Innovation center needs modern home

Hawaii can and must do more to promote high-growth industries that create high-wage job opportunities for Hawaii citizens.

A recent Star-Advertiser editorial understood the success of providing support for entrepreneurs, but didn’t cover the needs to grow and prepare for the future ("Keep tech center at Manoa for now," Star-Advertiser, Our View, Jan. 14).

With the successful launch of the 2013 HI Growth Initiative, the High Technology Development Corp. (HTDC) is poised to lead a statewide effort to help high-growth businesses establish and flourish here.

We’ve taken some great steps toward a more diversified sustainable economy and cannot stop now. We need to make the investment required to keep HTDC growing and focusing on the future.

The proposed building in Kakaako is designed to attract today’s and tomorrow’s innovators — an open, collaborative space with competitive connectivity speeds — amid office space for startups.

Manoa Innovation Center fit the business model 20 years ago, but moving forward is essential. Staying in Manoa is not a long-term solution for HTDC.

Len Higashi
Acting executive director, High Technology Development Corp.

Provide public toilets to keep streets clean

Recent letters discuss bathroom access for homeless people.

Indeed, if the city won’t step up and provide public toilets, we may have to ask businesses to accommodate the homeless. Otherwise, what option do these unfortunate people have for a universal human function?

Many cities in the U.S. as well as abroad provide vandal-proof public toilets. Yes, they do require regular maintenance, but not more than daily.

Some are designed to flush the whole room, which minimizes maintenance and assures cleanliness. I’ve been grateful for these facilities many times when I hesitated to ask a nearby business to use their restroom, or when businesses are closed.

Let’s admit, as Rep. Bob McDermott does, that all humans urinate and defecate. Let’s keep our streets and plantings clean by providing toilets.

Beppie Shapiro
Kaimuki

Heritage Foundation out of step with public

I suggest the Honolulu Star-Advertiser caution readers when it publishes op-ed articles written by people associated with The Heritage Foundation.

It is an extreme right-wing group that espouses ideas that are loathsome to most Americans.

Case in point: a recent article by James Jay Carafano, a vice president of the foundation, on the question of whether Edward Snowden should be pardoned ("No: Snowden betrayed not only the trust given to him by his country but also freedom," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 13).

Carafano’s assertion that Snowden betrayed the trust of the U.S. government stands in stark contrast to the fact that it was the government that betrayed the trust of its people.

Snowden blew the whistle on the reprehensible actions of the National Security Agency.

We should be throwing him a parade.

Greg Small
Waipahu

Obamacare faulty but it’s still good idea

When our media cheers us on to bash President Barack Obama, aren’t we bashing ourselves?

Do we expect one man to be a kind of Daddy-God that fixes everything for us? Do we expect him to leave a conference and rush home to fix a computer glitch in Obamacare?

We’re the last industrialized nation to institute universal health coverage. New Zealand did it in 1900, Sweden in 1906, England in or around the 1940s. If we can’t finally compromise and create something — care for all — we’re a national tragedy.

Those in the medical field who drive Ferraris seem to be working overtime out of fear of lesser profits.

Anti-coverage-for-all propaganda is rampant.

Rosemarie Tucker
Kalihi-Palama

We can’t really afford preschool program

Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s budget requests $4.5 million in state funding for 640 children to be enrolled in pre-kindergarten classes in 32 classrooms.

That amounts to $7,000 per pupil.

That’s $37,000 a day per classroom based on a six-hour day.

And this is "preschool."

Yet, we’ve no money for student computers in 32 classrooms in our public schools using the same criteria.

Our Department of Education administrators simply do not have the capacity to figure out how personal computers replacing dated textbooks could actually enhance the competitiveness of our local kids.

Just what good is this "early education" without the skills needed to remain in Hawaii?

Roger C. Evans
Ewa Beach

Family Court glitch could be dangerous

Here we go again with our Hawaii government making grand mistakes.

Our Family Court system apparently did not follow the proper procedures for court appearances, so many cases have been thrown out.

Expect to see "domestic violence" on the rise in headlines, or more deaths from domestic murders.

Remember that these domestic abuse/violence victims sacrificed just to call the police, usually dragging children and suitcases to friends, family or shelters.

Some waited as long as a year for court appearances, expecting justice — with temporary restraining orders not being enforced, possible death threats by spouses, and the laughter and smirking of their abusers.

What a travesty of justice.

Mary Jo Morrow
Kailua

Impose grand felony in pedestrian deaths

I read with great dismay and sadness about the two latest pedestrian fatalities. Unless one is a pedestrian — and I am one — one never comprehends the perils we face in a simple thing like crossing the street.

