Homeless need support system

Each of the photos in Sunday’s cover story, "Safety concerns mount in Kakaako," featured a child or family.

All of the homeless people mentioned in the story were family units with minors. Whether it was intentional or not, this story reveals so much — and so much that is broken about how we are maintaining and caring for the health and safety of our community. That includes people and families who are homeless.

We need to fix our support system and provide housing first. Whether your family became homeless because you lost your job, or you are homeless because of a substance abuse problem or mental health issue, you cannot begin to put your life back together if you are struggling every day for shelter and safety.

I am frustrated by the lack of support, and the disconnection and division, that we constantly reinforce between ourselves and "the homeless population."

Brooke Jones
Liliha

Bus should use microchip card

When visiting my family in Hong Kong, we use the Octopus Card to pay for bus/train fares and sometimes pay for snacks at 7-Eleven.

It’s basically a prepaid credit card, but instead of sliding the card, you place it on a scanner where it reads a microchip embedded inside.

If the company could make a card for Hawaii public transportation, it could replace bus transfers.

The card could take the fare and electronically monitor other connecting bus routes within the two hour guideline (as stated on the bus transfer). This would prevent fraud on bus transfers and also prevent the city from losing more money.

It also would be good when the rail line is in operation, and easier for cash-paying passengers.

Hubert Chan
Kapolei

Hawaiians not served by ‘trust’

Kana’iolowalu is another list tying Hawaiians up in process.Hawaiians are dying on lists.

We need help today. Many of us are living near poverty, facing substantial health and other challenges, compounded by the need to work multiple jobs.

This is not what our queen wanted for her people.

Instead of lists, there should be provided a substantial cash/land award derived from ceded lands revenue for every individual Hawaiian alive today, with future residuals allocated for public benefit in perpetuity.

It’s not a sellout; it’s a settlement that will help many get out of poverty today and off federal and state government assistance programs, breaking the cycle of poverty.

Regardless of the outcome, we shall continue to preserve our culture, language and history, for we are still independent in our puuwai, our hearts.

We can forever live as Hawaiians, with or without being in "trust" by any government entity, for sovereignty starts with the individual.

Shana Logan
Hilo

Suicidal youth a rising concern

In the article "Isles rate medium for kids" (Star-Advertiser, July 22), I was surprised to see no mention of the suicidal behavior of our youth.

» Our middle school students have the highest rate in the nation of making a suicide plan and second highest rate of attempting suicide.

» Our high school students have the second highest rate of making a suicide plan.

» An average of seven high-school-aged youth (ages 14-18) die from suicide each year.

» The number of suicides of young people age 15-24 has more than doubled in the past five years, from 15 in 2007 to 36 in 2011.

Actually, suicide is the leading cause of injury-related death of all age groups, surpassing car crashes and seven times greater than homicide.

Bullying and cyberbullying are serious problems, too. One out of 15 students — two per class — missed a day of school during a previous month because they felt unsafe at, or on their way to, school.

Marya Grambs
Executive director, Mental Health America of Hawaii

Kudos to DOT for adding lane

Mahalo to the state Department of Transportation for adding an additional lane in each direction of the H-1 freeway from Middle Street to the Ward Avenue area.

This addition has greatly increased the traffic flow through this bottleneck area.

It was a long and tedious wait while the renovation was ongoing, but the results are remarkable.

Steve Arashiro
McCully