Rail skim goes to neighbor islands

Funding proposals for the Honolulu rail system took a weird turn recently, as columnist David Shapiro pointed out, when Mayor Kirk Caldwell suggested boosting the state’s skim of the rail tax from 10 percent to 25 percent (“Mayor’s plan brings rail to new level of insanity,” Star-Advertiser, Volcanic Ash, Feb. 5).

This idea is counter to the logic that the state is taking an administrative fee for its services.

It is more reasonable to charge $20 to transfer collected funds to the city, which is what most banks charge for wire transfers.

The other counties are already getting a free ride on Honolulu’s rail tax by not contributing to it but getting the benefits of the state’s skim. Now Caldwell wants Honolulu taxpayers to help build neighbor island road projects with the rail tax revenues.

He should be advocating the exact opposite by asking the state to stop taking its unearned skim and return to the city all that it has taken to date.

Stuart Shimazu

Kapahulu

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Don’t legalize prostitution here

House Speaker Joe Souki should resign. He introduced a bill to legalize prostitution and pimping, as a favor to a transgender activist (“Measure aims to decriminalize isle prostitution,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 4).

Souki stated he does not have a position on the bill.

Is he serious? How could he not have a position on an immoral and illegal industry that degrades women and minor children, fosters drug activity and other violent crimes?

If Souki can’t take a position on a bill that will lead to increased crime in our state, he needs to resign and be replaced by someone who will take a position against immoral activity and degradation.

John Cloughen

Mililani

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Trump disdains democratic ideals

President Donald Trump has mocked the “so-called judge” who stopped his executive order barring refugees and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

Despite winning an election he claimed to be “rigged,” he has launched an investigation into “voter fraud.”

His Cabinet appointees are short on public experience and long on corporate control.

And he has threatened to cut funding to the University of California at Berkeley, a position that dovetails with his public doubts about science.

What do these actions have in common? An historic disdain for democracy. Trump must be the first president to refuse to speak about justice, rights or democracy.

The challenge for those of us who remain committed to these ideals and institutions is to nourish them through protest and to involve ourselves in civic associations where we can practice democracy and decency.

We can no longer count on the bully pulpit to make these commitments sound American or even valuable.

Jon Goldberg-Hiller

Manoa

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Poor planning led to faulty orders

Two of President Donald Trump’s recent orders bother me.

The first is the travel ban for people from seven majority-Muslim countries. This executive order has turned out to be a mess.

The second was the raid in Yemen, which was a fiasco. The second bothers me more, since lives were lost, as well as an expensive Osprey aircraft.

Little transparency has surfaced — just defense of the raid from people like press secretary Sean Spicer. The media have expressed concern that the raid was rushed. The truth will probably not come out, especially if it’s negative.

I sincerely hope that Trump does not give the go-ahead for other such dangerous missions without serious thought and consultation. When things go wrong on extremely dangerous missions, America could — and most likely will — lose some of its best and bravest fighting men in uniform.

May Navy SEAL William Owens rest in peace as well as the others killed — innocent or not.

Lawrence M. O. Chun

Kailua

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Elevated rail won’t age well

I was delighted to see the photo of the at-grade rail car on its tracks with its concrete base (“Taking it to the streets,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 5).

This is how it should have been designed and built.

Don’t think the already built portion of the elevated rail will be looking as it appears today.

With Hawaii’s high humidity, it will only be a decade before it starts to be infested with mildew, resembling the concrete portion of our freeways. It certainly won’t look pretty.

The already built rail structures should be demolished and its rubble recycled for an at-grade rail system. There should be enough material to cover the need.

James Kataoka

Mililani Mauka