample people available to provide life-saving protection at schools, public gathering places and neighborhoods throughout the country.

Individual militias would be responsible for guns in their jurisdictions and the people who possessed them. Community attitudes would govern the level of enforcement and necessary regulations.

In the most recent school killing, members of a local militia would have been much more sensitive to the danger this young man posed to his community and would have provided on-site security for the students and teachers.

If the people who want protection or gun ownership provide it, they will be motivated to do a good job. If they volunteer, we might be able to afford it.

James Growney

Diamond Head