Barbers Point hasn’t turned out so well

People with an agenda believe what they want to believe and refuse to look at all related issues ("Smaller Army presence could be a blessing," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Jan. 18; "Hawaii and nation would do better if Army reduced its footprint here," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Nov. 16).

Let Kioni Dudley or Al Frenzel provide an analysis of the "dramatic improvement" in housing availability and cost afforded by the Naval Air Station Barbers Point closure.

Then let them go on to look at the big picture, which I doubt they can, to detail the incredible economic boon of that base closure.

Just look at what has ensued: almost nothing, and this is 20 years later. Then compare the current situation to the lost revenue.

Mike Hutcheson
Pearlridge Heights

NextEra would create visual blight in Hawaii

The CEO of NextEra, Jim Robo, sounds more and more like the people from the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, trying to sell us a scam. No credibility.

Developers from all over want to build tall concrete walls all around our islands, telling us how wonderful it is going to be, a great asset for us and our islands.

Robo will want to erect giant windmill towers all over our mountains and acres of solar-panel farms — lot of precious land taken out of agriculture. He tells us that it will lower our electric bills, which it probably won’t. It will be major site-sight blight, and only for an outsider’s profits.

We should never trust big government or big companies. They deceive and hurt us in too many ways.

Gordon Banner
Kalihi

Zoo is a treasure and city should support it

I was saddened to read in recent letters to the editor that some people question the value of having a zoo in Honolulu ("Zoo is a huge waste of prime real estate," Jan. 11; "Honolulu Zoo has outlived usefulness," Jan. 26).

There are children living in Hawaii who may never have an opportunity to experience a mainland zoo. Can you imagine never seeing a real live elephant, giraffe, zebra, crocodile, monkey or tiger? It is not the same experience as seeing them on TV.

Our zoo is filled with rare and exotic birds, endangered nene, beautiful orangutans and many unusual animals from the African savanna. When my children were young we visited the zoo several times a week after school. Now I take my grandchildren.

It is a treasure of educational experiences for our children and adults as well. Closing the zoo would be a sad day for everyone in Hawaii, young or old. Our community needs the zoo and the city needs to support it.

Tamara Montgomery
Hawaii Kai

There is hope for Hawaii’s homeless

Cost-effective intervention for the chronically homeless is what Housing First does. But most important, Housing First gives the chronically homeless hope by placing them into their own home with wrap-around services to make them whole again.

Who are the chronically homeless? The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines them as people who have experienced homelessness for a year or longer or four episodes of homelessness in the last three years and have a disability.

I heard the city’s Office of Housing executive director, Jun Yang, explain the Housing First program and how they need all of us to help in the effort to reduce chronic homelessness.

The Institute for Human Services helped house 14 chronically homeless individuals or families with permanent supportive housing in the month of January alone.

The word on the street in Waikiki from a chronically homeless person is that someone is looking to place them into homes. How cool is that?

Georgette Stevens
Kapolei

Governor should veto any drug-tolerant bills

It has been a while since we had a governor whose family includes younger children.

Hopefully Gov. David Ige will envision "our home" as an extension of his own, and strongly oppose illegal drugs, especially the "gateway" drug of marijuana.

Our youth deserve to be launched into a society that corresponds to "just say no" and experience life with clear minds and healthy bodies.

Last year our Legislature dealt with drug proposals, including one that proposed making Hawaii a major supplier of marijuana that profits from selling to other communities.

It would be refreshing if our governor would state that he will veto any bill that relates to Hawaii being drug-tolerant.

That would put him in an alliance with Kamehameha III, who counseled that "the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness."

Ross Moody
Waialua

FROM THE FORUM

Readers of the Star-Advertiser’s online edition can respond to stories posted there. The following are some of those. Instead of names, pseudonyms are generally used online. They have been removed.

“Gate goes up, permit needed to go off-road amid preserve,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 26:

>> This is not a playground. It’s a conservation area. I myself, along with many others, spent many hours, days, weeks and even months years ago to help beautify this area known as Kaena. Many of us love this aina for what it was and for what is today. But there are those who choose to destroy the beauty of this land, they just don’t care.

>> Unfortunately, most every area that is accessed by the public isn’t treated and cared for as it should be. 

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“Kunia land developed without aid of historic safeguards,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 26:

>> It amazes me that those inspecting the properties cannot tell the difference between a farm shed and a home.

>> This photo of a “barn” sure looks livable to me. Thank you, Mr. Perez, for your investigative reporting articles!

———

“‘We are building a home’,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 27:

>> Proposed spending increases of almost 5 percent this year and 9 percent next year are hardly austere.

>> The definition of austerity changes depending on who is using the term. In this case, the Democrat definition of austerity is not spending over 10 percent.

>> Gov. David Ige says, “We are building a home.” That shows how out of touch he really is. Nobody can afford a home here anymore.

>> We are building a home, but Mayor Kirk Caldwell and the HART (Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation) boys are in the living room lighting a fire to burn the place down.

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“Players dream of going to Hawaii for Pro Bowl,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 27:

>> Hawaii is preferred by players because of the weather and a good vacation for their families.

>> Having the Pro Bowl event is great for Hawaii. A TV commercial during the Super Bowl this week costs $3.8 million. So showing the Pro Bowl for 21⁄2 hours on live national TV? A deal!

>> Did anyone else hear the announcers in the latest Pro Bowl say that Hawaii was not equipped to handle the red-flag reviews on the field like in Arizona? Hawaii once again is way behind the 21st-century world.

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“Reduction of troops in isles might ease demand for homes,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 28:

>> Those who advocate the shutdown of Schofield and Wheeler should look at what has happened to Barbers Point when it was closed and turned over to the state. The state government can barely keep up the maintenance of what it has. Imagine if two more bases were turned over to the state.

>> Schofield and Wheeler are pristine “turnkey” cities. Barbers was a piece of junk wrongly accepted by the state in “as is” condition.

>> The “beautiful homes” are owned by a private entity, which has a 50-year lease, and would be happy to rent to others if the bases close “at market rates.” It is silly to think that this would immediately reduce rental prices islandwide in any significant way. On the other hand, losing more than a billion dollars of government spending on the island will immediately have an impact on businesses and the people they currently employ.

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“Proposals seek to end ivory sales,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 28:

>> If you buy anything with ivory or anything made with rhino horn, you are as much of the problem as the poachers are. 

>> Expect challenges from people who purchased or otherwise procured ivory at substantial cost in Hawaii or elsewhere when it was clearly legal. The authors of the bill want to not only confiscate the ivory but go after these people criminally and impose substantial fines. Frankly, this legislation is unconstitutional, but I guess people really don’t care about the law anymore.

———

“Brasserie Du Vin closing in face of 50% rent hike,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 29:

>> I’m sure the union will say it’s just business, but it affects owner Dave Stewart, his family, his 32 employees and the neighborhood very personally.

>> They should’ve hired a mediator and worked things out.

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“Council’s widened sit-lie ban sent to the mayor for signing,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 29:

>> Usual political ploy: Help businesses and transfer the problem to the suburbs and irritate the homeowners.

>> They cannot lie on sidewalks. If they come to your neighborhood, call the cops, then your representative and councilmember. It works.