Democrats squabble without Republicans

What happens when you throw out most of the Republicans in the Legislature? We have none in the Senate and only five in the House. The remaining members, all Democrats, start arguing with themselves over petty differences. The taxpayers lose again.

We have spent around $5 billion already on rail. We are already committed to another $3 billion or so. And the whole project will cost at least $11 billion. The guys and gals in the Legislature need to do their job. Knock off the infighting. This project and the cost is just too huge to have petty arguments about. Don’t even think about abandoning the project. The cost to remove the existing blight could exceed what it cost to put it there.

There may be hope for Republicans. A commentary from an enthusiastic member about rejuvenating the party’s representation in the state Legislature and even our Washington, D.C., representatives offers hope (“With a passion to rebuild, Hawaii’s GOP can be a force again,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, May 4). In fact, this may be our only hope.

Jim Pollock

Kaneohe

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Tokuda challenged political status quo

I want to thank state Sen. Jill Tokuda for the outstanding work she’s done as Senate Ways and Means Committee chairwoman.

She fought the good fight by holding city and state officials responsible for their actions. It’s unfortunate she will lose her position for believing in her stance and trying to save taxpayer money.

This is the price you sometimes pay for challenging the status quo.

Edward Rogish

Aiea

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Stop rail project at Aloha Stadium

Study after study and actual ridership show dismal results for actual ridership versus pre-construction ridership estimates on most rail transit systems.

However, many of our elected officials continue to promote the exact opposite to complete this massive blight on what is left of our once-beautiful tropical island of Oahu. Just take one ride down Farrington Highway in what is now left of once-charming Waipahu Town, or Kamehameha Highway near Pearlridge.

It is a precursor of a project that will destroy our Honolulu Harbor views and waterfront and city venues. We are too far along to stop this ugly behemoth, but Aloha Stadium with three alternate roads into town might be the better connection point than Middle Street.

Let’s make the best of a very bad situation facing this island community.

Reality before railty!

Bob Vieira

Pauoa Valley

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Homeless cleanup looks good to visitor

As a longtime visitor to the Hawaiian islands, it’s nice to see the many improvements made by the government to get the Oahu vagrants and homeless off the streets. Visitors like me save up for many months and sometimes years to visit the beautiful beaches and towns of Oahu. The last thing they want to see are the many vagrants living in the streets and sleeping in parks like Ala Moana.

To assist in the massive homeless cleanup efforts, I’d suggest putting some or most of the vagrants/homeless people to work picking up their own and others’ trash.

Keep up the good work and visitors will continue to come back to Hawaii rather than choose an alternate vacation destination.

Steve Geczy

Panama City, Fla.

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Many costs hidden in stadium proposal

Has anyone noticed the apples-and-oranges argument in the proposal to build a new stadium?

It will supposedly cost $423 million to maintain the old stadium, but cost about $100 million less to build a new stadium (“Report: Aloha Stadium now a ‘liability,’ cheaper to build new stadium,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, May 5).

What are the estimated costs of maintaining the new stadium, plus the costs of disposing of the old one? Discarding the old stadium will be very costly.

Could this be the beginning of another financial shell game, like the rail project with its unknown completion costs, potentially soaking the taxpayers once again?

Bob Hurd

Kailua

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Trump lets China take lead on climate

The Trump administration’s policies on climate change and pollution will allow China to eat our lunch on alternative-energy technology.

Threatening to renegotiate or pull out of the Paris climate accord will also diminish the U.S. role as world climate and pollution control leader, thus opening the way for China to assume that leadership role.

President Barack Obama and secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and John Kerry worked hard to convince China of their own interest in pollution mitigation. China saw the economic potential in pollution mitigation and ran with it. They are now working on clean energy, including electric cars.

I bet Elon Musk is really happy with the Trump administration enabling China to steal Tesla’s lunch.

Mel Sakamoto

Palolo

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More than 1 way to threaten free speech

Ann Coulter’s speech at Berkeley was canceled over fears of violent protests. Carl Bergantz thinks it was a liberal attack on free speech — and goes on to say he believes protest is a genetic disposition of left-wing students (“Colleges discourage truly free speech,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 5).

President Donald Trump wants to change our libel laws so no one can speak critically of him without ending up in court. To me, this is an attack on free speech. In the Berkeley case the intimidation was physical; in the president’s case, it’s litigious. I don’t like being threatened with either one.

James Young

St. Louis Heights