Did isle delegates ignore VA issue?
Assuming Hawaii’s Congressional delegation past and present had received complaints from constituents over the years and therefore knew about serious wait time problems at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, why didn’t any of them sound the alarm?
Were they covering politically for retired Gen. Eric Shinseki, a high-profile, Obama-connected, local-boy hero?
Charles Kerr
Kalama Valley
Food stamps not sign of progress
I’m a bit puzzled reading how the state government is upset that we have excess food stamp money that is not being used (“Isles miss out on millions in food stamps, study finds,” Star-Advertiser, June 8).
It’s not free money. It comes from taxes.
Shouldn’t we be trying to get people off food stamps, rather than putting them on? Aren’t people better off being self-sufficient, as opposed to being on entitlements?
Some local politicians call themselves “progressives,” but how is increasing the number of folks on food stamps progress?
Jim Slavish
Kailua
Towers will have too many cars
Kawika Fiddler says Royal Capitol Plaza residents care only about losing their views to 801 South Street. But with a solid row of nearby buildings, sunlight and cool breezes would also be lost (“801 South will help supply housing,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 10).
Even more important to residents and to everyone driving in and out of downtown is the amount of traffic that would be generated.
Two 400-foot high-density residential towers, each with a 10-story, 100-foot-high garage tower, mean more than 1,700 parking stalls in one block.
Phase I has 915 stalls on the Kawaiahao Street side, Phase II, 788 stalls for Kapiolani. The garage towers do not have assigned stalls or exit ramps.
At the exit rate of 10 seconds per car, it would take an hour for half a garage tower’s cars to exit — provided there are no delays.
Mary Caywood
Aina Haina
Public toilets just address symptom
More public restrooms in Chinatown for the homeless will not work.
We should be spending the funds on the causes of the problem: homelessness, mental health and chemical dependency.
Those people should be off the streets and into housing. Housing them in Iwilei or anywhere in Chinatown will destroy Chinatown.
In Chinatown, the River of Life ministry feeds the homeless every day. The city should require it to have enough toilets for the people to use after eating, so they will not urinate and defecate on the sidewalks.
Roland Louie
Kaimuki
Serious accident likely in Kailua
Kailua is attracting foreign tourists, which is probably a boost to our economy. However, there is a serious accident waiting to happen.
The tour operators naturally tout Kailua as a small residential community with new shops and a wonderful beach where you can rent a bicycle and explore the area.
As a result, there are many visitors cycling around town without regard to traffic. They ignore bike lanes, ride two and three abreast and cross the roads where there are no crosswalks.
Tour operators should stress that Kailua is not a sleepy little village but a busy town with lots of traffic, and that caution should be used while cycling.
Bob Ford
Kailua
Submit a letter for HART’s time capsule
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation intends to seal a time capsule that it will open in 25 years, and you are invited to be a part of it.
In a 150-word letter, give the people of tomorrow a glimpse into your transportation situation today. You could talk about your life dealing with traffic; how you get around, or what gadgets, favorite music or notable vistas are part of your commute.
Send your letter to letters@staradvertiser.com or to 500 Ala Moana., #7-210, Honolulu, 96813. The deadline is June 18. We’ll select the best letters to run on June 22 — and that edition will likely be placed in the time capsule.
How to write us
The Star-Advertiser welcomes letters that are crisp and to the point (~150 words). The Star-Advertiser reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and length. Please direct comments to the issues; personal attacks will not be published. Letters must be signed and include a daytime telephone number.
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