Terminally ill should be let out of prison

In a landmark 1983 case I argued before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding Delbert Wakinekona — the subject of your front-page article ("Advocates seek revised rules on setting dying inmates free," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 20) — the court held that prisoners have no constitutional right to be imprisoned only in their home state.

Wakinekona was transferred to federal custody because he was the most assaultive and dangerous inmate in the Hawaii prison system. Wakinekona, who was serving multiple life terms, also threatened my life.

Nevertheless, I fully support House Bill 255, which calls for a pilot plan for compassionate release of terminally ill inmates such as Wakinekona, who died from liver disease earlier this month. Keeping such prisoners confined simply defies all logic. Wakinekona was no longer a serious danger to society and his expensive medical care drained prison funds.

Our prison system is overly crowded. Too many prisoners are housed on the mainland solely because we lack sufficient cell space here. Not granting compassionate release to terminally ill prisoners needlessly compounds our serious overcrowding problem.

Michael A. Lilly
Former Hawaii attorney general

It’s a nightmare to get a safety inspection

Isn’t it grand that the state has streamlined the system to get safety stickers for our vehicles? It is now computerized and is supposed to be far better than the old system.

My experience does not support this.

In November, my wife needed to go to no fewer than five different places to find a place that could do her car. More recently, I tried to get an inspection for my motorcycle before it expired.The result: no inspection.

The common denominator was the new system. I got every excuse you could imagine. The system is down islandwide; our weekend guy doesn’t have his PIN number yet; we can’t interface with the new system; the lady who issues PIN numbers is on vacation; we haven’t got our computer tablet yet.

What was wrong with the old system? Confound it, it worked!

These same folks want to run my health care?

Spare me!

Gordon Fowler
Aiea

Let counties add surcharge to GET

On the heels of increased property taxes, vehicle registration fees and rental fees for county facilities, it is encouraging to hear discussion of removing the cap on the counties’ share of the transient accommodations tax and giving counties the option to impose a 1 percentage point surcharge to the state general excise tax.

The Hawaii Constitution allows counties limited tools for raising revenue, mainly property taxes, a county gasoline tax and various user fees. The statute dates back to 1978, four years before the IBM personal computer.

It is time counties have more flexibility to broaden their tax bases beyond 1978 limitations. Increasing the number of methods to raise revenue may permit a decrease in property taxes. Innovative ideas are sure to help the different counties meet their different needs.

Residents and businesses can get relief through the state tax system as credit line items by county, or simply by increasing the value of tax exemptions for all.

The technology and framework already exist. After 31/2 decades, change is due and these two ideas are worthy of implementation.

Glen Kagamida
Hilo

Waikiki today seems like a shantytown

We repeatedly discuss the aesthetic blights that bus advertisements would supposedly heap upon Honolulu.

Let’s consider our real stains.

After reading the cover story on the homeless situation in Waikiki ("In plain sight," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 19), I decided to tour the notorious areas in person.

I walked down the mauka side of Kalakaua Avenue, but could not return the same way because it was not physically safe. I was approached or verbally harassed five to six times within one minute while passing the block under Lulu’s.

This area, and the beachfront gaming tables along the strip, make our "manufactured paradise" feel like a Third World shantytown.

Solutions differ among homeless demographics. The immediate answer, though, is shelter.

Bus ads may compromise visual aesthetics for some. Homeless squalor, however, threatens all senses: visual, audible, olfactory, and even tactile in the worst cases.

Human welfare, too, is paramount.

If Waikiki could become a safe playground again, bus ads would be a welcome price.

Elise Anderson
Kahala

FROM THE FORUM

Readers of the Star-Advertiser’s online edition can respond to stories posted there. The following are some of those. Instead of names, pseudonyms are generally used online. They have been removed.

“Advocates seek revised rules on setting dying inmates free,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 20:
>> Whether these prisoners are released or not, we the taxpayers will bear their medical costs. It comes down to whether or not we are a compassionate society, which I like to think we are.
>> Criminals have the system that was designed for them! Don’t weaken our health care system to balance the budget of the correctional system. These people decide their path in life. No breaks because you get sick.
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“Bill proposes trading land at rail station for acreage held by Dole,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 20:
>> Why should the taxpayers give this now-valuable land to a plugged-in, good-old-boy insider developer instead of keeping it and leasing it? It’s gotten so they don’t even try to hide the insider dealings, cronyism and favoritism with this dirty rail project any more.
>> A piecemeal approach is just a special-interest boondoggle. Here is the test for young state Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz: How much has already been spent for land acquisition for the rail and how much more has to be spent to acquire land along the route? At that point we could determine if there is extra money available for creative deals.
>> If the land is leased for farming, would that mean the taxpayers will be subsidizing the farmers?
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“Air China flights begin,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 22:
>> The problem will be if the Chinese visitors start buying residential property in Hawaii as second homes or investments. That will just put upward pressure on housing costs and create added incentive for developers to continue to develop higher-end residential product that most of our residents cannot afford.
>> When they go and buy their souvenirs, they might notice that they were the ones who actually made them.
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“‘Parklets’ pitched for street stalls,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 22:
>> Are you kidding me? Let’s just advertise, “Homeless, set up your tents here!” This is one of the more ridiculous ideas I have heard in quite some time. We need every parking stall we currently have.
>> Honolulu has ample parks. However, people are unable to use them because they are overrun with homeless. How about clean and maintain the ones we already have.
>> Yeah, it would be a “parklet” where only the rich people who live in those high-rise, luxury condos could enjoy since the rest of us won’t be able to find any parking but will have to foot the bill to maintain those mini-parks.
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“Pro Bowl: Lights! Camera!,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 22:
>> The Pro Bowl was popular before someone decided to have it before the Super Bowl. The players who will be playing in the “Big Game” do not want to get hurt before they play it, so they lay back and don’t give their all.
>> The Pro Bowl — Lights! Camera! ZZZZZZZZZZZ.
>> The Pro Bowl — millions of TV viewers in the frozen northeast U.S. continent, watching the real star of the Pro Bowl —beautiful Hawai‘i nei.
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“City Council bill would bring back sparklers,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 22:
>> Dangerous smoke is the real reason sparklers were banned. Now are they saying it’s OK to inhale the black smoke once a year? If so, then leave the smokers alone at the open parks.
>> Sparklers are primarily used by kids. And it’s the kids who are injured by these blow torches. Stupid idea.
>> Firecrackers should be banned, not these tame novelties used by families.
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“Measure would ban smoking at all beaches,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 23:
>> A good idea, but hard to enforce.
>> Perhaps they could sell $25 beach smoking permits.
>> Yeah, or charge them to sit in the smoking section on the beach.
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“Author of state homeless bill sees conflict with city laws,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 23:
>> The homeless already have the right to move freely in public spaces, and they are not harassed for doing so. The problem is that they don’t move through public spaces. They obstruct sidewalks and public spaces. If they “moved freely,” there wouldn’t be a problem.
>> We should work together to help raise those who have fallen. I’m not talking charity here. I’m talking about finding workable solutions to help people get back on their feet and become productive, self-supporting citizens. Those who do not want this goal … I don’t know. They should be assessed as to why.