Money for homeless seems unreasonable

I am surprised to see that the city has allotted $47.2 million to house and provide services for only 400 people over the next two years ("Sit-lie ban sought for all of Oahu," Star-Advertiser, June 25).

The monthly allotment per homeless person will be nearly $4,917. I retired with a 30-year state pension. My pension plus Social Security is less than $4,000 per month. My taxes, especially property tax, will fund these non-productive homeless people at a cost that exceeds the income of my lifetime of hard work.

The sit-lie ban is not enough to deter homelessness. We need stricter vagrancy and loitering laws. If the city will fund housing for the homeless, it needs to budget our tax monies better and not give them more than what working people and taxpayers make in income.

Do not take from me what I have earned, and spend it on temporary housing that could encourage more homelessness and not deter it.

Arnold Latti
Kapahulu

Demand outpacing our infrastructure

As our infrastructure increases, a need for more waste treatment facilities is required.

More homes are built using the same sewer treatment plants. As an example: The Kailua plant and the Honolulu plant constantly overflow, being overwhelmed by the large volume of sewage.

Simply increasing the people’s sewer rates is not the remedy to this ever-increasing problem. Communities are growing rapidly; so should the infrastructure to handle the demand.

Al Mejia
Waianae

Foam food-box ban worth extra cost

Foam food containers and plastics bags should be banned for the sake of the environment.

We, the consuming public, must do our part to support the proposed ban even though it may cost a few cents more for our plate lunches or for carry-out bags.

Each of us must do our part in our effort be more sustainable. Restaurant owners complained, in a recent news spot, that our local takeout type of foods have a lot of liquid that will seep through biodegradeable containers. If it took a person two hours to finish a meal in this type of container, I don’t think it will be palatable anyway.

We must look to our future, even if it will cost a little more for conveniences that are sustainable.

Allen Tateishi
Hawaii Kai

Parking garages defeat goal of TOD

When all of the high-rise towers were first proposed for Kakaako, the buzzwords were "transit-oriented development," meaning the rail.

If that is true, there should be no parking garages for automobiles allowed with these towers.

This would leave more area for greenery and airflow as well as reduce construction costs, thus making the buildings more affordable.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie said, "We still don’t know how people are going to live in the 21st century." Two cars in every garage will not be one of them; transit-oriented development should be.

If the Hawaii Community Development Authority was not just a rubber stamp for the developers, Kakaako could be a very special place.

Paul Gundlach
Honolulu

Rail system will be a win for all of us

As a kid living in Kalihi, I often walked to school.

High school, especially during the bus strikes, proved difficult. Getting up extra early to walk from Kunawai Lane to McKinley High School was a challenge. Walking home after school carrying books was stressful.

To ease my walking, I listened to music on a small portable radio — no CDs or iPhones then.

Now that I am a grandmother, I am curious as to how well rail will serve our community, especially my grandchildren and others.

I have mixed feelings about the different taxes we citizens have paid thus far, and the environmental concerns. However, all things considered, I feel rail is a win for all of us.

I am looking forward to seeing this vision of transportation finally finished and serving Oahu during my lifetime.

Alice Asuncion Ome
Kalihi

Lieutenant governor running on empty?

I find it quite amusing and annoying at the same time that Shan Tsutsui’s political ad on TV is about announcing his name.

Really? Is that his political platform running for lieutenant governor?

Is that what we’ve lowered our standards to regarding the major issues in Hawaii?

Gimme a break.

On second thought, the lieutenant governor’s office is just a do-nothing position anyway; sounds like he’s perfect for this job.

Jim Kozlowski
Waikiki

Humans not cause of ‘receding ice age’

The thoughtful letter from John Madey asks what steps should we be taking to limit the effects of climate change ("Let’s be prepared for climate change," Star-Advertiser, June 26).

The answer is nothing because there is nothing that can stop climate change because it is a natural phenomena known as the "receding ice age." It has been receding for about 300 years — and will continue for about another 500 years and cannot be stopped.

Scientists know this and choose to blame the phenomena on human activity. They lied and continue to lie to us.

Even though humans may exacerbate the melt, we are not to blame.

Politicians grab onto these lies to put restrictions and bans on us and curtail our freedoms.

Otto Cleveland
Pearl City