There was a standing-room-only crowd in the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) conference room on March 28 to provide testimony on proposed new rules for Kakaako.

This was the first of two scheduled public hearings before decision-making on rules governing the development of affordable housing.

Without any notice from HCDA, the nine HCDA board members and the executive director surprised the public attendees and did a no-show (“State board skips its own hearing,” Star-Advertiser, March 29).

If the HCDA board members had attended the hearing, they would have heard about many unintended consequences of adding restrictions to affordable housing that will stop future construction of workforce and reserved housing.

This would have been a time to engage with stakeholders and ask questions. By failing to attend, the board members failed not only to fulfill their duties to HCDA, but the greater community.

Ryan Harada

Kakaako

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Democrats, unions are biggest problem

Richard Borreca said that the biggest problem for the Hawaii GOP is that 62 percent of Hawaii voters voted for Hillary Clinton — the highest percentage in the nation (“Hawaii’s ailing GOP won’t grow more popular while riding the coattails of Donald Trump,” Star-Advertiser, On Politics, March 26).

That is not the biggest problem. Hawaii also leads the nation as the state with the lowest percentage of voting — 43 percent.

The biggest problem is that the people of Hawaii have given up any hope of breaking the unholy alliance between the Democrats and the unions.

We are a one-party state fast on our way to bankruptcy and begging the federal government to bail us out.

Jeffrey A. Keating

Kapiolani

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Endangered Species Act under threat

I ask our members of Congress to oppose all efforts to “reform” the Endangered Species Act.

Critics argue that few species have recovered to the point of being de-listed. However, the ESA has prevented extinction of more than 99 percent of listed species, a remarkable feat on a low budget. The reason that few species have fully recovered is because the ESA is chronically underfunded. If funding were adequate, we would see more species recovery.

This is particularly relevant to Hawaii because we are known as the endangered species capital of the world. I am a botanist who has dedicated my life to working with endangered plants. About 30 percent of our native flora are federally listed, and they make up more than 40 percent of all listed plants in the United States.

Therefore, any “reform” of the ESA will disproportionately harm Hawaii’s ecosystems, which we rely on for clean air, water and economic value such as tourism. I expect my members of Congress to oppose such harmful efforts.

Marian Chau

Makiki

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Trump watching wrong TV shows

As of March 22, President Donald Trump has gone to Mar-A-Lago in Florida for five weekends at a cost of millions of dollars for Air Force One, Palm Beach police protection, Secret Service protection for him and his traveling family, etc.

This is a president who had promised to make America great again. Who for? I guess it’s only for him, his family and his millionaire Cabinet members. His executive orders and actions on the travel ban, Keystone and Dakota pipelines and coal mine pollution have caused much chaos and discontent among the populace.

His proposed budget cuts to departments and agencies would eliminate thousands of government jobs. This from a man who promised to create 25 million jobs?

Trump watches Fox News and Breitbart News for his daily information instead of getting daily briefings from his intelligence personnel. Maybe he should watch ABC’s “Designated Survivor” or CBS’ “Madam Secretary” to learn how to act like a real president.

Howard Char

Kaneohe

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Vetting immigrants a sensible precaution

The media is full of articles about President Donald Trump “banning Muslims,” playing up this agenda to where it’s become almost believable and self-fulfilling.

Improving the vetting process from countries that are breeding grounds for terrorism is a reasonable and sane thing to do. President Barack Obama and his State Department are the ones who labeled those countries as places to treat with caution.

Why do people lock their doors at home? Why do folks install security systems, put up fences and get watchdogs? Why is it that we should be suspicious of solicitors and potential scammers at the front door or on the phone? Because today is not like yesteryear. Today, caution is imperative or you risk becoming a victim.

I don’t necessarily like Trump’s demeanor or mannerism, but I believe he’s trying to do the right thing for our country. God Bless America.

Ted Kanemori

Kaneohe

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Outsiders have no right to build TMT

Every race and culture has an absolute right to determine what is sacred and legal and in their country (“Science should prevail in the end,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 8).

No invading outsiders have any right to challenge or deny this right, as has been happening here for more than 100 years.

The “search for factual knowledge” will happen wherever the Thirty Meter Telescope is built.

It is sad that there is still one culture of people hanging on to their century-old, but wrong, belief that the world is theirs for the taking.

Fred Metcalf

Kalihi