Drivers these days are too much in a hurry, and care not one iota about giving pedestrians the right of way. What we need to do is make it a grand felony in the event of a pedestrian fatality. I am also adamant about confiscating the driver’s license permanently. Only then can we be assured that there will be one less dangerous driver on our streets.

Kikue Carras
Makiki

Institute paid parking in neighborhoods, too

City Council Bill 1 relating to parking for food trucks ("Reserved parking stalls for food trucks proposed," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 13) should be broadened to include the creation of parking stalls within Oahu’s subdivisions and other city streets with no marked parking stalls.

These stalls could be leased on a month-to-month or annual basis to homeowners, apartment and condo dwellers, employees and others who use city streets to park their vehicles.

A numbered stall and a matching numbered decal on the bumper of the vehicle would generate cash, provide a measure of safety, ensure orderly parking and hold people accountable for trash.

The system would be easily enforcable and fines would be issued to violators.

The city transportation director should be directed to designate the areas; determine cost and duration of the permits, as well as signage requirements; design the process of awarding permits; and review and select other criteria generated from public hearings.

Jimmy Wong
Heeia

FROM THE FORUM

"Kingdom still in place, courts told," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 13:

» Those folks paying $3,900 might be smarter than you think. They remain in their homes for several years,with no mortgage payment. Maybe it’s us folks who continue to pay by the month that are missing the boat. Sure, over time, they’ll be out, but they were already in foreclosure, and $3,900 for a free home for a couple of years is not a bad deal.

» Bank lends you money. You don’t pay it back. You are a thief. End of story.

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"Reserved parking stalls for food trucks proposed," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 13:

» Lunch wagons and plate luncheons are a Hawaii tradition. Let’s support them.

» I see no problem with assisting food truck businesses that have the proper permit and business licenses — meaning that they are preparing food out of a commercial kitchen and that there’s a decent chance they’re paying something in the way of taxes.

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"Councilwoman wants public restrooms put in Chinatown," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 14:

» The biggest problem which hasn’t been mentioned in the article is that if a public restroom is opened in this part of Chinatown, prostitutes and drug dealers will use it for their business — and I’m not talking about easing nature. This is the reason why the only public restroom in Chinatown is located in the HPD Chinatown substation.

» This is not just a Chinatown or Downtown problem; look at Waikiki! No one has a solution to the homeless, but let’s take it one step at a time.

» There are places for the homeless, and despite all the noise about not having enough space, I believe it’s more about the homeless not liking the rules more than anything else. They want their freedom, but choose to take advantage of public and private property. All of us have to live by some sort of rules, they should not be the exception. We’ve all seen and heard enough. Get them off the streets!

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"Palmyra atoll turns into trove of research vital to Hawaii’s future," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 14:

» It is gratifying to see a light shining on an area that needs much more attention.

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"Bill would involve police in clearing of sidewalks," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 15:

» The City Council obviously has no ideas or insight into dealing with the homeless. Nothing they have done thus far has really had any effect. It’s like they are throwing pudding at the wall just to see what sticks.

» The bottom line is to focus on the root of the problem: lack of affordable housing.

» These people would not pay for affordable housing. You have to just keep giving them stuff? How about teaching them how to take care of themselves instead of getting handouts.

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"Insurance body might be transformed," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 15:

» Regardless of your feelings about Obamacare, the Hawaii Health Connector is an epic boondoggle that should enrage every citizen. Its business plan was clearly ridiculous and the figurehead that was hired to run this unworkable plan has already left. Once again there is zero accountability and now that all the gravy has been skimmed off, they are going to drop this money pit into the laps of the taxpayers, grow another impenetrable bureaucracy staffed with otherwise unemploy- able second cousins and move on.

» Just let it die and the feds will have to run the Connector.

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"House leader charts new direction on taxes," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 16:

» Our legislators need to spend more time on cutting waste and excessive spending in government and stop talking about new ways to raid the taxpayers’ wallets.

» The only thing they should be considering is lowering all taxes. They are taking quite enough already.

» New sources of revenue need to be found. Legalized gambling always comes up every year, yet gets shot down at the last minute. I’d rather they have some kind of lottery instead of raising taxes.

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"Ramen burger madness," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 16:

» A five-hour wait for a $10 burger? It costs more than $10, once you factor in the cost of your time.

» They need to find a permanent place here to offer these burgers, with all the popularity it has.

» People are crazy, kinda like the ones who line up at night to buy a new computer or phone.