As the former Honolulu City Council member and chief of police of the Honolulu Police Department who helped craft the current fireworks law, I am deeply disappointed with the direction that the current City Council has taken in its efforts to amend the current law. 

The statistics as cited by the Star-Advertiser show how safety has been enhanced in our community (“Don’t backpedal on fireworks ban,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, June 19).

Prior to enactment of the current law, both Council members Ikaika Anderson and Ann Kobayashi were on the Council and were informed by members of HPD’s bomb squad of the dangers involved with fireworks.

The deaths of five bomb-disposal technicians in a blast while working on confiscated fireworks in Waikele on April 11, 2011, clearly illustrate the dangers of fireworks.

Who would be charged with the disposal of confiscated fireworks? HPD’s bomb squad, of course. 

The lives of officers and community members would be in peril unnecessarily if the current law is amended.

Lee D. Donohue
Hawaii Kai

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A ‘Highway Patrol’ would pay for itself

I notice countless driving infractions every time I’m on the road.

It could be running red lights, crossing solid lines, speeding or dangerous lane changes.

In addition, we know that there are a significant number of motorists on the road without insurance or up-to-date safety checks and registrations.

Why not invest in a “Hawaii Highway Patrol” specifically to look for infractions? It would more than pay for itself.

Also, we can send a man to the moon, yet we don’t have the technology to target cars and drivers without current insurance, registration and safety checks?

We must invest in this technology, which I’m sure has already been developed. The net result would be fewer cars and drivers on the road, if the consequences were forfeiture of the car when ticketed. The car would be put in storage.

Bus ridership would increase as well, as would use of the rail after it’s completed.

Vehicle insurance rates could come down as the percentage of insured increases.

Chuck Reindollar
Makiki

Legal pot will lead to more addiction

People of Hawaii need education regarding the perils of legal marijuana.

I’m an addiction counselor and worked in alcohol and drug treatment centers for 25 years. About 94 percent of patients I worked with started their chemical use with marijuana. When the drug stopped working, patients used other drugs to get high.

Along with increased chemical abuse, other crimes committed included physical violence, murder and robbery.

Do the people of Hawaii want crime and alcohol and drug addiction to increase? If people don’t want this inevitable outcome of legalizing marijuana, learn the truth about addiction.

Legislators are supposed to be looking out for us. Remember, politicians only do what is good for themselves, not the right thing. People need to get involved to help save Hawaii families from addiction.

Joann Breeden
Kahuku

Council’s policies lead to congestion

A proposed City Council resolution tries to cut traffic by suggesting that firms encourage carpooling (“Firms can cut traffic, official says,” Star-Advertiser, June 18).

It’s a sensible but rather contradictory statement.

City officials encourage indiscriminate development by handing out building permits for massive skyscrapers like they are handing out candy. Those buildings will house a high number of people who will have additional cars.

On TV and in the newspaper, we are bombarded with incessant advertisements to buy cars.

As the cherry on the cake, our visionary leaders took away two lanes on King Street, a vital artery necessary to alleviate the over-congested H-1 in favor of a couple of hundred (if that many) cyclists a day, adding even more congestion to an already choked H-1. 

Does this make sense to anyone?

Franco Mancassola
Hawaii Kai

High-rises will end lovely mauka views

Now that so many high-rises are sprouting along Ala Moana Boulevard and inland, we will have to take our last looks at the mountains that once were so visible from the city and waterfront parks. 

Instead of that refreshing mauka view, we will be looking at a towering forest of glass-fronted buildings.

This is the result of all those variances that were granted that allowed a building to present its broadest side to the ocean.

Bob Graham
Kahuku

Big projects here always opposed

The people of Hawaii are against the $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope project. This might appear to be the message to people on the mainland, since the media focuses on the demonstrations here locally and at the TMT project office in Pasadena, Calif.

The people of Oahu are against the $5 billion-plus rail transit project. At least this is how it appears because of the numerous delays due to litigation.

The people of Oahu were against the $1.3 billion H-3 freeway project. At least that’s how it appeared because of the numerous delays due to litigation and protests. The H-3 was finally completed after years of delays.

This is the standard operating procedure for big projects in the state of Hawaii.

And mainland people wonder why it costs so much for construction projects in Hawaii.

Dickie Au
Wahiawa