Some folks are concerned about City Charter amendment No. 5, which would change the length of time that rental housing produced must remain affordable from “in perpetuity” to “60 years.”
Why? Because with the “in perpetuity” clause, these funds cannot be used by developers to leverage their financing with federal and state tax credits and funds from the state’s Rental Housing Revolving Fund, which ask for the affordability to be up to 60 years only.
The current result is about $25 million sitting in the city’s Affordable Housing Fund that cannot be used to build our much-needed affordable housing. What happens when the 60 years are up? The city can reset the clock like they do in other municipalities.
Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE) and The Housing Now! Coalition urge a yes vote, so affordable rentals can be built as originally intended.
Catherine Graham
The Rev. Bob Nakata
Co-chairpeople, Housing Now! coalition and FACE housing task force
BOE makes progress in education renewal
The state Board of Education’s decision against renewing Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi’s contract is encouraging (“State BOE to start search for new schools chief,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 27). She was initially named superintendent by an elected BOE, which was so dysfunctional that voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2010, changing it to an appointed body.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie made the first appointments, yet the newly constituted BOE renewed Matayoshi’s contract. However, in 2014 voters rejected Abercrombie in his bid for re-election, in part because of his objectionable appointments to boards and commissions. Gov. David Ige has now appointed all of the voting members of the BOE.
When he was a candidate in 2014, Ige responded to a Civil Beat survey, as follows: “I believe that we must empower schools to enable those closest to the students to make decisions on curriculum, programs, and spending. Our ‘top-down’ bureaucracy should be reorganized so that the system supports our schools, rather than the other way around.”
Hopefully, that wasn’t just another empty campaign promise.
John Kawamoto
Kaimuki
City heavy-handed with box car culture
Mayor Kirk Caldwell and his team say he is about “putting people first.” Evidently this pledge does not include the nearly 400,000 people who have enjoyed healthy box car family activities on city property over the past 20 years.
The city ordered our organization to cease box car activities at the box car track in Kunia effective Feb. 28, 2015. After waiting 19 months to hear if the city was going to allow box car activities to resume on the site, I received a call from a city employee on Sept. 27, telling we had a week to remove our equipment from the site or our equipment would be declared abandoned and forfeited to the city.
We have therefore sold off and donated our box car equipment — receiving about eight cents on the dollar of value — effectively ending organized box car activity on Oahu.
Why is the city routinely so heavy-handed with people like us?
Robert “BC” Cowling
American Box Car Racing International
Treaty with Japan vital for Americans
I just want to educate the writer who recently wrote the letter, “Treaty with Japan unfair to Americans” (Star-Advertiser, Oct. 13). We all know how Donald Trump comes up with statements on subjects about which he has no clue, just to brainwash us Americans. Please don’t be fooled.
The national security treaty the U.S. has with Japan is vital to us Americans. First, as a military strategy, we need to be at the forefront to show forward presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Japan provides that — with more than 20 U.S. military installations throughout Japan.
The Japanese government pays billions of dollars to support our military bases in Japan, not only for utilities but for housing our military families.
Additionally, the Japanese government pays the salaries of 30,000 Japanese civilian employees who work on base.
Further, the Japanese government is helping pay for our new U.S. Marine base on Guam.
Robert Thompson
Honolulu
America deserves better than Clinton
If Hillary Clinton is elected, history will show the first female president wasn’t fit to shine the first male president’s boots.
The first male president: George Washington, savior and father of our country, a paragon of probity, the archetypal champion of freedom born of the Age of Enlightenment. After winning independence, he was reluctant to assume the presidency. He simply wanted to return to his farm.
The first female president: Hillary Clinton, dishonest, scandal-ridden, beholden to foreign donors, architect of the health care and Benghazi disasters, unhealthy and dangerously inept at protecting America. She’s so hungry for power.
Consider the historical consequences. America deserves better. Women deserve better.
Charles Kerr
Kalama Valley
Trump tax returns should be released
Donald Trump should release his tax returns.
This would show how much in taxes he actually pays to help the American people in our diverse economy.
Evidence of the taxes he doesn’t pay — for our health care, military forces, education and jobs — would reveal his lack of support for the vital assets that benefit our citizens.
Most Americans pay their fair share of taxes and can be proud of the services they make available to each other.
Gabrielle L. Makuakane
McCully
