It’s ironic the Star-Advertiser should run an article on the continuing deterioration of the water-supply system.

Last week, it was the water main on Palahia Street in Makakilo that broke, leaving hundreds of homes without water for most of Sunday (“Break cuts water to hundreds,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 9). The homes and developments in this area aren’t more than 30 years old.

How is it that when most water-supply systems in the United are designed to last more than several decades, this system broke? Not knowing the true cause of the break, one can only conjecture about the reasons.

What it does bring into question is the level of oversight by those agencies responsible for ensuring that the methods, material and design were in accordance with the applicable building codes.

Vic Craft
Kapolei

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Homeless occupying park in Kapahulu

A couple of years ago, the small park behind Side Street Inn in Kapahulu was a mess.

Trash and old tires had accumulated, making for an eyesore.

I asked a friend from Jamba Juice for a few smoothie coupons and lured some nearby workers to clean the area for a free smoothie. We all felt great about making a difference and the park looked great.

Today that same little park is occupied by homeless people All are able-bodied and spend their time sleeping, drinking booze and shooting up drugs, all in plain sight. My family and I live and work in this neighborhood and we feel unsafe.

Eric Phillips
Kapahulu

Make sure donations are used properly

I enjoy Michael Tsai’s column, “Incidental Lives.”

However, I was dismayed to see the Wounded Warrior Project being touted as a great way to help those who have served (“Airline pilot will climb high to help out injured veterans,” Star-Advertiser, Incidental Lives, Aug. 11). I say this because I used to donate to them. I did not research the charity first.

Before long, I began to receive unwanted trinkets, key chains, address labels and the like, that I did not want or need. When a large calendar arrived and I realized the expense of producing and mailing those, I wrote WWP a letter asking them to use my donation for the service members, not gimmicks. I received no reply and I guess it was no surprise.

Then I did my research. One website I checked was Charitynavigator.org, but there are others, too.

The CEO, Steve Nardizzi, makes somewhere between $300,000 and $473,000. Also, just under 60 percent of income is spent on service members. WWP sells its private donor information as well.

Make sure your money is going where you want it to go.

Debbie Aldrich
Haleiwa

Trump would keep us all entertained

I remain entertained with Donald Trump and the numerous other GOP candidates trying to make a run in the 2016 presidential election.

I know many closet Trump supporters, people who love Trump but are afraid to admit it publicly to friends and associates.

Trump is not a career politician, he’s not afraid to speak his mind, and does not need to kiss the Koch brothers’ okoles for campaign contributions since he’s a billionaire himself.

I want to be entertained the next four years, and who better to make time go faster than the entertaining Trump? He really couldn’t be any worse than any other politician.

America may just deserve Trump, and Trump may just deserve America.

James “Kimo” Rosen
Kapaa, Kauai

Unitarians support Planned Parenthood

Decisions about children and families are some of life’s most profound and personal.

Faith communities have supported Planned Parenthood for nearly 100 years because of their shared values — access to safe, affordable, non-judgmental, high-quality health care for all regardless of income, race or religion.

Access to family planning is about far more than access to safe and legal abortion. Family planning is about young women’s freedom to choose their own lives. Why should we force women to choose poverty over opportunities for better futures for their planned families?

The First Unitarian Church of Honolulu supports Planned Parenthood in doing the best of what religious traditions do — care, no matter what.

Please, get the facts, and support Planned Parenthood as together we create safe and healthy communities for our children, and just and compassionate laws for family planning, reproductive health and gender equality.

Margaret Mann
President of the board, First Unitarian Church of Honolulu

Iran deal will lead to war, not avoid it

In his support for the Iran nuclear deal, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz describes this issue as partisan and says there is no viable alternative to this deal other than war (“Despite concerns, Hawaii’s Schatz backs accord,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 10).

Neither claim is accurate. An increasing number of key Democrats oppose this deal because they believe it will lead to war, not prevent it. The alternative is to tighten sanctions so as to limit the ability of Iran to fund its nuclear program, prop up Syria’s Assad and arm Hezbollah.

Not only will this deal not prevent Iran from threatening the U.S. and its allies, it will give Iran access to $150 billion that it can use to increase support for those militant groups, which is why Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are, like Israel, strongly opposed.

Finally, the focus on “Jewish lobbying” obscures the reality that the majority of Americans (not just Jewish-Americans) are against this deal. To focus solely on Jewish opposition is disturbing as it reveals a disconcerting bias.

Cliff Halevi
Kailua