I just wanted to send out a short mahalo for your editorial, “Union, fire chief must cooperate for safety’s sake” (Star-Advertiser, Oct. 10).

I agree completely with your perspective of our issues. Removal of the fire chief has never been the priority throughout the past 3-1/2 years that we’ve been trying to work with him and his administration.

Rather, we have made continuous efforts to get the HFD under this leadership to work cooperatively with the HFFA (Hawaii Fire Fighters Association) as we do with the other fire chiefs across our state.

Thank you again for your perspective and concern, as safety for both the public and our firefighters is also our primary concern.

Robert H. Lee

President, Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, Local 1463

Homeless are people Jesus talked about

My wife and I moved to Honolulu 10 months ago. We bought a condo in Waikiki and love the beauty and excitement of Hawaii. The islands are truly gifts from God.

However, the homeless condition of so many individuals and families is heartbreaking.

Most people, especially tourists, despise these people because they are often dirty, begging for money, drunk, and/or mentally sick.

We take the bus wherever we go, and recently a homeless man was sleeping on the bus bench. He was dirty and shoeless.

I actually got a little mad over his taking over the bench. But, as I approached, I noticed my wife praying over him.

I was angry; she felt compassion. I was ashamed of myself.

The homeless are the poor Jesus talked about in the Bible: the bums, the drunks, the sick, the lost.

Those of us who are not homeless and in good shape need to change our attitudes toward homeless people and help out instead of cursing them.

Frank Escober

Waikiki

Caldwell gets things done, like Fasi did

Mayor Kirk Caldwell works really hard. There has been no other mayor since Frank Fasi who gets things done. As long as the roads get paved, and the garbage gets picked up, who cares if he serves on the Territorial Savings Bank board of directors?

Let’s stick to the real reasons to vote for a mayor: competence, honesty, a good mind and a good heart.

Violet C. Wong

Nuuanu

Life has not gotten better under Caldwell

I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would vote for Mayor Kirk Caldwell.

All you have to ask yourself is one question: Are you better off today than you were four years ago?

Everything has gone up: taxes, home improvement permits, parking, rail transit, homelessness. And rail is just going to get worse and worse.

Why would anyone vote for him? I don’t get it.

John Wong

Aiea

Athletes should be more proud of U.S.

I’m saddened that when I watch football games on television, I see these professional players refuse to stand and honor our American flag and the singing of our national anthem.

These athletes used the First Amendment of our Constitution to express their feelings on social issues; now these protests are spreading to college and high school athletic events.

Besides the U.S. Constitution, the American flag and national anthem symbolize why our country was founded.

America provides freedom to everyone; offers opportunity to all who want to succeed in life through education and hard work; and humanely supports other countries in times of crisis and world conflict.

In 1976, I visited more than 10 countries in Europe. I took a bus tour into East Berlin. I saw the poor living conditions the Germans suffered under Soviet totalitarian rule. I witnessed people living in poverty in Italy and Greece.

Every night, I prayed and thanked the Lord that I’m honored and proud to be an American.

Robert G. Hatakeyama

Salt Lake

Effort to track pot absolutely ridiculous

Once again the total failure of the state government has poked its ugly head out of the hole it operates in (“State fails to prepare system for 8 licensees to grow pot,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 13).

Keith Ridley of the state Department of Health has failed in getting the medical marijuana dispensaries up and running.

The absurd thinking that they have to track every seed, plant and sale to ensure that someone doesn’t get more than eight ounces per month is absolutely ridiculous. That’s a half-pound of pot per person.

Stupid is stupid.

They already have a tag system per plant.

If they can’t figure out how to track those numbers, hire a geek who can figure that system out in about 10 minutes.

This has been going on for years. It just extends black-market pot sales.

The state will get its tax dollars, which is its real concern — not the well-being of the thousands of people waiting for it to get off the “pot.”

Allen Canter

Manoa

FROM THE FORUM

“Isle Democrats gather to watch debate” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 10:

>> Why in the world would any sane American waste time driving to a watching party with only a 32-inch TV in the room full of uncomfortable folding chairs?

>> The Republican Party didn’t even hold a debate party. Poor Republicans. They know they have already lost.

>> Trump mopped the floor with Clinton. She is a disgrace.

———

“Review points to lax oversight at UH-Manoa student housing” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 10:

>> Michael Kaptik, director of Student Housing Services, is doing a great job with what he has. Like he explains in the article, it’s more of a problem with the system than with his management.

>> That is the most common excuse used by government agencies and is not acceptable. If he’s in management and knows there is a problem, he is responsible to fix it.

———

“Ganot’s pay raise could be good news for Rolovich” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 12:

>> I’m pretty sure a pay raise is the furthest thing from Rolo’s mind at this time.

>> If the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors make a bowl game this season, I agree that Rolo should be locked up with a long-term extension.

———

“Oahu PV permits plunged 40 percent in September” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 11:

>> This is the best place in the world for solar power, but the state stops it so Hawaiian Electric Co. can make more profits.

>> “Peak oil” was the warning; $200-a-barrel oil was the prediction; $52-a-barrel oil is the reality. Who knows what’s next?

———

“Oahu mongoose is captured after catching flight to Kauai” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 12:

>> Geeeez! They gave him the death penalty just for being a stowaway on the flight. They couldn’t just put him on the “no fly” list?

>> They should have just put it on a return flight, so he could go home.

———

“Dogs seized from animal shelter in Makaha” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 13:

>> I’ve never been to Friends for Life, but even if the place had not been up to the most stringent standards, sadly the Hawaiian Humane Society (HHS) will likely euthanize all the dogs rather than let them live. Shame on the HHS and the prosecutor and all involved. If anything, they should have first helped out by donating resources to Friends for Life and assisting it to meet compliance standards rather than going after them, Janet Reno-style, to arrest a 60-year-old unarmed guy trying to keep the dogs alive the best he could afford to.

>> The Hawaiian “Humane” Society most likely will “euthanize” most of these animals. It’s a good thing they’re not handling the homeless problem. Friends for Life (the no-kill animal shelter that was raided) has done many good works over the years.

———

“State fails to prepare system for 8 licensees to grow pot” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 13:

>> What a joke. The state should just legalize marijuana and “just say no” to the prison industrial complex.

>> Come on, guys! These companies need to open so they can make their millions in profits each month.

>> And people wonder why this is one of the worst states to do business in.

———

“Electric bills not as expensive this month” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 13:

>> What is the point of the Star-Advertiser running this story and others like it on a monthly basis? We all know our utility costs go up and down depending on world conditions and the supply of oil. Anyone depending on Hawaiian Electric Co. for their power needs is getting screwed and we all know it. Getting off the grid is really the only solution.