I was astounded to read the “Pushed out” article in last Sunday’s newspaper about seniors and housing. What a shock. What has happened to respecting our elders and taking care of each other?
Are apartment owners so engrossed in money and greed that they can’t be more accommodating in renting? Where are the seniors’ family members and friends to help them? No wonder I see more seniors pushing shopping carts and dragging bags behind them on the streets.
Aloha United Way, the Waikiki Heath Center and other agencies have been a blessing with their help in finding rentals for seniors. I also applaud them for their assistance with rental subsidies for families who are borderline homeless.
Homelessness is never going to go away, no matter what we do. Let’s concentrate on those individuals who want to better themselves with housing, jobs and self-respect.
Linda Iverson
Moiliili
Tax on ‘rich’ landlords rebounds on tenants
Politicians and their media allies like to talk from both sides of their mouths.
First, they want to punish the “rich” landlords with significant property taxes for properties valued in excess of $1 million. Then they whine about the hot housing market leaving many tenants in the cold.
Our family rental unit is being hit by a $530 per month increase in taxes. So what are we supposed to do? Cash out and put multiple tenants on the street? Raise the rent by 20 percent?
We’re already operating at a loss, but this punishing tax increase will force us to reconsider our options. Neither course of action will help our tenants or the housing crisis.
Glenn Young
Nuuanu Valley
Legislature must fund highways expansion
Gov. David Ige decided to spend limited highway funds on maintenance and not on new highways or widening existing ones (“Ige kills highway expansions,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 2).
The reasons for his decision are correct. It is now up to legislators to approve more funding to get the needed construction done. If they fail to do this, the voters can show their displeasure at election time. If possible, do the work when the economy goes bad and it would be cheaper.
And what about our bragging U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz? Is he seeking federal funds, like U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye did, to help do the work — like building the badly needed bypass highways in the North Shore and Waianae areas?
Stephen Kabei
Salt Lake
New beach best idea for Natatorium future
In a debate last week, Honolulu mayoral candidates were asked what to do with the Natatorium.
Charles Djou said, “Renovate.”
The city’s estimated cost for a full renovation: $70 million, plus the high ongoing costs of complying with modern anti-MRSA health standards.
Peter Carlisle said keep whatever can be saved, an idea fraught with many problems identified by the blue ribbon Natatorium Task Force in 2009.
Mayor Kirk Caldwell said he would follow the Natatorium environmental impact statement process, which is testing the task force’s recommendation: create a new memorial beach where the Natatorium now stands. This would involve rebuilding the three memorial arches 50 feet inland, and recreating groins to protect Kaimana and the new beach.
We favor this sensible $17 million plan for its obvious cost-effectiveness, preservation of free, open public shoreline, elimination of maintenance expenses, and two new acres of stable beach.
Rick Bernstein
Jim Bickerton
Kaimana Beach Coalition
Gabbard needs to be smarter about politics
While we can appreciate U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s sensitivity to her party’s internal politics, she should be aware of how her statements and actions affect her standing with its leaders (“Gabbard’s vote to go to Clinton despite concern,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 3).
Her job in Congress is to be Hawaii’s advocate. If Hillary Clinton is elected, Gabbard will have no support from either her party or the executive branch when she wants to advance legislation that benefits her state.
The late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye would never have been so politically inept.
Steve Chong
Mililani
Non-voters still have right to complain
I strongly disagree with one of the sentiments expressed by Toby Allen (“For better or worse, people should vote,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 21). The letter states that, “If one does not vote, one loses the reason to complain.”
This line of thought is philosophically unsound, as not voting can be a means of complaint. Furthermore, it is constitutionally wrong.
The right to complain and freely express opinions is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. One does not have to vote, register to vote or even be eligible to vote to have the right or reason to complain. All that is needed is a dissatisfaction with some aspect of the status quo.
William Bye
Waikiki
FROM THE FORUM
Readers of the Star-Advertiser’s online edition can respond to stories posted there. The following are some of those. Instead of names, pseudonyms are generally used online. They have been removed.
“School begins with big teacher deficit” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 1:
>> A better title might be “DOE hiring practices result in massive teacher shortage.” There is no lack of teachers. I know of a couple recruited from the mainland. After they moved to Oahu at their own expense, they were offered jobs — on neighbor islands! It was obvious they never really wanted teachers from the mainland in the first place. Combine an entrenched cronyistic hiring system with comical levels of pay and the chronic joy of an overburdened work environment, and what do you expect?
>> If there are around 180,000 students and 13,500 teachers, that is a student/teacher ratio of 13.3. Isn’t that low? When I was in elementary school, we had around 30 students in each class and that seemed fair. Why do they say there is a shortage of teachers? Also, quit with the whining about salaries. $45,963 is a good starting salary for teachers. How many jobs in Hawaii have that kind of starting salary?
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“People in houses get aid money” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 1:
>> We don’t have an endless pot of money to give away every day. Use the money to fix the vacant apartments at our existing low-income housing projects to provide more permanent accommodations. With that help, these people need to make it on their own. Stop the endless drain on our limited, overspent budget.
>> I knew some first-generation Filipinos who shared a house, with five in a bedroom. So nobody needs to be homeless. Uncomfortable, but they paid only $120 rent each.
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“Stabbings tie up traffic on H-1 for hours” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 2:
>> I spent 3-1/2 hours getting home, even after getting off H-1, which was at a standstill, then down Nimitz, which was barely crawling, making a detour to Moanalua Road at Aiea, which was also crawling until Pearlridge, when the traffic started to move again. We need the rail now, to avoid all accidents, road-rage incidents, collapsed overpasses, stalled cars, suicides, etc., that have happened on the freeways.
>> So what will happen when a stabbing takes place on the train? Shut down for hours and no way to get home. It works both ways.
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“Developer’s bankruptcy case dismissed” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 2:
>> Finally, the right call.
>> I foresee nothing will be done to improve the area (the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor). There is no new developer willing to take on the project as is. Why is this? Must be a lot of roadblocks that make the project unattractive. Plenty of developers with lots of money but none seem willing. Too much micromanagement from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources?
>> It would be a neat solution if owners, renters and the Waikiki Yacht Club could combine resources to establish a cooperative boatyard with fuel dock and ancillary amenities at the site.
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“Road rage suspect already facing 3 other trials” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 3:
>> Note that he still hasn’t gone to trial for first-degree terroristic threatening and firearm charges from more than three years ago. And, despite more recent felony charges, he continues to be granted bail. At what point do the courts consider a person a danger to the community?
>> Obviously this guy’s a danger to the community and should be put away but it seems the other two guys are also dangerous. I’ll withhold judgment, though, until further details come out. There are probably a whole bunch of details that weren’t reported.
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“Gabbard’s vote to go to Clinton despite concern” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 3:
>> Many of us find ourselves in this “rock and a hard place” situation with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. I’m glad Rep. Tulsi Gabbard had the integrity not to endorse Clinton over Sanders, but like her, I’ll be voting for the “lesser of two evils,” too.
>> This is an insane election as the two parties have failed us and there is a very good option. Under the Libertarian ticket there are two experienced candidates who have shown integrity and honesty. Gary Johnson is heads and shoulders above either of those two.
