Deedy trial getting too much publicity

The Star-Advertiser reported a blow-by-blow account of the first Christopher Deedy trial on a daily basis last summer, usually on the front page. It got old pretty fast.I think most people would have preferred seeing just one or two "wrap-up" articles about the trial after it was over.

Now it’s the second trial, and the Star-Advertiser is doing the same thing.Please, give your readers a break; this is not news anymore.

I think most readers would prefer to see an article when this is over that lets people know the final result — as well as how much taxpayers have paid for these two trials.

Paul Southworth
Waikiki

There are no laws against stupidity

A letter by Eugene Cordero ("How many more truck bed deaths?" Star-Advertiser, July 26) starts by blasting our "Legislature phonies" for not acting to protect our people driving in their own vehicles.

Let me say that I spent some time trying to calm myself down after reading this letter.

A quick search shows more than 1,000 laws in the Hawaii Revised Statutes for vehicle operations, but none for stupidity. Yes, accidents do happen, but are more laws and government control going to prevent that? The government doesn’t know how to run our lives, doesn’t have the authority, and the Constitution doesn’t permit it to do so.

Let’s start taking more personal accountability for ourselves and bring back that uncommon thing called "common sense" so we can end the real insanity of government control over a free society.

Raymond Banda
Mililani

Thank teachers at start of school year

Most parents thank their children’s teachers at the end of the school year. But I want to take this opportunity at the beginning of the school year to thank my children’s teachers for pushing their students to succeed. Many times they don’t get enough credit for the amazing job they do every day.

Because of excellent teachers at Nuuanu Elementary such as Ms. Maeda, Ms. Low, Mr. Kodama, Ms. Tupper, Ms. Lee and gifted/talented teacher Ms. Skrimstad, I am confident about my daughter’s ability to handle her first year at Stevenson Middle. At Nuuanu, Marissa got involved with robotics, the technology club and N-TV (Nuuanu TV) thanks to Mr. Chun.

Let’s not wait until May to praise our children’s teachers.

Mark Fukeda
Makiki

Rural Oahu needs more restrooms

I am a tourist who worked in construction on Oahu and comes back as much as possible.

I have family that comes to visit when I am here to take in the pleasures of the island. We tend to travel and play all over the island, with the exception of areas that do not have clean public restrooms. Consequently we don’t spend much time on the north or west shores. The result is that businesses in those areas lose many potential customers.

Taxes tend to supply the cost for cleaning public facilities, so it seems government is foregoing potential tax income and business profits by not supplying clean public facilities. Too bad for the businesses that are losing profits and the people that would like to spend more time in those areas. Government needs to do its job.

Ken Karwowski
Kansasville, Wis.

It’s time to vote out all incumbents

Soon we voters will be able to voice our opinions and have them really count, unlike the special session fiasco last year.

If lawmakers can unilaterally do that, they can pass anything they want at any time, regardless of what the people say.

The state has sold out to the monied mainland interests while the city is doing absolutely nothing to fix the homeless/vagrant problem. Expensive high-rises are booming and Waikiki is slip-sliding away into a slum, so bye-bye, tourist dollars.

We have given up our parks, bus stops, sidewalks, beaches, doorways, etc., to the vagrants. Enough is enough. Now is the time to say "no" to all incumbents, from the top down, including the governor, legislators and City Council members, and send them packing.

All of our votes will be counted this time.Grab your broom and make it an Operation Clean Sweep.

No incumbents, state or city.

Toby Ruby
Downtown Honolulu

Consider joining DRIP movement

I’ve been told: If you can’t find someone to vote for, find someone to vote against.

If this doesn’twork for you, try DRIP (Don’t Re-elect Incumbent Politicians). Voting against incumbents is a valid way to vote. Join the DRIP movement.

Otto Cleveland
Pearl City

Hawaii needs a law like Proposition 13

Is it time for the property owners of Hawaii to follow the property owners of California and pass their own Proposition 13?

Proposition 13 tax reform was passed in 1978 by over two-thirds of California voters.Property tax values were rolled back and frozen at 1976 assessed values and tax increases are limited to no more than 2 percent per year as long as the property is not sold.When a property is sold, its tax rate would be 1 percent of the sales price and the 2 percent yearly cap would apply in future years.

Prior to Proposition 13, there were no limits on annual property tax increases; taxes could increase 50 percent to 100 percent, or more in one year.

With Oahu’s increased assessed values and this new "Residential A" category, the unfore- seen consequences of long-time property owners being forced to sell and higher rents for tenants are coming.

Robert Chaffee
Diamond Head