Don’t generalize from 1 bad apple

Not all independent college counselors are crooks.

The story warning families about sales techniques from a Las Vegas firm suggests that all private college counseling services are suspect (“Suspect Vegas firm moves to isles,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 13). There are many legitimate independent college counselors in Hawaii who offer one-on-one guidance in the search and application process.

Families pay for private coaches and private tutors. Do we advise them to only stick to free options? Using outside resources does not suggest schools are doing a bad job. There is room in the process for independent counselors who help students search for colleges with appropriate academic and financial options, develop a strong application and find the right fit for college.

The article quotes only one counselor and seeks no other local sources to offer a balanced story. There is a multitude of resources. There also are students and families who benefit from personal attention to navigate these resources and the application process.

Lorraine Gershun
Kapolei

NextEra sees a money machine

NextEra is spending a huge amount of money to attempt to take over Hawaiian Electric Industries.

We can be sure it’s not because it cares that we have to pay so much for electricity or that it wants to help us to get to total renewable energy.

As each rejection comes along, all of a sudden it can offer more inducements (“NextEra remains committed to HEI purchase,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 9).

I hope no one is fooled by that. Once NextEra gets the keys to the front door, there is nothing to say it won’t claim it can’t follow through for various reasons. It sees a money machine and the money it makes won’t stay here in the islands.

If NextEra gets in, forget your job. Forget lower rates. Forget renewable energy.

Forget NextEra.

Mary Louise O’Brien
Kaneohe

NextEra holding back its cards

NextEra needs to show us its real quantifiable costs and profits to gain support of consumers.

As we transition away from costly fossil fuels by 2045, utilizing the sun, wind and waves — all free resources versus costly oil and liquified natural gas, our future gradual cost reductions between now and 2045, matched against Hawaiian Electric Industries’ current fossil fuel operations, must be NextEra’s bid.

Otherwise, perhaps we should transition to a publicly owned utility to get the full savings rather than be prisoners of NextEra’s shareholders.

The longer we wait, the more consumers’ dollars go out the window with high-cost fossil-fuel-generated electricity. Shorten the bid time. We need to move forward, so show us the money.

Brad Baang
Waianae

Windward floods have social cost

Every time we have heavy Windward rain, the Waiahole and Waikane areas flood, closing the highway.

On Monday, it took more than three hours of waiting to get through.

These closures cost us tens of thousands of dollars, from “circle island” tour buses being turned around, delivery trucks not able to deliver goods, tourists independently driving around the island, and locals who cannot get to work.

I recommend the city and state redesign that section of highway and build a new parallel bridge that is 10 feet higher than the existing one. Then when the floods occur, traffic will not be interrupted.

This problem should be recognized and dealt with within the next fiscal year.

Michael Duncan
Kaneohe

Diverse opinions are the point

There was a recent complaint about the Star-Advertiser giving space to report a less than laudatory article about Pope Francis (“Stop running articles that criticize the pope,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Oct. 10). The objection was that the article was a slanted opinion.

That’s what general newspapers are supposed to do, publish diverse opinions. The complainant’s letter was published in line with this policy.

Jim Pollock
Kaneohe

Caregiver books need distribution

I am a caregiver for my wife and I also an advocate for caregivers.

I have been attempting to get information out to caregivers in the form of the “Senior Information Guide,” a legal handbook entitled “Deciding What’s Next and Who In the World Cares?” and the “Family Caregiving Guide.” I have been distributing them on my own in the Kailua area.

The books were produced by the city’s Elderly Affairs Division. I was told there is not enough funding to print a sufficient amount of these booklets, nor does the city have a methodology to distribute them. With the proper funding, the city should be able to print the booklets and set up a proper distribution system.

Putting critical information in the hands of seniors is important, given that many caregivers and their families don’t know where to turn for help in a very confusing and expensive eldercare environment.

My hope is our politicians or private industry will come forward with funding to resolve this challenge.

Ken Takeya
Kailua

Co-existing with U.S. best option

Regarding “Abercrombie’s good advice to Hawaiians: Compromise” (Star- Advertiser, On Politics, Oct. 11): The compromise is not between ethnic Hawaiians and the U.S. Department of the Interior, but between Hawaiian nationals and the U.S. Congress.

Implying that Hawaiian nationals — i.e., ethnic Hawaiians and descendants of naturalized and natural-born persons of the nation of Hawaii — should seek federalization is short-sighted and signals the demise not only of nationality but of a nation that was never extinguished.

Hawaiian nationals can choose between federation (tribal) or a one nation-two systems political arrangement that would co-exist with the U.S. for the present and near future.

Obviously, incorrect choices were given in 1959. Co-existing is good advice, desirable and an effective “compromise” that is achievable. Subsequent recognition by the U.N. is attainable.

Jimmy Wong
Heeia

Photo was sign of coming chaos

The photo on the front page of Saturday’s paper of the homeless man dragging his bicycle parts down the street while two new residential towers shine in the background was very telling (“Camp not yet clear,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 10).

Those buildings are probably full of empty apartments owned by foreign billionaires.

My father’s family lived in China from 1916 — five years before Mao and others created the communist party — through 1949, the conclusion of the Chinese communist rebellion. I remember my dad describing similar social and economic imbalance and talking about how that imbalance led to that revolution.

The handwriting is on the wall. It is only a matter of time.

Bob Liljestrand
Tantalus