Regarding Richard Borreca’s column on the value of Ala Moana beach park views: These unobstructed views — guaranteed in perpetuity by the public park — are of monetary value to developers and owners, even though they are financed by the taxpayers of Hawaii (“The view is spectacular, but should the city tax it?” Star-Advertiser, On Politics, April 29).
Borreca noted that towns in New England are using taxes to recoup some of the value of public goods such as viewplanes. He raised the possibility of a special tax district for the Ala Moana Regional Park condos.
Our community deserves to be compensated for the value of views it has created and continues to support through taxes.
Just as important, we park-goers are losing our views. What was once a vista of the verdant Koolaus is now mostly a wall of glass and cranes.
The community deserves to be compensated — also in perpetuity — for the loss of these beloved views.
Elisa Johnston
Makiki
Cost not only reason to oppose rail project
While the rail conversation has been entirely about money, stopping construction at Middle Street is urgently important from an environmental standpoint as well.
Let’s remember: The rail will degrade Chinatown, downtown and the civic center. It will cut off Honolulu from the waterfront. It will do all sorts of damage that other cities are desperately trying to undo.
Anyone who doubts its negative impact on the scenic and cultural features of Honolulu should drive alongside the rail as built on Farrington Highway in Waipahu. It’s overwhelming. Old Waipahu had its charms, and now it has a big, ugly rail line.
Both the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation and the City Council have discussed stopping rail construction outside of Honolulu. We hope they’re serious.
Donna Wong
Executive director, Hawaii Thousand Friends
Multistory parking at zoo is terrible idea
Even a one-story parking lot where the Honolulu Zoo parking is located is a terrible idea (“Council to vote on proposals to fund zoo, parking structure,” Star-Advertiser, May 3).
I have always found parking in that area when I have needed it.
Having a structure hovering over the zoo would lessen the cooling tree cover and obstruct the breezes that allow the animals and the public to enjoy the quiet end of Waikiki.
There are many other ways to support the zoo. Take out a membership in the Honolulu Zoo Society and support city funding.
I will willingly give my tax money to the zoo, but not to the destructive presence of a car park.
Patricia Godfrey
Waikiki
Bulky item pickup day was lovely to behold
I take a walk in my neighborhood about five times a week.
The day before our bulky item pickup day, I saw lots of items such as refrigerators, ranges, toilets, water heaters, furniture, sofas, lumber and filled cardboard boxes. I thought there was no way all these items would be picked up.
On my afternoon walk on the bulky item pickup day, all of the sidewalk areas were cleared in the whole neighborhood.
There were areas that looked like they had been cleaned with a broom.
I want to thank the City and County workers for a job well done.
Gilbert Oki
Pearl City
Our puppet masters dislike open primaries
Elections have inevitably evolved into an adversarial and distasteful two-party process.
This year’s contentious presidential race has pulled back the curtain on the puppet masters and their rules for selecting delegates in lieu of the popular vote.
Open primaries offer voters an opportunity to vote for a favored candidate and against a disfavored candidate, arguably an advantage against the puppet masters.
So, kudos to the judges and the state attorney general, and shame on Tony Gill for his “can of soup” analogy, along with his sad and narrow definition of a Democratic Party member, a subtle intimidation by the puppet masters (“Dems appear unhurt, judges say,” Star-Advertiser, May 5).
Ed Ige
Kaneohe
Ige should reinstate cancer center funding
The budget delivered by the Legislature for the governor’s approval has left the University of Hawaii Cancer Center to fend off closure on its own, while providing for many other projects, including help for the homeless and health benefits for public workers and retirees.
The meager $4 million cut for the UHCC is something that Gov. David Ige must reinstate. The loss of cutting-edge research on cancer far outweighs the other important spending in the $13.7 billion budget.
State workers, retirees, homeless, our children — everyone who has been touched by the devastation of cancer — will have a chance to recover with innovative treatment provided with the help of UHCC.
For all the lasting benefits offered by UHCC, $4 million is a bargain we cannot pass up.
John Shockley
Makakilo
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.
“Sports Authority quits the game” Star-Advertiser, May 2:
>> This might be the opportunity we need for an actually good outdoor retailer (REI) to come out to Hawaii.
>> REI is good stuff, but often with a crazy high price tag.
>> Dick’s Sporting Goods, Modell’s or some other sporting goods store will probably take over the Sports Authority spaces.
———
“Isle public schools enticed to ‘buy fresh, buy local’” Star-Advertiser, May 2:
>> Great idea. Are you willing to pay more taxes to fund this additional cost?
>> It’s all about cost and consistency of availability.
>> This was considered years ago. Buying local is admirable but too many supply, pricing and distribution policy challenges.
———
“Honolulu public transit train debuts” Star-Advertiser, May 3:
>> Looking at the picture, not too many smiling faces; more like a funeral. Perhaps it is.
>> It will be needed in 2022. Everyone has their opinion now. Just wait six years and see what they say then.
———
“Authorities struggle to curb drag racing at historic Ewa Field” Star-Advertiser, May 3:
>> Here’s a classic case of multiple agencies just passing the buck and pointing fingers at each other, exactly as John Bond asserts. Instead, why don’t the finger-pointers work together to solve the problem instead of whining about how difficult it is? Are the trespassers smarter and more innovative than all the landowners and lessees combined?
>> Just provide a venue for drag-racing that is sensible, sane and safe. Some of us have “a need for speed.”
———
“More schools will offer kids meals for free” Star-Advertiser, May 4:
>> More taxpayer money being wasted just so people can feel good about themselves.
>> Can you imagine what is being taught here? There is a free lunch in life, and it is being provided by our government.
———
“Policy on transgender students urged” Star-Advertiser, May 4:
>> “It comes down to what the student feels comfortable with.” What about what the other students feel comfortable with? What about the many girls who do not want a male (real gender here, folks, not fabricated gender categories) taking showers with them?
>> I’m a substitute teacher for the state Department of Education and teach all levels, all classes, from K through high school. I’ve had just a handful of transgender students, as young as grade K and as old as middle school, and what is interesting is that their fellow students have zero issue with this — none whatsoever. It’s only the adults who have issues.
>> All public school teachers and administrators need to be trained in how to handle gender identity and sexual orientation issues. This problem is not going away and the only way to effectively handle it is through proper training.
———
“Open primaries: Dems appear unhurt, judges say” Star-Advertiser, May 5:
>> Open primaries are the worst nonsense I can imagine. A party wants to select its nominee and then allows members of any opposing party to vote and determine who shall be that nominee?
>> Democrats in Hawaii control 95 percent of politicians and elections. There are no other parties where a citizen can have a meaningful vote, other than the Democratic Party, so don’t keep those citizens out of the Democratic nominations.
———
“College chancellor is on his way out” Star-Advertiser, May 5:
>> What an injustice for Chancellor Leon Richards. This man served faithfully for 39 years. How could the disgruntled faculty and staff at Kapiolani Community College treat this man like they did — gang up and vote him out?
>> University of Hawaii politics always reminds me of the book, “Lord of the Flies.”
