My deceased parents’ home houses family members at an affordable rent. The city doubled that property’s tax in two years with the Residential A tax, and Mayor Kirk Caldwell proposes to raise it again.

Rent will be beyond what is affordable for these people. Must I evict them to get a higher rent?

Locals cannot afford to pay the rents being forced on them. Increasing homelessness to fund rail? For shame.

Demetra Wakinekona Nichols

Waikiki

—

Deploy nukes in South Korea, Japan

I disagree with Mark Valencia that “‘stay the course’ will indeed be the likely policy” to deal with North Korea’s nuclear weapons deployment (“U.S. must recognize reality of North Korea’s nuclear power,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, March 30).

I have not yet seen any discussion of possibly deploying a massive number of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea and Japan. We have had tactical nukes there before, so this is not a new idea. Just stating a plan to perform this act could be a negotiating factor to convince North Korea to stop its continued nuclear weapon development.

If not, the U.S. deployment of nukes would be a deterrent against North Korea from ever using its nuclear arsenal. There would be no more concern about nuclear proliferation by South Korea or Japan, but they will have to agree to pay for the deployment, operations and maintenance of the tactical nukes.

Russel Noguchi

Pearl City

—

Hawaii a leader in civil rights laws

It is tremendous that Gov. David Ige and state Attorney General Douglas Chin had the fortitude and foresight to go against President Donald Trump’s March 6 travel ban.

While the complaint is based on the federal Constitution and laws, it springs from our own Hawaii Constitution and laws.

In Hawaii we are known for our protection of civil rights. We are a community that believes — fundamentally — that each person is the equal of every other. This belief cuts across race, sex, sexual orientation, ability status, nationality, immigration history, religion, gender identity, economic means, language and age. For example:

>> Hawaii passed laws giving women and minorities protection in employment before the federal civil rights law — Title VII — was enacted.

>> In 1970, Hawaii gave a woman a right to abortion without any onerous restrictions.

>> In 1972, Hawaii was the first state to pass the Equal Rights Amendment in our Constitution. There is still no federal ERA.

Elizabeth Jubin Fujiwara

Civil rights attorney

Downtown Honolulu

—

Freedom shouldn’t be taken for granted

I am serving a five-year term of imprisonment for non-violent drug-related offenses. I am not proud to admit it, but this is not my first stint in prison. As a direct result of my drug addiction, my career as an inmate began in adolescence.

Sadly, I am now 37 years old.

As an inmate with very little freedom to do what I want, I know that I still have more civil liberties behind bars than I deserve. Freedom is something I’ve taken for granted. Being born an American, it is always something I’ve felt entitled to. I am constantly reading about Americans’ inherent liberties being threatened for nothing other than having been born a certain race or gender, or on the basis of religion.

President Donald Trump’s innate disregard for people who deserve their freedom saddens me. However, those exercising their right to peacefully assemble, such as at the recent Womens’ Marches, show me that hope is not lost.

And that is comforting.

Nicole Gillespie

Kailua

—

Intelligence leaks threaten security

It is alleged that President Donald Trump’s classified conversations with the president of Mexico and the prime minister of Australia were leaked by someone in the intelligence community. If so, this would be a very serious violation and a threat to the safety and lives of the American people and those of peaceful countries around the world. If true, this illegal leaking activity must be addressed immediately by Trump and Congress. Violaters must be prosecuted and incarcerated for treason.

Iran, North Korea, China and Russia are serious threats to world peace. If highly classified information should fall in the wrong hands, this could develop into a world conflict. This might escalate into a nuclear war. Hasn’t America learned anything of the horror and devastation from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Robert Hatakeyama

Salt Lake

—

Zigging and zagging on the Pali Highway

My apologies to the drivers behind me on the Pali Highway. You must have thought that this white-haired old lady was drunk or on something funny.

Nah. I was just trying to avoid the puka-pukas (one puka is not enough) on the road. I know I was zigging when I should have been zagging but it’s hard to get around the puka-pukas.

So now, there are tons of patchy-patchys (one patchy is not enough) covering some pukas. I hope the next big rain doesn’t wash away the patchy-patchys. The road is still beyond bumpy.

Here’s hoping that my not-so-new Corolla holds together on my twice-monthly treks to Costco for a few more years. I agree with Scott Gomes: Pave, not patch (“Pave the roads, don’t just patch them,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 26).

Sally Uyeshiro

Kailua

—

Allow live Christmas trees in libraries

I certainly hope live trees will be permitted to return to Honolulu City Lights (“Live trees may return to city holiday display,” Star-Advertiser, March 26).

Please consider allowing them in public libraries, where children and families once had the chance to smell and touch them close up. Libraries are all no-smoking facilities and guards are on duty. Here is a chance to add a special treat to the holiday with no commercialism involved.

Sylvia Mitchell

Makiki