Most Maui residents fine with cane fires

The recent article about cane burning on Maui grossly misrepresented community sentiment ("Maui’s seasonal cane burning is near," Star-Advertiser, March 1).

I grew up on Maui with sugar cane, and still have family and friends who call Maui home. None of them opposes cane burning and, in fact, they all strongly support Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Co. and all it does for the community.

Whether it’s providing hundreds of jobs, giving back to nonprofits or ensuring that the central plain remains green, this commercial agricultural industry is important to Maui, in so many ways.

It’s the reporter’s responsibility to represent both sides of the issue. The biased article focused on the vocal minority, which has every right to share its thoughts, but the often-quiet majority was dismissed and, in my opinion, disrespected.

Please respect our history, culture and economy — consider the repercussions if Maui lost sugar cane. It keeps our island green and represents aloha and our multi-ethnic community. It’s who we are.

Stanford S. Carr
Kahala

Defenders of ag land unreasonably finicky

Since the advent of statehood and even before, preservationof agricultural land has been a prime tenet of Hawaii law and policy.

Of course, if you are going to preserve farm land, you have to put it to use. Otherwise the policy is indefensible in the face of other potential uses for the land — particularly housing.

But it turns out that the defenders of this policy are often picky about which kinds of agriculture meet their approval. Agribusiness — ventures that are large enough to be economically viable — is a dirty word to these people.

Genetically modified organisms are opposed by many, even though they offer the greatest potential to strengthen Hawaii agriculture and no one has shown to be harmed by them.

Now we see an assault on the practice of burning sugar cane husks, which goes back about 150 years, even though the long-dominant sugar industry has been reduced to a lone survivor, Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Co. on Maui. So sugar, already on its deathbed, is becoming another no-no.

Carl H. Zimmerman
Salt Lake

Christmas-time fares discourage students

When booking my Christmas trip this year, I was shocked to discover that Hawaiian Air nearly doubled its fares and quadrupled HawaiianMiles requirements for this popular timeframe.

With this huge increase,many local college students on the mainland will not be able tocome home to their families for Christmas.

I urge Hawaiian Air to reconsider.

Stuart Mori
Roseville, Calif.

What was the basis for Kealoha’s grade?

In this age of accountability, I am astounded that Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha was given an above-average grading in his assessment.

What was the basis of this grade?

Since 2012 , Honolulu has not reported crime statistics to the Uniform Crime Reporting program so we have no objective criteria.

Wouldn’t that be the responsibility of the chiefto have those statistics available? So on what is the police commission basing its grade?

That and all the other disruptions make one wonder what the commission considered "above average."

Dolores Duchene-Kim
Kaneohe

Legislators should OK deal for Maui hospital

At Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC), some services already have been eliminated and more will be cut, due to a huge deficit and inadequate state funding.The state can’t afford to keep our hospital running, let alone improve it.

We are at a critical point. There is legislation pending that would allow the hospital to enter into a public-private partnership.Such a partnership would leverage state dollars, improve facilities and services and retain jobs on Maui.

MMMC is our only choice on Maui. We can’t go down the street to another hospital. Flying to Oahu or elsewhere for service is a huge financial and emotional burden, not to mention the delay in potentially life-saving care that it can cause.

We need a great hospital. Please let legislators know that Maui matters. Lives are at stake. Please help save our hospital.

Tamar Chotzen Goodfellow and Steve Goodfellow
Makena, Maui

Rail cost overruns were to be expected

Why are all these politicians so surprised at the rising cost and delays of the rail transit system?

When addressing the media, they look so surprised and concerned. When has any large project they approved been completed on time and on budget?

Why waste everyone’s time and money debating the extension of the half-percent general excise tax surcharge? Everyone knows it was going to be extended — and most likely extended again to maintain the operation of the rail. It all comes down to which one will make the politicians look worse — extending the rail tax or raising property taxes.

Karl Kawachi
Aiea

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.

“More access to USS Utah Memorial sought,” Star-Advertiser, March 2:

>> I was able to visit and pay my respects at the memorial, only due to the fact that I knew someone with access to it. Everyone, especially the younger generation, should be able to see it to understand the sacrifice that was made for our freedoms.

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“Angel Ramos tends a collection of 4,000 plants,” Star-Advertiser, March 2:

>> Tata Angel, the ever humble and gentle person I’ve known growing up in Kahuku. He represented the character not only of Filipino immigrants, but that of other Asians who shared plantation lifestyles. It was he and his camera that captured fond memories of younger days that many of us would never trade for any other.

>> This man is a treasure. Every plant has a story and Ramos is happy to share his passion in the most intriguing way with anyone who has questions.

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“Aloha Stadium might raise parking, rental fees,” Star-Advertiser, March 3:

>> Raise the parking fee to $10 and give the University of Hawaii a kickback on the parking. We’ve been spoiled with $5 parking for way too long.

>> Everything is going up except paychecks!

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“Fiscal fitness touted,” Star-Advertiser, March 3:

>>  The article sounds like the city is being fiscally sound, but in reality, it is spending more, funded by rising real estate valuations (property taxes). Next year we’ll be gouged when more rail shortfalls occur.

>> I think the mayor and his spokesperson Roy Amemiya are being disingenuous about no new tax hike. Every year our property taxes increase in proportion to the increase in assessed values. In other words, our property taxes are going up another 8 percent next year — on top of the 10-13 percent last year. While it is true the housing market is robust, that is of no consequence to normal working people and senior citizens who are struggling with the high cost of living already. There should be a cap on how much the city can raise property taxes each year, like they do in Portland, Ore., where the cap is 2 percent. 

>> $28 million for highways and streets, yet $426 million for “miscellaneous”? I’ve always been hesitant when I see “miscellaneous” on a budget. Exactly what is the $426 million reserved for? It wouldn’t have anything to do with “the train,” would it? If not, it sounds like a slush fund for the administration.

>> City Councilmember Ann Kobayashi should demand specifics of each category, especially “miscellaneous,” which ironically is the largest.

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“Rail bids high again,” Star-Advertiser, March 4:

>> The GET surcharge will be denied once the Legislature finds out that the rail cost will rise from $6 billion to 

$20 billion.

>> The latest strategy of repackaging the work has succeeded with lower bids and a more favorable perception that the rail cost can be kept in the reasonable range. We must not allow any more delays, which are making cost containment of the project more difficult. 

>> Mayor Caldwell, is that you? Having trouble sleeping? A little worried about your job?

>> The real cost is probably the one submitted by Ralph Inouye which is 

$40 million higher than Hawaiian Dredging Construction’s. 

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“Ex-TV journalists Leong, Dar join governor’s team,” Star-Advertiser, March 4:

>> Image is everything. Smart move by the governor, because “the people” will be swayed by TV personalities.

>> So the former spokesperson for Pacific Resource Partnership, Cindy McMillan, is now assisted by two talking heads from TV? We’ll certainly get the straight skinny from this team.

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“Bagless Target stores open in Kailua, Kahului,” Star-Advertiser, March 5:

>> Plastic bags are a problem that Costco seems to have overcome. No plastic is better.  

>> I’m glad to see the Kailua store opened. It was already a commercial space, and Target is a good corporate citizen. 

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“Dispensary bill moves to full House,” Star-Advertiser, March 5:

>> How can we pass this law when there is a federal law that makes it illegal to sell marijuana? We should not open any dispensaries. 

>> Uh, chief, 23 states have medical marijuana dispensaries.