Ho‘opili continues ‘second city’ vision

Twenty-two years ago, I was finally able to purchase a house in West Loch Estates.

My good fortune was due to our late Mayor Frank F. Fasi’s vision of the future of West Oahu. The “second city” was to provide affordable homes and jobs for the middle class that was being pushed out of the housing market in town. It was to be a vibrant city.

Ho‘opili is a continuation of that vision, providing an environmentally sustainable community. There will be different housing options, a new mall and transportation choices, while still providing for agricultural acreage.

A minority killed the Superferry, raising the cost of visiting the neighbor islands. Now it seems that a minority group wants to dictate where and how our future generations live, which will make the cost of housing on Oahu prohibitive.

Approval of this project may be the only way my son can return to Hawaii and afford to purchase a home.

Henry Kwok
Ewa Beach

Fixing our roads plainly not a priority

I am baffled with the car registration fees almost more than doubling.

Our roads are full of potholes and uneven steel plates that remain unfixed or corrected for months or years.

Where is our mayor in all of this chaos, and where are the funds being allocated?

It is evident that our roadways and the residents driving them are certainly not on the priority list.

Michael Springhetti
Waikiki

Legislators aiding and abetting crime

The definition of aid and abet is “to assist another in the commission of a crime by words or conduct.”

This is exactly what our state senators (except Sam Slom) propose to do.

I fully support legal immigration, but adamantly oppose any type of financial incentives to retain status as an illegal alien.

This is not fiscally sound, not in line with the Constitution of the United States, and a slap in the face of all legal immigrants, U.S. citizens and taxpayers.

Financially speaking, one way or another, we the taxpayers will make up the difference in University of Hawaii tuitions, should a bill pass into law that allows illegal immigrants to pay the in-state rate.

I respectfully ask our state senators (except Sam Slom) to please report to the nearest police station and turn yourself in for aiding and abetting criminals.

Michael G. Dunn
Moanalua

Should we make all immigration legal?

Except for Native Americans, we all came from immigrants.

Governments within the United States of America were established and laws were made. Immigrations laws were passed. Everyone came to the U.S. for a better standard of living.

The Hawaii economy cannot afford to give undocumented aliens a better college package than its U.S. citizens. These are not good financial times. We would be giving money for college educations to people who do not have a legal status.

Why not legally change America’s immigration laws?

If it is the will of the people, then allow everyone who enters the U.S. a legal status.

Keoni R. May
McCully-Moiliili

Governor waffling about environment

The Hawaii Legislature is destroying the peoples’ protections against ruthless and stupid development.

These bills raised by legislators Calvin Say, Donovan Dela Cruz and others would place fast-track development ahead of securing agricultural Ag2 and preservation P2 land for the people.

Unfortunately, many of us on the side of the environment and local culture see the governor equivocating, ducking our issues with regard to Malaekahana, Turtle Bay and a strong, enforcing Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Our primary issues, way over the city’s rail project, are roads, sewers, solar, education and landfills — not hotels and resorts for visitors and money and jobs that do not pay sustaining wages but rather foster basic survival.

The real jobs are in fixing up the island’s sewers, roads and landfills, and in enforcement of environmental standards and laws.

Come back to the fold, governor.

Paul Nelson
Waialua

Solar tax credits not working out

As the owner of two taxpayer-subsidized photovoltaic arrays installed in separate calendar years that cost a total of about $28,400, the Hawaii Legislature’s debate about tax credits hits home.

Never would I have put these systems on our roof without taxpayer subsidies — they simply don’t produce enough electricity to make good fiscal sense, despite HECO’s electricity costing more than three times the national average.

So it’s reasonable for elected officials to question who is really paying to lower my electricity bill.

Are Hawaii taxpayers getting a reasonable deal for the $10,000 they’ve already spent to subsidize my systems?

Are U.S. taxpayers getting a good deal for the $8,400 more they’ve refunded to me?

Consider that my photovoltaic panels were made in China and my power inverters were manufactured in Germany.  Therefore, it’s impossible to reasonably argue that this initiative means more jobs for Americans.

And yes, I know that there are other supposedly “good” reasons for all this, but the term “scam” keeps popping into my head — especially as my car bangs from pothole to pothole on Hawaii’s crumbling highways.

Michael P. Rethman
Kaneohe