Building in Kakaako is blasphemous

Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono: The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.

That has been the motto of Hawaii for more than 160 years.

Not so any more for our current state Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees.They want to sell some of the last remaining precious waterfront park land along Kakaako to some developer to put high-rises on that precious piece of loved soil. Spoil the land forever. That is committing blasphemy in its purest form.

Hawaiians have already been through that before.During the Great Mahele in 1848, the land tenure system was changed from communal trusteeship to private ownership.The missionaries and other supposed do-gooders got richer and the Hawaiians got poorer.

Let us hope thatour Legislature will save the OHA trustees from committing blasphemy and keep the aina open for everyone to enjoy — in perpetuity.

Gerhard C. Hamm
Waialae Iki

Kakaako’s no great shakes right now

As I sat and listened to the people at the state Capitol, I was so disappointed with the testimonies that were given.

It sounds like the residents of Kakaako are against anything new in the area ("Residents demand HCDA change or die," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 9).

Who are we to tell the land-owners what they and cannot build on their land? The people complain about sacred land and green spaces. All I see is warehouses and an empty park that nobody uses.

Just look at how fast 801 South St. sold out. I’m sure the second tower will sell just as fast.

If the current residents are not happy with what’s going on in Kakaako, they should move.

Steven Correa
Waianae

‘Stepping Out’ was better than expected

Before reading the review of "Stepping Out," currently showing at Diamond Head Theatre, I envisioned a riot of song and dance with minimal plot ("Review: ‘Stepping Out’ at Diamond Head Theatre," Star-Advertiser, Pulse, Feb. 6).

The review took care of that idea, but because I am a season-ticket holder, I decided to attend anyway, expecting to be disappointed. But after the show started, I realized that I was seeing a very human story of people like you and me, people with their individual problems who are looking for some relief through tap dancing lessons.

The story is simple, the dance steps are basic, but I left the theater feeling uplifted. I hope that the show is extended; more people should see it.

Arg Bacon
Kahala

UH should tackle administrative bloat

With all due respect to state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim and her concern about the University of Hawaii’s $50 student athletic fee being increased, it represents only about 1⁄2 of 1 percent of tuition costs ("Sen. Kim warns UH, student fees not a bailout," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 8). By comparison, our regressive general excise tax has an effective 13 percent rate by the time it stops gouging us.

What she should look into is what the other $330 in various fees are for. Or why my student son had no choice but to pay $547 for four books. Or why a recent study of state colleges found that "administrative bloat" was the main factor in ridiculously escalating tuition costs, even outpacing health care costs.

My answer to her comment, "If there is a profit, do they get their money back?" is no. Better yet, let’s rephrase her question to, "If the state has a surplus, do the taxpayers get their money back?"

Orson Moon
Aiea

Give UH a break on Aloha Stadium use

Being a loyal University of Hawaii fan for many years, it’s hard to understand why the state will not give UH a break during the football season ("Raw deal on Aloha Stadium leaves UH athletics hurting," Star-Advertiser, Further Review, Feb. 10).

UH pays rent to the state for the use of the stadium, but it make nothing from the concession stands nor the parking, not even on their apparel sold.

Why can’t legislators see that UH will always be in the red if things don’t change? The state seems to be the stone wall between UH making or losing money, and so far, UH is losing money.

If UH announced it was cutting football due to lack of funds, this would cause an uproar among the Legislature, the governor and the mayor, and then every lawmaker would come up with a solution to help UH. Auwe to the state for its blindness.

Bill Pirtle
Waipahu

Parents concerned about Pono Choices

Heterosexual or same-sex parents should review the Pono Choices curriculum. In my opinion, it is pornographic and lethal at best — not something I want taught to any of my children and not age-appropriate.

The state Department of Education has no right teaching our 11-year-old keiki about anal sex, along with misinformation about the body. This curriculum does not represent our family’s values and I am offended. Don’t parents have rights, too?

State Rep. Bob McDermott’s efforts regarding Pono Choices came about because parents islandwide have asked him to represent our concerns about this biologically incorrect curriculum. A lot of changes need to be made before introducing it to an 11-year-old child as a peer education program in the public school system.

Eileen Lynn
Ewa Beach