City Managing Director Roy Amemiya and the mayor’s homeless team attended the Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board No. 24 on Tuesday to present the mayor’s housing project on a 1.1-acre parcel on Farrington Highway in Waianae that would house 75-90 people in 16-20 modular units by the summer of 2016.
The city’s team claimed that this project would be successful in our community.
Concerns and questions addressed to the team included: What makes this project different from the existing ones in the community? Will this project be sustainable? What happens when it floods? What about riding the bus two to three hours a day to work?
The community overwhelming opposed the project.
The city owns 10 acres in Kailua, and the folks there oppose the sale of the property, arguing that development will sully the area ("Proposed sale of unused Kailua site irks residents," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 4).
The city is listening to the folks in Kailua but not Waianae. Is this economic and social justice?
Johnnie-Mae L. Perry
Waianae
Put new tech center near UH-West Oahu
Am I the only one who thinks the technology center planned for Kakaako would be better placed on empty state acres next to the University of Hawaii-West Oahu ("State plan envisions Kakaako tech park, 80K industry jobs," Star-Advertiser, Sept. 24)?
It would stimulate business growth in the area and job opportunities for Waianae Coast residents, keep the money "in house," and use rail transit in both directions and avoid a future tsunami in Kakaako.
Delores M. Curtis
St. Louis Heights
The word ‘sweeps’ demeans homeless
I was outraged seeing the headline that proclaimed, "Sweeps spur move to Kewalo Basin" (Star-Advertiser, Oct. 8).
The article discussed the removal of homeless individuals from Kakaako and their likely move to Kewalo Basin, where no doubt they would be similarly displaced in the future. Your use of "sweeps" in your coverage is frequent and unfortunate.
Th main definition of "sweep" is "to clean or clear, as of dirt, with a broom or brush." The use of this term depicts the homeless as dirt or vermin. It is clearly derogatory and demeans people whose economic misfortunes have caused them severe distress in Honolulu’s high-priced housing market.
When the paper and media publicize how many pounds of trash and materials are removed, it dehumanizes the homeless even more.
Your paper, the broadcast media and our callous politicians should cease using the word "sweep" in regard to removing encampments of homeless families and individuals from public property.
John Witeck
Kamehameha Heights
NextEra in Florida is foe of rooftop solar
NextEra claims it will strongly promote alternative energy after buying Hawaiian Electric.
What it hides, however, appears to be that that energy will come from large-scale solar installations, with a high likelihood it will actively obstruct home rooftop solar installations.
This conclusion is clear from the $12 million-plus "invested" in political contributions since 2010 by NextEra’s wholly owned subsidiary, Florida Power & Light, and Florida’s other three major power companies. The Republican-controlled Florida legislature and Public Service Commission have stalled efforts to promote home solar, including ending rebates for home installations, and are poised to impose further restrictions.
Meanwhile, these power companies have joined the Koch brothers in funding a front group called Consumers for Smart Solar to oppose a Florida ballot initiative proposed by a coalition of environmental groups that would end Florida’s main law blocking home solar.
Is that the kind of corporate behavior we want in Hawaii?
David Leake
Kaneohe
DOE shouldn’t let students play football
Knowingly and intentionally placing a child in harm’s way is a crime.
The sponsorship, management or encouragement of children to engage in scholastic football as it exists today is therefore a crime.
A game of aggression with such a high potential for brain and other trauma should not be associated with the state Department of Education.
The recent analysis of donated brains of former NFL players confirms my observations as a paramedic that the game should be eliminated or seriously circumscribed.
Jeff Bigler
Wailuku
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.
"Kilauea collapse could possibly spur superwave" Star-Advertiser, Oct. 5:
>> The good thing about an 800-foot wave is the fact that we won’t have to bother going to Costco to pick up supplies.
>> You can forget outrunning that one, if it occurs.
>> The concept of mega-tsunamis is not new. What is new is the confirmation of evidence such as at Cape Verde.
>> And if an asteroid the size of Niihau were to hit the ocean off Oahu, it would probably spell disaster, too.
——
"Some well-known names look to score pot licenses" Star-Advertiser, Oct. 5:
>> Why do they have to limit the number of licenses? We don’t limit the number of driver’s licenses.
>> When one limits the licensees, that limits competition — not a good idea for the consumers. But, I presume that’s the reason the high rollers are trying to get in.
——
"Hawaii Obamacare rates to jump" Star-Advertiser, Oct. 6:
>> I am so shocked that this plan is going to cost so much more to the citizens!
>> The Affordable Care Act is hardly perfect, but the old system incentivized a relatively small portion of the population to bleed everyone else dry, incentivized insurance to deny service until you died and incentivized backdoor accounting to make an already non-transparent system even worse.
>> As the saying goes, "There’s no such thing as a free lunch." In the end, someone has to pay for it and it’s those who believed that insuring the uninsured and people with preconditions were going to save them $2,500 in health care premiums and allow them to keep their existing health plans and doctors.
——
"Dog saved after 20-foot fall at Volcanoes National Park" Star-Advertiser, Oct. 6:
>> They should be fined. What a waste of public resources. If the dog was on a leash, this wouldn’t have happened.
>> I agree the dog should have been on a leash, but waste of public resources? One of the tasks of park rangers is to help with rescues.
——
"$2 million homes bring Oahu prices to a record high" Star-Advertiser, Oct. 7:
>> As luxury homes appreciate, so do all other properties across the board. However, average locals should never sell their home here on Oahu. They might think they can get a huge windfall profit but they will never be able to buy it back unless they pay more.
>> Speak for yourself. After years of having to put up with the high cost of living, traffic, constant rain, humidity, flooding and road closures, high temperatures, high taxes, poor city and state amenities, why shouldn’t anyone make a decision by committing to sell their home at a very high Hawaii price and relocate to the mainland and pay cash for a house and new car and live a quality of life that they can afford and never look back?
——
"Waikiki attraction nears a construction milestone" Star-Advertiser, Oct. 7:
>> I used to see many locals walking and having a great time at the International Market Place before it was torn down to make way for the new upscale International Market Place.
>> Good riddance to the old market place. It was a sorry-looking place with those kiosks pushing trinkets that really cheapened what Hawaii is all about.
——
"Report rejects trustee’s petition" Star-Advertiser, Oct. 8:
>> Smart lady, but her affiliation with Hee has ruined her reputation. I think she is a good person but stepping aside would show that. Let’s hope she does the right thing.
>> She is unable to see why her history at Sandwich Isles Communications makes her unsuitable as a Kamehameha Schools trustee. That alone should make her unsuitable.
——
"3 agencies oppose HEI deal, state’s PUC is informed" Star-Advertiser, Oct. 8:
>> Given that it is a regulated utility, I can’t see how it would be any worse for the consumer. HEI executives are clearly saying they are in over their heads and there needs to be a more sophisticated entity to lead us into the future.
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