Letters to the Editor

Improve public golf courses

Raising the golf fees at the municipal courses is probably the correct thing to do, but the city could increase revenues by keeping the courses in better shape and increasing the number of customers.

The Pali Golf Course is a beautiful course with a nice restaurant, but few golfers play there because the fairways and greens are in terrible shape. I have heard the same for the Ala Wai golf course. The courses have great potential.

On Maui, the non-owner property taxes are much higher than owner-occupied, so why is Oahu doing the opposite? I am sure people will say Maui has more vacation rentals, but that is a different tax-rate category.

Tourist would help homeless

As a frequent visitor to the islands, I would have no problem having $1 per day added to my trip through a hotel or vacation rental tax to help the homeless.

I know that the price of housing has increased so much because of mainlanders moving to the islands, so there is sometimes a negative attitude toward these people. But if I actually help by being a tourist, maybe that attitude would change and people who need the help would get it.

I figure it is part of the aloha spirit. I love Hawaii so much and the people that I want to help, and $7 is a small amount to ask for.

Christi Stoltz
Florence, Mont.

How is homeless money spent?

What I find truly amazing is the lack of transparency when it comes to funding for the homeless, current facilities and unreported successes or failures.

Millions of dollars are spent by the state to clean up the homeless situation in Hawaii. To date, either the facilities and nonprofits are not getting the money or there is a serious lack of accountability surrounding the spending of the funds.

Either nobody knows or nobody really cares. Which is it?

Frederick Saunders
Waianae

Gambling has a place in Hawaii

In 1968, I bought a home in Hawaii; its value dramatically increased. I bought some stock in Apple Computer; its value has tripled. I lost a bundle on a stock that tanked. All were gambles. My win, my loss. I also started a small business that has succeeded. Nearly 90 percent of all small businesses fail at great loss to the entrepreneur who gambled to start it. These are all forms of “legalized gambling”
Many Hawaii residents, military and visitors would enjoy an opportunity for recreational gambling. Millions of dollars could be generated in support of Hawaii and its tourist industry.

Yes, there would be financial casualties along the way, but most of the people who would suffer from gambling addiction have already found ways to self-destruct. Underground gambling already has its casualties and victims, and supports continued criminal activity.

Bob Freeman
Honolulu

Sexual abuse needs disclosure

We applaud the courage of Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown and the three female musicians from The 5 Browns music group, who publicly disclosed their sexual abuse as children recently. Hopefully, the national media attention given these disclosures will shed light on this terrible crime.

Sex offenders are typically someone close to the child victim, as was true in both of these high-profile cases. Using intimidation, threats or manipulation, offenders often force the child to keep the abuse a secret. Tragically, many child victims suffer in silence, shame and self-blame.

What can we do to reduce a child’s risk of sexual victimization? Education is key.We encourage parents and other concerned adults to become educated about child sexual abuse and to monitor their child’s interactions with the adults in their life. Also important, adults need to periodically dialogue with their child in age-appropriate ways about safe and unsafe touching — the importance of speaking up if they ever experience unsafe touching — and stress that unsafe touching or sexual abuse is never a child’s fault.

Adriana Ramelli
Executive director, Sex Abuse Treatment Center
Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children

Politicians can sacrifice, too

How aboutGov. Neil Abercrombie giving up his two pensions, or be like former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and don’t take any payat all while he is in the governors position? That will help the budget shortfall and maybe even give incentive to the other career politicians to do their part.

The politicians have screwed up everything by spending and spending, and now they are in a bind and want to tax us for their bad decisions. But then, theydon’t care because they are in a different retirement and health fund than the regular state retirees. Very sad situation.

Adrienne Wilson-Yamasaki
Wahiawa