Some homeless seem to prefer their lifestyle

The description of two of our homeless individuals reveals that they choose to remain homeless, free from the rules of living with others (“Officials still optimistic despite 4.7% rise in homeless population,” Star-Advertiser, May 17).

How many others are like them? In all of our talking about homelessness, most of us do not fully appreciate how and why they have to sleep on our sidewalks and parks.

You could help many of us understand the many different reasons why they have increased in numbers despite our efforts to help support them here and throughout our nation.

I am certain that the ultimate solution will need to deal with different problems.

I would propose that the American Civil Liberties Union be specifically invited to join in these public discussions to see what can be done to find lasting and affordable solutions.

Donald Char
Niu Valley

UH athletics gets sweet deal over debt

Most organizations, public or private, get rid of or drastically reorganize a consistently money-losing operation.

Not so our University of Hawaii Board of Regents, which is forgiving the $13 million loss by the UH athletics department. Move the loss to the chancellor’s office, they say.

What sort of a message does this deliver to the new president? Money doesn’t matter. Let the taxpayers pay. Accountability is irrelevant.

No objections from the governor or Legislature. We must be living in an alternate reality.

Paul Tyksinski
Kailua

Lifeguards deserve better pay for work

As first responders in emergency ocean rescues, Hawaii lifeguards still are receiving lower wages than other public safety positions.

As a regular swimmer at Makaha, I cannot tell you how many times I have seen the dedicated lifeguards at the beach rescue people, mainly tourists, who ignore multiple posted orange-flag warning signs. Recently, they had four rescues in one day.  

These lifeguards put themselves at risk in the ocean and are really the first to respond until others arrive. Moreover, many of our ocean safety officers are loyal and stay in their jobs for years, yet struggle to make ends meet.

The lifeguards at Makaha go up to each person and ohana on the beach and inform them of any potential danger. I am sure other lifeguards on the island do the same.  

Let’s give them the raises they deserve and better union status so we can continue to have these heroes in our waters.

Lulu Bagnol
Waianae

IRS scandal raises tax-exemption issue

Apparently the Internal Revenue Service has gone off its rocker. But it certainly raises a question: Why in the world would any political organization be entitled to a tax exemption?

Bob Frye
Pupukea

IRS just doing its job of screening groups

Groups involved in political activities are not supposed to receive not-for-profit status. If there is a scandal, it is that the Internal Revenue Services has been allowing them to do so for far too long.  

Equally scandalous is that the IRS staff is being vilified by Republicans and the media for finally doing its job screening the applications.

No liberal, conservative or religious organization that engages in political activity should get a pass regardless of the political environment. The current uproar is a case of cheaters calling foul.  

Spare me the burning martyr.

James B. Young
St. Louis Heights

Don’t let military use island as a target

Maj. Neal Fisher’s response to concerns of Northern Mariana Islands residents that using Pagan Island as a “live-fire” target by the U.S. military will leave the island devastated is incredible (“U.S. military considers remote Pacific Island for live-fire training,” Star-Advertiser, Breaking News, May 15).

He said that such concerns don’t take into account the Marine Corps’ disciplined training exercises and its commitment to leaving places better than they were found. Is Fisher ignorant about Kahoolawe, used by the Navy as a target for decades?

The Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission website asks, “Is it safe to access the Reserve?” and answers, “No. Unexploded ordnance hazards remain throughout the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve …”

The Marines trained on 187 acres in Waikane Valley from 1953 to 1976, and reported in 2011 that the activity prevents unrestricted use because the explosive hazard for the area will never be completely eliminated.

Who would believe the Marine Corps would ever leave anything in the condition it found it, much less in better condition?

Mike Hadfield
Palolo Valley

FROM THE FORUM @STARADVERTISER.COM

“Greenwood defends regents, herself, citing ‘lack of respect’,” Star-Advertiser, May 13:

>> She’s no Aretha Franklin, that’s for sure.

>> What altered the University of Hawaii’s autonomy was not the Wonder Blunder or construction contract disputes themselves; it was Greenwood’s “I know better than you” mainland arrogance in dealing with these issues that antagonized local leaders, legislators and taxpayers, an arrogance that continues to the date of the interview in this article.

>> The Wonder Blunder would have gone away if they just fessed up that they had been duped — and not spent a million dollars to cover it up.

>> I’m liking her even more now. She is telling it like it is. It’s time for her to move on, but I hope she gasses all of the insiders — better yet, reveals their identities.  

———

“Interior hit for ‘hands off’ position on DHHL,” Star-Advertiser, May 13:

>> The feds already gave Hawaii the mandate to administer the program. With that mandate came the ability to write the rules. People are just looking for excuses. Saying the recent mismanagement of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is the feds’ fault is pure nonsense. The problem is that … none of our recent governors have done anything to rectify it. They just appoint political supporters and then forget about it.

>> We all know wrongs have been done and promises have been broken, yet the courts are in lala land with the actions. Maybe someday the United Nations International World Court will investigate and make public to the world the wrongs that need to be corrected.

>> Just because the state has been doing a poor job overseeing DHHL doesn’t mean you have to have federal oversight. Vote for a better governor and then you will have better oversight.

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“Homelessness, native issues top meeting on Thomas Square,”Star-Advertiser, May 14:

>> Thomas Square belongs to everyone and not just for special interest groups. In the old days, it was a nice park that was a great place to just relax and have a peaceful afternoon with family and friends. Mayor Kirk Caldwell did the city of Honolulu a good thing by beautifying Thomas Square on the mauka side with the planter boxes.

>> How do you define special interest? Taken to its extreme, wouldn’t that include those organizations that use the park for regular events like the Pacific Handcrafters Guild and the doggie-obedience guys?

>> I’m tired of hearing the same old stories of “Native Hawaiians” and “homeless.” Half of those homeless aren’t even from Hawaii.

———

“Errors scrub sign-up for insurance,” Star-Advertiser, May 14:

>> If someone ran a business like the state does, they would be broke. Whoever messed up shoud be fired, like they would be if they worked anywhere else but the state.

>> Why is there no accountability for these costly blunders? Weed out the bad seeds like in the private sector. Restructure by changing the job title and make them all reapply for their jobs, then pick a better applicant.

———

“Pomeranians taken from breeder,” Star-Advertiser, May 15:

>> This is what happens when ignorant people breed dogs. It puts legitimate breeders in a bad light.

>> Most of these bad dog breeders aren’t in it because they want a lot of money. They start doing it because they like dogs, but it grows too big for them and they’re not able to control it. At least if the Humane Society were reasonable, these breeders would have somebody to turn to if they need to give up their animals. Otherwise nobody will come forward.

———

“City Council pair seeks more sites to register guns,” Star-Advertiser, May 15:

>> The Honolulu Police Department wants to make it so unbearable to get gun permits and register guns so that people will just not buy them. You can count on one hand how many people got concealed carry permits in Hawaii as well. The department thinks that only it should be able to have guns. The taxpayers who pay their salaries mean nothing to them.

>> Mahalo to Kymberly Pine and Ron Menor for recognizing a problem and trying to do something to correct it. Putting a permitting office out at the new building at Kapolei is a no-brainer.