Why is this even an issue anymore (“Runaway train,” Star-Advertiser, June 9)?
People gladly pay $1.3 million for a $500,000 house because they can’t pay upfront. Had we given the contractor $3.5 billion up front, rail would have been done, at budget, or the contractor would be paying for it. We do this with everything today. You pay now or you pay much more later. Just get rail done and start thinking of how to get it to Hawaii Kai and Kaneohe.
A reader questioned if we will even need rail with the coming of self-driving cars (“Self-driving cars will outpace rail,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 8).
I don’t understand the reasoning unless they are flying, self-driving cars. Just substituting a driving car for a self-driving car will not do anything for those who have to use our streets every day. Only a good, reliable, cheap rail/bus system will, and our 6 million tourists who visit each year will love it also.
Gary Dubrall
Kapolei
Rule violations handled poorly
It hurts to believe that the Department of Health and the Department of Planning and Permitting have again failed the citizens and taxpayers of Honolulu by allowing D.G. “Andy” Anderson to re-open his Haleiwa Beach House restaurant with reduced seating capacity (“Haleiwa Beach House allowed to reopen with reduced seating capacity,” Star-Advertiser, June 7).
The pono way to handle this would be to not allow him to re-open without paying a substantial fine, securing all the proper permits and getting the wastewater treatment system up to the proper capacity to protect the fishpond, stream and ocean waters.
It astounds me how this man can continually flaunt the permitting rules and laws with no real consequences.
Shame on Anderson, the city and the state.
Lee Kravitz
Haleiwa
Sen. Voinovich served us well
The recent passing of former U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, brought to mind the special relationship between Voinovich and our own U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka when both were the senior members representing their parties on the Senate subcommittee responsible for oversight of the federal workforce.
Similar to the situation on the Senate Appropriations Committee with U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, it did not matter if Democrats or Republicans were in power, as their mutual trust and friendship were so great that they were virtual co-chairs.
Of course, back then politics was the “art of the possible” and not the blood sport it is today. Decisions were made after polite discussion and careful consideration of all views, and compromise was not considered a dirty word.
Peace be to Voinovich and his family. He was a great American and served us well.
John Priolo
Pearl City
Crime seems to be rampant
Recently a woman was violently assaulted in a parking garage, a Honolulu police officer was arrested for sexual assault, along with a deputy sheriff; and the homeless situation is out of control.
These are a few of the examples of lawlessness that have occurred.
Violent crimes have run amok, and the people will start to take the matters in their own hands.
This is serious and dangerous. The people do not feel safe.
What are the mayor and chief of police doing to protect the people?
Marilee Y. Lyons
Haleiwa
People overuse their car ACs
This is the Aloha State, the land of malama aina, the state that will be one of the most affected by climate change. And yet wherever I go, I see people sitting in their parked cars with their windows rolled up and air conditioning cranked.
If you’re waiting to pick people up, can you open your windows to the tradewinds and turn off your engine?
Who knows, maybe this one little act will lead people to care about other people.
Jay Silberman
Palolo
Don’t let Trump take 3 a.m. call
Even if you are still a Donald Trump supporter, please stop and look at Trump’s reaction to the horrific attack in Orlando, and then ask yourself how he would respond as president to the dreaded “3 a.m. call” (“Trump pushes immigration ban despite shooter’s American birth,” Star-Advertiser, June 14).
He has proven himself totally inadequate.
Larry Cross
Waikiki
