City paying too much for container houses?

I read the views of the homeless by Mayor Kirk Caldwell and Jun Yang, executive director of the mayor’s Office of Housing ("Mayor has high hopes for new proposal," Star-Advertiser, June 2).

If Yang thinks a container house costs $35,000, he is terribly misinformed.

The homeless congregate where it is convenient for them for work, shopping, services and more. An 8-foot-by-20-foot container house costs between $12 and $40 a square meter.

A 30-unit project, with toilets, showers, kitchen, laundry and a general-purpose room, can be erected for about $170,000 on a 60-foot-by-80-foot parking lot without any special foundation.

Alibaba.com has more than 600 manufacturers listed.

Surely our government could get the price down from the prices listed on Alibaba.

Gary Dubrall
Kapolei

U.S. should adopt single-payer system

During World War II, England set up hospitals all over the country to care for its people. Even today, that is still part of its national health care system.

We in the U.S. have a very flawed system in which insurance companies in particular are allowed extreme profits on the backs of sick people. We should adopt a single-payer system for everyone.

Medicare’s overhead is around 2 percent versus those for-profit and "nonprofit" systems that have the audacity to charge 50 percent increases to people who can least afford it, and have 25 percent overhead.

I look forward to the day we come to our senses and make health care a national priority for all of our people. It is already in the preamble of our Constitution where "we the people" are to "promote the general welfare." What is more important to someone’s welfare than to have proper medical care?

All of the other advanced countries already understand this. We should follow suit.

Jim Quimby
Kamehameha Heights

Let’s spread aloha around the world

I would to thank Clint Basler for reminding us all that the spirit of "aloha" does live inside all of us, as well as add to his comments ("Duke Kahanamoku believed in ‘aloha’," Star-Advertiser, June 4).

Let’s not get sidetracked.

Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was a Hawaiian-American competition swimmer, actor, lawman, early beach volleyball player and businessman credited with spreading the sport of surfing who had a deep belief in the "aloha spirit."

As Hawaii’s ambassador, Duke welcomed everyone with gracious hospitality and encouraged others to follow his example.

The spirit of sharing gracious hospitality and goodwill is desperately needed in the world today.

Let’s continue to follow Duke’s example and spread aloha around the world.

Patty Kahanamoku Teruya
Nanakuli

Public schools should have a religion course

This issue of the movie "Aloha", and its title raises questions regarding words that are sacred to us.

I would like for our state Department of Education to consider developing a required religion course for our public schools.

Because of our religious diversity, and because many of our world’s events are religiously motivated, we would be helping our future citizens understand current and unfolding events.

Tim Miller

Hawaii Kai

The word ‘aloha’ belongs to everyone

There is no aloha in requiring permission to use the word "aloha."

The word belongs to everyone in the world.

And the world is the better for it.

Richard Y. Will
Waikiki

Bigger hitters needed to solve Red Hill issue

Thank you for your editorial citing the need for swifter action in dealing with a longstanding and known environmental danger to one of Oahu’s large groundwater aquifers ("Red Hill fuel tanks need swifter action," Star-Advertiser, Our View, June 4).

The editorial cites the numerous governmental agencies and individuals, both federal and state, involved in resolving the problem of deteriorating fuel storage tanks contaminating the water that is critical to residents, businesses, farmers and even the military.

You rightly call for all stakeholders to get involved.

To that I would add that Hawaii’s congressional delegation should be at the forefront of leading the charge.

Kudos to state Sen. Breene Harimoto for his input, but he is dealing with the Navy and a large federal bureaucracy that might be more responsive to a U.S. senator or representative.

Warren Hamamoto
Makiki

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.

“Community unites to aid Windward homeless man,” Star-Advertiser, June 1:

>> Mahalo to all who have helped “Mango Man.” We were wondering what happened to him and are pleased to hear that he is receiving the medical help that he needs and deserves. 

>> Wow. I’m happy to see the community which often has the reputation of being snooty and stand-offish doing so much. This is true “aloha.”

———

“Developers challenged to go small,” Star-Advertiser, June 1:

>> These proposals are encouraging. The Hawaii Community Development Authority and developers are finally getting the point that single individuals and couples need really low-cost shelter, and shrinking the units to the size of a small hotel room is really the only way it pencils out. 

>> 310-350 square feet is a good start. That is enough room for a bath, toilet, shower, small kitchen and one 200-square-foot room that is a bedroom with a Murphy bed and a desk and chairs and a flat-screen TV, with enough room for a small closet. Not bad. This is doable if for one or two people.

>> Micro-units are stupid. People staying in them will be driven crazy by claustrophobia. Micro-units are pure greed.

———

“Wind in Oahu’s waves,” Star-Advertiser, June 2:

>> This sounds like a great way to get clean energy and get us off of fossil fuels. If they don’t do something soon, then any oil embargo or something similar will easily cripple this state.

>> Whale huggers will see to it that this proposal does not become a reality.

>> Yes, they promise to produce 

30 percent of Oahu’s power, which they will sell to Hawaiian Electric, which in turn will charge consumers a crazy amount. So would we really solve anything here?

>> The bit about the 600-foot towers becoming a tourist attraction suitable for tour boats — after that, the tour groups could take a bus ride through the landfill.

———

“Mayor has high hopes for new proposal,” Star-Advertiser, June 2:

>> The homeless don’t want Sand Island.

>> Add free food, health care and other amenities to the mix and they will come.

>> No, they won’t. There will be rules and regs, which they won’t want to follow. For many, it’s a lifestyle choice. I volunteered at IHS for many years and there was always room and food. The catch was you had a curfew, can’t abuse drugs or alcohol, and had to be out in the morning to find a job and behave in general.

———

“Residents oppose development near beach park,” Star-Advertiser, June 3:

>> Haseko’s going about this the wrong way. Instead of saying “We won’t block access to Hau Bush,” they should be saying, “We will give you access to the new lagoon.” If they want locals and tourists to mingle, that’s the way to show it.

>> I jog along the coastline in question. The project will enhance and improve access to this coastline. As stated, Hau Bush or Oneula Park is a government park, so Haseko has no jurisdiction to shut down the access. Fishing and surfing go on even during construction of the area close by.

>> Haseko won’t close off access to Hau Bush. Thatʻs impossible. State law wonʻt allow it. But Haseko could limit the amount of public access by limiting the amount of free public parking, like at Ko Olina.

———

“Area’s councilman opposes shelter plan at Sand Island,” Star-Advertiser, June 3:

>> So what kind of alternatives has Joey Manahan come up with? That’s right — nothing. It’s so easy to criticize rather than collaborate. Manahan should get with the program and come up with some solutions for his Council district.

>> My problem with the mayor’s plan is that it would house too few and the idea that the homeless would stay only 60 days is not realistic.

———

“The house that hemp built,” Star-Advertiser, June 4:

>> Hemp for Hawaii! It’s a clean crop requiring no pesticides and little irrigation; it even remediates abused soils. Add the benefits of many added-value products — food, fuel, clothing, medicine, building materials, etc. — to create jobs and economic independence and it’s a no-brainer.

>> “Hempcrete”? This sounds more like hempsulation. The article states that the home was built with conventional wood studs and hemp was used to fill the stud cavities.

>> Let’s not fool ourselves into believing hemp could be a viable crop in Hawaii. To put it plainly, Hawaii will never be able to produce hemp at a cheaper rate than foreign countries.