‘Clean energy’ just not practical

Your recent story, “Ige blasts LNG as hurdle to clean energy in isles,” (Star-Advertiser, Aug. 25), illustrates either government incompetence or corruption at a profound level.

“Clean” energy is wonderful when it is available. In fact, clean energy is infinitely expensive because it is inherently unreliable. Ask anyone with a solar array how much power they generate at night or on cloudy days.

Society and the industries that support it need dependable power, especially on an island. Cheap, dependable power is even better. Nothing comes close to fossil fuels for dependability or cost-effectiveness.

Liquefied natural gas has transformed the cost curves and the CO2 emission curves for fossil fuel. LNG is a sure thing. It is the reason why the U.S. is the only major industrial nation in the world to have significantly reduced carbon emissions.

LNG support infrastructure is only going to get more expensive, and it is likely that Hawaii will ultimately be forced to invest whether it wants to or not.

Scott Gier
Ewa Beach

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Slackers not our worst problem

Bruce Fink asked why there was no outrage over state workers using Netflix and Hulu on the job (“Lack of public outrage was really surprising,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 23).

I apologize to Fink for not feeling angry enough over state workers. Multiple tropical storms, flash flooding and the ongoing homeless crisis have misplaced my attention.

I guess in his opinion, immediate health and safety issues are not a priority, but expressing outrage over a large bureau- cratic organization is.

Ryan Tin Loy
Nuuanu

Low-cost homes got bulldozed

While our politicians wring their hands over what might have caused this homeless crisis, they ignore a financial and governmental cause that has become an unfortunate norm: allowing low-cost housing to be bulldozed in favor of new high-end residences.

In central Kailua there existed two blocks of rental apartments that housed hundreds of working folks. Some buildings were run-down, some not. Kaneohe Ranch chose to sell it all to D.R. Horton and in 2008 all those units were razed.

Hundreds of Kailua residents had to search for alternate, affordable shelter, leave the state or become homeless.

D.R. Horton did not begin building until two years ago and it has now completed six condominiums, with more likely to come. Affordable housing? Not when 2-bedroom/ 2-bath units start in the $700,000s.

Landowners, builders and government cannot turn their backs on the need to both protect and produce housing that ordinary people can afford.

When they do neither, a homeless crisis builds and eventually explodes into our lives.

Mollie Foti
Kailua

Don’t buy into Trump’s trope

Donald Trump’s campaign slogan is, “Make America great again.”

We must examine what makes America great.

The greatness of America is in its ability to embrace, inspire and provide. Making loud, sarcastic remarks and spreading fear is entertaining but does not befit a leader who can lead America to greatness.

The fact is, America is in better shape than before with unemployment, GDP and inflation. China’s financial turmoil is the consequence of its flimsy and untested policies.

The sudden drop of the Dow Jones Industrial Average does not reflect America’s fundamental strength. America is not in trouble, as some claim.

Don’t forget, Trump is a businessman. His bottom line is profit. The popularity of his name has benefited his business greatly, according to his son Eric (“Trump spreads his name, not his cash,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 21).

Make sure we don’t buy into his “Make Trump great again” campaign.

Kenneth Lam
Hawaii Kai

Iran will be able to just buy nukes

Barry Lienert says that “any nuclear physicist or remote-sensing expert” can verify the use of reactors that produce weapons-grade plutonium (“Bomb reactors easily detectable,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 25).

However, with the $150 billion of frozen assets the U.S. will release as part of the deal, Iran can secretly buy all of the nuclear warheads it will need from Russia, North Korea or Pakistan.

The deal bans American inspectors on the ground in Iraq, so it will depend entirely on inspectors of the IAEA, which has made a separate deal with Iran to let Iran “self-inspect.”

The deal bans all inspections of Iranian military bases, so Iran would need only to procure “ready-to-use” nukes and airlift them to its military bases to be mated with its missiles.

The only thing we will be able to verify will be a mushroom cloud over Israel.

Russel Noguchi
Pearl City

If times are good, bad will be awful

All segments of Hawaii’s economy are extremely healthy.

Visitor arrivals, room rates and spending are all at record levels. The construction industry is booming. The malls are crowded with shoppers.

With all of this statewide spending, state and county tax collections must be at record highs. If so, then why can’t we air condition our school classrooms for our keiki? Why must residents and visitors endure filthy public restrooms? Why are many of our public facilities so poorly maintained?

If we can’t maintain our schools, parks and roads in good economic times, then what are we going to do when the economy takes a downturn, as it inevitably will?

Dana Edmunds
Lanikai

DOE bosses get AC but not kids

I wonder how many school administrators, including principals and their staff and everyone working for the state Department of Education, work in air-conditioned offices.

Of course, they should, because the only importance kids seem to have these days is to make bureaucrats look good statistically, so they can justify pay raises for themselves.

Edward H. Lewis
Kailua

Pay raises due if work merits it

I’m a lowly government employee who is happy to serve his country and the public in providing a much-needed service.

I agree with state Rep. Isaac Choy’s view that raises for public or private workers should be based on merit and performance (“Regents approve raises for university managers,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 21).

Employees should not expect to get a pay increase if their work performance does not merit it. No one should get paid just for showing up for work and breathing.

Like my good friend always says, “Your pay increase is effective when you are.”

Regan Blair
Kapolei