Jailing thieves requires prisons

Everyone should understand that there are consequences for everything that we do ("Get tougher on habitual thieves," Star-Advertiser, Our View, March 19).

State Rep. Chris Lee wants to put these repeat offenders behind bars. Is he willing to have a new prison built in his district to house these people?

He says that his constituents are fed up and tired of their homes and businesses being broken into, but are they OK with a new prison being built in their district? Or are they part of the so-called NIMBY group?

We all need to understand that the lack of sufficient space prevents the system from locking them all up. We also as taxpayers need to ask ourselves whether we are willing to pay for the building of an additional prison system and absorb the cost of housing, feeding, clothing and providing health care for these additional prisoners.

Ernest Y. Suemoto
Mililani

Hawaii is not 2-airline market

I have to disagree with former Aloha CEO David Banmiller that Hawaii is a two-airline market ("Warnings came true," Star-Advertiser, March 19).

Since the neighbor island direct flights siphoned off much of the connecting traffic at Honolulu, it is really more like a 1 1/2 airline market.

IslandAir, especially if it bought the Aloha name, could be that half airline with a fleet of modern 70-80 seat turboprops. It would need to have a low-cost structure to support fares on the lower end.

And surprisingly (to me anyway), a lot of people won’t get on a propeller airplane eventhough the propeller is turned by a jet engine. So, with turboprops, market share would probably be limited to 25-30 percent so long as Hawaiian is flying jets.

But if he cares to do it, Larry Ellison has the wherewithal to establish his airline as a significant interisland carrier.

Jim King
Hawaii Kai

Bill 16 would protect tourism

I attended the City Council committee hearing on Bill 16.

Despite handing over nearly 5,600 signed petitions and addressing the lost jobs, lost 8,000 hotel rooms and transient accommodations and general excise taxes lost to the state, the committee deferred action on the bill.

The bill is not about new development of timeshares, condo hotels and limited service hotels. It’s about existing and current hotel rooms on Oahu only.

If Hawaii loses more and more hotel rooms, it will have a negative impact on the state.

Tourism is Hawaii’s No. 1 industry and is doing very well. It needs to produce more jobs and more tax revenue — not less, which is happening now.

Rodney Nakashima
Kalihi

Volleyball idea not without cost

Regarding using the Natatorium for sand volleyball as Kandi Heleloa suggests ("Natatorium perfect for sand volleyball," Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 18), she seems to forget the tremendous cost to us taxpayers to refurbish the bleachers and fill in the pool.

Add to that the cost of maintenance and liability insurance.

We would also have to buy tickets to enter to watch the games.

Yes, "families can go out … and enjoy picnicking in the area," especially if the public beach is extended from the Aquarium to Kaimana Beach.

Mandy Bowers
Manoa

Romney was right on Russia

Our president, mocked by Russia, finds time to select NCAA brackets, attend fundraisers, proclaim happy hour with the Democratic National Committeeand take a mini-vaca- tion after a tough talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Meanwhile Putin annexes Crimea.

Living from the Depression through the Cold War, I learned a thing or two about effective presidential leadership and credibility.

The current administration falls short on both counts.

It’s time for the president to stop the fundraising and get serious. No one, especially the president, is laughing now at Mitt Romney’s assertion that Russia is a geopolitical adversary.

Jim McDiarmid
Mililani

Brill columns are excellent

Just a few words to congratulate the Star-Advertiser for the informative and excellent articles that Richard Brill, in his "Facts Of The Matter" column, provide for your many subscribers.

Milton Allione
Kailua