Mayor should be enforcing laws

"I solemnly swear that I will faithfully support the … laws of the City and County of Honolulu … as mayor of the City and County of Honolulu."

This is an excerpt from the oath of office Kirk Caldwell took when he assumed his position as the mayor.

Caldwell said, "The vacation rental issue is highly controversial" ("Property owners skirt the law," Star-Advertiser, Dec. 31). That’s not relevant.

What’s relevant is that laws are being broken, and the mayor and other city government officials are neither doing their jobs nor complying with the oaths they took when they assumed office.

The mayor should do his job and enforce our laws.

William Leary
Kaneohe

Medical science always evolving

Rising health care costs are indeed a major problem for the nation and we are engaged in an attempt at cost control ("Common sense for medical care," Star-Advertiser, Our View, Dec. 30).But we have to be careful.

Although it seems obvious that doctors should use best practices, we do not always know what the best medical practices are, particularly in more complex cases.The standard of care is constantly changing as medical science evolves.

While sometimes it may be the case that we can get better quality care through lower costs, it will not always be the case, and perhaps it will not even often be the case.

Also, we don’t want to put the medical system in a straitjacket of rules or mandates.Cost control is vital, but we need to be realistic about it.

Lloyd Lim
Makiki

No need to study homelessness

Donald Wilsonsuggests a study to determine why we have the homeless problem ("Homelessness needs analysis," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 12).

There is no need, as history reveals why.

Starting when Ronald Reagan threw the mentally ill out of hospitals, thousands were stranded on public streets. Also, theRepublican agenda that exported jobs to foreign countries produced morewaves of homeless.

In the wake of a conservative-contrivedwar in the Middle East with more than 150,000 troops in Iraq, more than 30,000 werephysically wounded andmore suffered mental disorders. Coming home, they were welcomed by conservatives denying funds to care for them. Many of these heroesended up homeless.

So why aren’tconservativeshelping the homeless? Could it be that it would result in fewer tax breaks for the corporations thatprofit from wars in the Middle East and exporting jobs to foreign countries?

Next time, people should vote for a Congress that looks out for all Americans.

Smoky Guerrero
Mililani

Sidewalks often inaccessible

On my morning walk, I use the sidewalks and I can hardly get by.

I find homeless people sitting on the sidewalks. To avoid them, I need to detour and walk on the grass.

There are some homeless people who stay at bus stops and speak loudly. I am afraid of them, although I know they usually are the victims in any social situation. It’s uncomfortable to be near them.

I wonder about children on their trek to school and how they feel about walking the sidewalks with people who are obstacles. I’ve heard stories of homeless people asking children for money. I hope homeless people don’t bother kids.

Sidewalks should be accessible to everyone. The homeless sit in public places in my residential neighborhood where laws aren’t enforced.

Gabrielle Makuakane
McCully

Removing lane increases misery

I don’t get it. We had a nice street (King Street) with adequate lanes to take respite from the chaotic and insane freeway.

Then we take away a lane for a biker or two and squeeze and add misery to the drivers when we already have a street with a bike path (Young Street) one block away.

Wouldn’t you want to divert bikers to keep them off a main thoroughfare for everyone’s safety?

Further, the city can afford to put in a bike lane, yet cannot modernize our parking meters?

Lisa Adlong
Hauula

U.S. hypocritical about tyrannies

James Carafano needs to look into the world beyond the narrow vision of the Heritage Foundation ("Normalizing relations with Cuba strengthens an odious regime that aids America’s enemies," Star-Advertiser, Dec. 28).

First, the idea that President Barack Obama will have little chance of working with Congress in a position of mutual trust and confidence is spurious at best. This Congress has spent the past four years playing political gamesmanship and thwarting Obama administration initiatives at every turn.

Second, the philosophy that the only legitimate governments are those by and for the people and ruled by the citizens fails to acknowledge U.S. support for Iranunder the Shah; Latin American countries like Honduras and Nicaragua; Saudi Arabia; and others too numerous to mention.

Finally, it is the destiny of the Cuban people to determine their form of government, not politicians or think-tank analysts with a personal agenda.

David Jones
Ewa Beach

Sowell columns are like fresh air

Thank you for carrying Thomas Sowell’s column on your editorial page.

It is such a breath of fresh air in this time of racial insanity and turmoil.

If President Barack Obama would look to him for advice instead of Al Sharpton, referred to by Sowell, also an African-American, as the "demagogue-in-chief," we might see a little sanity restored to our country ("Cheap shots at police are in fact very expensive," Star-Advertiser, Dec. 27).

But with politics factored in,that is likely too much to expect.

Michael Tymn
Kailua

President has achieved much

It appears that the economy is on the road to real recovery and all the gloom and doom forewarned by the Republicans have been nothing but partisan rhetoric.

It is an ironic turn of events that while President Barack Obama and the Democrats got swamped in the mid-term elections, it is the Republicans who appear indecisive. Obama appears more confident than he has in a long time. Unemployment is down, along with a profound surge in employment in the last several months.

Wall Street is making historic gains, the Affordable Care Act enrolled more than 10 million people and gas prices have dipped significantly in recent weeks.

It makes one wonder how much more Obama could have achieved had he received some cooperation from Republican leaders.

No one saw this turn of events coming. If anything, Obama now appears to be nothing like a lame-duck president.

Gary Takashima
Waipahu