Letters to the Editor

Leave sewer pipe as is, fix homeless problem

We’re about to spend $37 million to bury the big black sewer pipe that goes along the Ala Wai Canal. I live in the area, and I don’t even notice it any more. It’s pretty well hidden by plants in some areas and could be hidden very well with a few more plants.

The big black pipe is not a threat to tourism, but the homeless problem hurts both tourism and locals alike, making us feel unsafe and unable to use our own public facilities.

So I’m wondering if our new mayor will reconsider this project and explore the idea of leaving the pipe above ground, and spending the money to build homeless camps in more appropriate locations than our beautiful beaches.

$37 million is a lot of money. It may be part of the sewer project as originally designed, but in these times we need to rethink how we spend every nickel. Put a hold on this project and take a time out to make sure this is the best use of our money.

Closing Kaimuki school is culturally incorrect

The plan to close Liliuokalani Elementary School in Kaimuki is culturally incorrect because the school was personally dedicated by Hawaii’s last queen — Queen Liliuokalani.

Cutting its legacy short at the 99th year is contrary to preserving Hawaii’s culture. Also, what will the community do with this enormous vacant property? Will it turn into a breeding ground for crime and graffiti?

The children have the right to be educated in their neighborhood. This is what public education is all about. It is really sad to see that our children are treated as just statistics. They have already suffered a year of furloughs and now their beloved school will be closed. As a parent, how do I teach them about trust when the public education system that they trust continues to fail them?

Response to ‘Big Q’ didn’t show much aloha

I was appalled at the response to your Big Q question of Sept. 9 ("Do you think a Florida pastor’s plan to burn copies of the Quran in memory of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks is an advisable way to make his point?")

Of your responders, 77 percent said yes! I hope that this does not represent a degree of intolerance or bigotry in this great state.

I have lived in Hawaii for only 20 years. My father was born here and my grandparents resided here. I have always been taught tolerance and acceptance of other cultures and societies.

This was and is especially important in the multicultural society we enjoy in Hawaii.

‘Don’t ask’ cartoon was unfair to military

Thursday’s political cartoon shows a homophobic, high-ranking military officer questioning the overturning of "don’t ask, don’t tell" (Star-Advertiser, Sept. 23). This is despite Adm. Mike Mullen, the nation’s top military man, as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, telling the Senate Armed Services Committee in February that "allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do."

Shame on the newspaper for printing a cartoon that perpetuates an untrue stereotype.

SHOPO leaders should drop political agenda

This is in response to comments by Tenari R. Ma’afala, SHOPO president ("Members key to SHOPO picks," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Sept. 21) regarding retired HPD officer Letha A.S. DeCaires.

I, too, did not appreciate the strong-arm tactics used by Ma’afala and the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO) during the primary election. Their televised campaign commercials were intimidating and unprofessional. They did a disservice to the hard-working men and women in blue, as well as to us ordinary citizens.

Since the candidates SHOPO endorsed for governor, mayor and city prosecutor failed to win, I am worried that SHOPO will not work collaboratively with those who were and will be elected to office. I think SHOPO leadership should remember that they are still police officers sworn to protect and serve the public and stop promoting their political agenda.