The problem isn’t solar; it’s HECO’s grid

The cover story on Wednesday’s paper (“No place to plug in,” Star-Advertiser. Nov. 25) was ironic to say the least, considering that the state wants to transition from fossil-fuel dependency to renewable energy sources.

Apparently, solar panels here are producing too much electricity?

Despite admissions that fossil-fuel power is “inefficient” and the old, outdated Hawaiian Electric Co. grid is too hard to turn on and off as needed, the argument was made that other renewables, such as wind power and geothermal, should provide variety instead of “putting all our eggs in one basket,” i.e., the sun, without which we’d all die anyway.

The suggestion to improve battery storage options from solar panels is a good one, but if wind and geothermal (each of which has problematic aspects) are supposed to join up, won’t they also produce “too much” electricity for the HECO grid — which seems to be the real problem?

David Chappell

Kaneohe

Caldwell has our best interests at heart

James Robinson of Aiea said that “Mayor Kirk Caldwell is all too happy to spend taxpayers money needlessly and recklessly” (“We can’t afford Mayor Caldwell,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 27).

He cited the purchase of two buildings in Makiki to house the homeless and money spent on rail as reasons “Oahu taxpayers can no longer afford the mayor and his spendthrift ways.”

Yes, the mayor is working hard to help the homeless by finding solutions for their plight.

Yes, Caldwell is supporting rail, which will ease transportation problems for Oahu residents.

Mayor Neal Blaisdell and all the mayors that followed tried to find solutions to the traffic gridlock problems. Caldwell is supporting rail to ease the problem finally.

He is also fixing potholes and other problems facing Oahu residents.

Roy S. Tanouye

Waipahu

Unions should help solve homelessness

As an economics major and retired businessman, I think I am a very practical person.

I certainly don’t have a formula to eliminate homelessness in Hawaii, and know that some of the homeless will never be employable. But some facts should be considered.

We have the highest employment rate in the United States, the highest percentage of homeless, close to the highest percentage of union members, and a one-party political system that gets re-elected simply by being Democratic — by the unions.

So does that mean that our politicians can’t put pressure on the unions to employ some of the homeless in their apprenticeship programs and let them become useful citizens?

The unions seem to have plenty of money for campaign funds to push for their jobs, such as those in our ill-fated rail system. Let them contribute to the homeless solution.

Duke Matzen

Waikiki

DUI stops violate Fifth Amendment, too

So the police can no longer threaten drivers with fines and imprisonment who refuse to take a blood-alcohol test during DUI stops because it violates one’s Fourth Amendment rights (“Judges reject jail for refusing DUI tests,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 26).

It seems to me that, if allowed, it also violates the Fifth Amendment prohibition against self-incrimination.

It’s about time the Judiciary in Hawaii woke up and started protecting citizens’ rights. Hopefully, it will also take note that the so-called “administrative revocation” of one’s driver’s license upon refusal to submit to a sobriety test also violates the due-process provisions in the Fifth Amendment.

A wide recognition and understanding by citizens, the legal profession, law enforcement and the courts of these three simple concepts pertaining to our civil rights would vastly curtail abusive, if not downright fake, DUI stops by police.

Jack Schmidt

Kailua

Shorter rail wouldn’t serve much purpose

Numerous letters and columns have advocated ending the rail at Aloha Stadium or Middle Street.

Doing so would cause the city to return all of the $1.55 billion in federal financing. The feds have been very clear on this.

And what would we get: a rail system to be used for people who live on the west side to get to football games at Aloha Stadium or the swap meet — that’s all it would be good for.

If it stops at Middle Street, commuters would then have to take buses that will pile into the same traffic mess they were riding the rail to avoid in the first place.

Ever hear of the “Middle Street merge?”

Stephen A. Ugelow

Hawaii Kai