Instead of building a new prison, we should reduce incarceration and address the problems contributing to crime.

Educational problems can lead to substance abuse, which often leads to crime. Hawaii’s average imprisoned person is at the sixth-grade level.

While new prison construction bills passed though legislative committees this session, a bill for photo identification when leaving prison died. People need identification for such things as employment. Legislators should ignore Corrections Corporation of America’s lobbyists, and Gov. David Ige should reassess his support for “public-private partnerships” to build new prisons.

The state spends about $200 million a year on prisons. A new prison has been estimated to cost between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. How could that money help current sixth-graders? How could the $14 million used for “planning” a new Maui prison have helped students?

No laws should be passed for prison construction until incarceration is reduced and educational problems are addressed.

Lorenn Walker

Director, Hawai‘i Friends of Restorative Justice

Improve work at Ala Moana park

As a daily user of Ala Moana Regional Park, I watched with interest when Mayor Kirk Caldwell, with a photo op, first announced his vision for the park a year ago and invited public input.

A major outcome was replacing the surface of the walkway that extends from the Diamond Head end of the beach around Magic Island. It took months and greatly inconvenienced park users. Within weeks of its completion, it developed cracks and potholes. Today, large puddles of rain remain for days, requiring detours around them.

The walkway reminds me of our rail: shoddy planning, construction and oversight that result in frustration and a public waste of money.

I can only hope that what lies ahead for our beloved Ala Moana Park is carefully planned, built and managed so as to endure and serve the public good.

Wally Fukunaga

Makiki

A&B’s donations hardly unusual

I was a bit disappointed in your article on Alexander & Baldwin’s donations to politicians (“A&B’s cash has some crying foul,” Star-Advertiser, April 25).

You spent more than seven columns essentially vilifying A&B for doing something that is not only done by several organizations but also is legal. Why single it out?

A few things that may put things in perspective: While A&B may make donations to political campaigns, there is nothing that mandates the politicians to take them; and your article points out that A&B’s state PAC ranked ninth in total campaign contributions, outspent by labor union PACs — yet there is no expose on labor unions peddling their political influence.

Labor unions may be the main reason we have a one-party political system, and may be the reason we are getting rail that not many want and we can’t afford.

John Henry

Kaneohe

Visitors trust Airbnb listings

I am a Maui condominium owner and I stand behind the value created by Airbnb for the overall Hawaii economy.

Airbnb is a well-known service worldwide, and from what my guests have told me, they feel more comfortable booking an Airbnb listing than they do searching for a mainstream hotel.

My guests prefer simplicity, and that certainly applies to paying taxes.

House Bill 1850 contains language that would allow Airbnb to collect and remit taxes on behalf of the owner or partners.

My wife and I work very hard to ensure that our guests have a fantastic experience in Kihei. Airbnb allows us to share our love of Hawaii with our guests and my hope is that they will come to love the islands as much as we do.

Tim McCauley

Kihei

Congratulations to Eagle Scouts

Congratulations to 223 of tomorrow’s leaders —the Eagle Scout class of 2015-16.

It’s refreshing to see this many new Eagle Scouts, who through discipline and purposefulness earned the Boy Scouts of America’s highest award, with each designing and completing a community service project while earning at least 21 merit badges.

These scouts now join the ranks of other influential Eagles Scouts, including Hawaii’s Ellison Onizuka, former Gov. John Waihee, Justice Stephen Breyer, former president Gerald Ford and even film director Michael Moore.

Last May, the Boy Scouts’ Aloha Council celebrated the Council’s 10,000th Eagle Scout — a remarkable feat, considering I thought that participation in scouting was on the decline. The parents, scoutmasters and their team members, and all those who supported each scout’s efforts should be commended.

The advancement to Eagle Scout comes from a team effort that launches these scouts on to meaningful and productive lives.

Richard Dinges

Hilo

Raise standards for HPD officers

Deputy Chief Marie McCauley said the “Honolulu Police Department holds its personnel to a higher standard of conduct” (“HPD officer arrested in attempted bribery,” Star-Advertiser, April 21).

Higher than what?

The story lists no less than 11 HPD officers being investigated for bribery, prostitution, corruption, shooting assault, hit and run, DUI, dealing in the sale of a stolen vehicle, extortion and physical assault.

How embarrassing and sad that a few of the people who we, as citizens of Honolulu, should trust for our protection and safety, are involved in such behavior.

Let’s hope that the 99 percent of the HPD force who do hold to a higher standard of conduct can help their mates improve in this area.

Robert Harrison

Kahala

Seattle removes transit eyesore

I just returned from a visit to Seattle, where I learned they are tearing down their 63-year-old viaduct and replacing it with a tunnel.

Imagine that: They are spending millions of dollars to tear down a perfectly good overpass to dig a tunnel so that they can get their waterfront view back.

We, on the other hand, are spending even more to build an elevated structure for the rail that will block our waterfront view.

Alan Pollock

Waialae-Kahala

Stop bickering over rail transit

All this bickering about the rail transit system is ridiculous.

The more grumbling, the more costly it gets. Regardless of what happens we are still going to pay for it.

So stop bickering.

I notice that many politicians live townside, like Hawaii Kai. So of course they don’t want it. But it will be used by the people on the West Side. So get used to it.

Lloyd Yamasaki

Wahiawa