Recently we’ve seen the reports of two celebrities who ended their lives by suicide.

It is not widely known how frequent suicide and attempted suicide are. Each year, about 180 people in our state end their lives by suicide and 800 more make an attempt. By comparison, about 35 people die by murder each year.

Many more people have suicidal thoughts than act on them. The earlier someone gets help the more likely it is to work.

Be active and engaged in the lives of family, friends and neighbors. More than just being friendly, it literally might save a life.

Reach out and offer support to someone you know who needs it. Call for help if you or a loved one is considering ending one’s life. The National Suicide Hotline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

William P. Sheehan, M.D.

Waialae-Kahala

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Hannemann faces cost of rail with TAT

Thanks to the Star-Advertiser for the article on the transient accommodations tax (TAT) (“Lodging industry opposes tax hike,” Star-Advertiser, June 11).

Former Mayor Mufi Hannemann, now in charge of the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA), said the tax increase was unfair and asked, “Why are we adding an additional burden on our hotels and visitors?”

As mayor, Hannemann and his point man on rail, Kirk Caldwell, told us they could build the rail for $4.5 billion. They approved contracts that paid millions to contractors who couldn’t start construction on time.

With Caldwell as mayor, the estimated cost of rail is now approaching $10 billion.

In 2017, legislators extended the 0.5 percent general excise tax surcharge and raised the TAT to pay for rail.

Now Hannemann wonders why the TAT has to be increased. He should tell the HLTA the tax increase is needed for rail.

I guess what goes around comes around.

Don Voyce

Aina Haina

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Tiny homes in Pahoa could help homeless

I may not have all the necessary information, but it would seem to me that the tiny houses now being built on Hawaii island for those who have been displaced by the Kilauea volcanic eruption, would be a good option for our numerous homeless folks.

It seems that this option would provide adequate, safe and timely shelter and be less costly than other alternatives that I have read about. If it is good enough for the displaced victims of the volcano, it certainly should be good enough for our homeless.

Ron Miko

Kahala

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Nanny state helps residents on volcano

People build houses on the slope of a known active volcano and when their houses get destroyed, the Federal Emergency Management Agency steps in and bails them out (“FEMA getting ready to offer grants up to $34,000,” Star-Advertiser, June 12)?

You must be kidding. Talk about the nanny state! No wonder we have a $21 trillion debt.

Gerrit Osborne

Waialae-Iki

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Get to polls, vote out incumbent Dems

My wife and I will be voting for a true and legitimate conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate, John Carroll, to be the next governor of Hawaii.

Although Carroll supports our conservative Godly family values, our vote for him will be symbolic because realistically, there is no way to topple the power of the Democratic Party that has controlled Hawaii government since statehood.

There is no hope for the overtaxed citizens of this state if incumbent Democratic Gov. David Ige wins re-election or if Democrat Colleen Hanabusa becomes the next governor.

Both share the same Democratic Party habit of continuing to make Hawaii the most expensive place to make a living.

Every Hawaii resident who supports replacing every incumbent Democrats from office needs to head for the polls this year. I am sure there are thousands of supporters. Those not registered to vote need to register to make the impossible possible in this year’s election.

Melvin Partido Sr.

Pearl City

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Trump’s actions threaten security

Recent tariffs against allies like Canada and Western European countries have been proposed by President Donald Trump on the premise that they are necessary in the interest of national security.

This is the same man who, against bipartisan opposition due to security concerns, plans to lift sanctions against Chinese telecom company ZTE.

In addition, North Korea’s former spy chief, Kim Yong Chol, accused in the cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2014, had travel restrictions to the U.S. lifted.

Who’s the real threat to national security?

Carol Schmus

Millilani

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Space telescopes better than TMT

This proposed Thirty Meter Telescope is a big fat joke (“TMT holding out for Mauna Kea but could still fly to the Canary Islands,” Star-Advertiser, April 14).

This obsolete and expensive telescope should not be built anywhere on Earth.

Back nearly 50 years ago, in 1968, when I established the official Hawaii state hiking record of 47 hours and 50 minutes, covering 42 miles uphill to the Mauna Kea summit of 13,796-foot elevation, there was only one University of Hawaii observatory.

Today, there are numerous published color photography books about the phenomenal Hubble Space Telescope and camera.

The Legislature and the state Supreme Court should immediately cancel this ridiculous project and remove all of the other unnecessary observatories from atop Mauna Kea.

Roger Dennis Hawley

Kula, Maui