Vacation rentals better neighbors

In reaction to the continuing uproar over vacation rentals, I’d like to add a different perspective ("Property owners skirt the law," Star-Advertiser, Dec. 28). I’ve owned my home in Kailua since 1978. I’m aware of a number of vacation rentals on our street. These rentals have never caused a problem, not noise, not traffic, not parking, not crime.

Conversely, we have a home nearby known to neighbors as the "little village." There are at least 16 residents and 10 cars and trucks. Loud mufflers and backup alarms day and night, loud parties in the carport, rubbish stacked in the yard, cars blocking the street. It’s an eyesore and a neighborhood nuisance. I’ll take a clean, quiet vacation rental as a neighbor any day.

George Krasnick
Kailua

Contractors control cost of rail transit

So, the cost of the Honolulu rail transit project is going to increase by about $1 billion.

Contractors have all of us by the short hairs.

My opinion is that the rail project’s value is questionable. If I had the capability, I would shut it down and sue the contractors.

Fritz Amtsberg
Round Top

Oahu improved by transit projects

The financial problems of Honolulu’s rail project are a serious concern. But there’s an encouraging history of major transportation projects on Oahu overcoming challenges and improving our lives.

In the 1960s, many people cried foul over building the H-1 freeway, claiming freeways were for Los Angeles and Honolulu didn’t need one. Today it’s the most productive road in the state.

Expanding Honolulu International Airport to accommodate jumbo jets and more tourists had its share of detractors. Today those jets connect us with the world and support tens of thousands of visitor economy jobs in our state.

And it wasn’t that long ago the H-3 freeway was met with strong opposition. Today that freeway is used every day by people getting to work, going to school, or visiting friends and family.

Decades from now, when rail is part of our daily routine, we’ll wonder how we ever got along without it.

Patrick Williams
Downtown Honolulu

Obama ohana deserves our thanks

I am always thrilled when the Obamas come home for the holidays, traffic jams or not. Their proximity makes me want to personally say "thank you."

Thank you to the president for gracefully shouldering, day in and day out, the immense burdens of untenable wars andeconomic nightmares, imposed by the rich, that he inherited the day he took office, and which he might have ameliorated had his every effort to lessen their devastating effects not been blocked.

Thank you, despite all that, for remaining inclusive, compassionate and life-affirming. And mahalo to Mrs. Obama, Malia and Sasha.These years cannot have been easy for them, and we can only guess at the cost to their personal privacy, dreams, joys and sorrows. Please know that for me, and for millions everywhere, I am eternally grateful for the hope and light they all brought us.I hope I get caught in one of those traffic jams while they are here.

Barbara Mullen
Waimanalo

Hanauma Bay bus service lacking

Iam a visitor to Hawaii with my parents from Tacoma, Wash. We have experienced extreme problems while traveling by bus around Honolulu, including delays, full buses, and combined waits of up to two hours.

Being ecologically minded, we planned to use public transportation as much as possible. We tried to get to and from Diamond Head and Hanauma Bay, but bus No. 22 was full and 20 minutes late — twice. We walked. We tried to get to Hanauma Bay at 9 a.m. Three No. 22 buses were too full to even stop. I understand that buses can fill up, that there can be delays, and that we probably could have planned ahead better.

But to consecutively and repeatedly be denied the option to ride a bus is reflective of a poor quality of service. It almost seems as if at times you are forced to take a taxi.

Adam Furman
Tacoma, Wash.

Local dairies can’t lower their prices

Those of us in Hawaii agriculture all face the challenges of competing with larger mainland and foreign operations. We are made up of small, family-run farms and we can’t compete with these large operations in the "race to the bottom" in price.

Meadow Gold, a subsidiary of Dean Foods out of Dallas, is asking our last two dairies on Hawaii Island to lower their prices or they’ll stop buying locally produced milk. This ultimatum does not sit well with our industry members. And it’s detrimental to the Hawaii agricultural community as a whole.

Our dairymen are good people doing honest work and they provide jobs in rural Hawaii.

We are a statewide nursery organization with 300 members strong. We stand with our local dairymen and we urge Dean Foods to seriously reconsider their position.

Eric S. Tanouye
President, Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association

Don’t trust NextEra or HEI motives

Hawaii is remarkable. No Ferguson, Mo., here. Ourdiverse communities have taught ushow to live in harmony withkindness, respect and consideration. Ourtrusting, friendly nature allowspredators to seize the day.

NextEra andHawaiian Electric Industries are wolves in disguise.How coincidental that rooftop solar permits stalled just before the sale of HEI.

Voice yourdisapproval andlet themknow: Donot mistakekindness for weakness. Tellthem we are not easy prey to feed hungry corporate stakeholders.

Dennis Ryan
Makakilo