Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi’s article Sunday presented a cheerful view of delighted snorkelers swimming with dolphins off the Kona coast (“Tour is a dream come true for dolphin lovers,” Star-Advertiser, Travel, May 7). It also presents an opportunity for us to again question the impact such tours have on the welfare of dolphins in our inshore waters.
Dolphins in Hawaii feed offshore at night, and return to near shore waters to rest during the day. Being pursued by boats during their resting hours borders on harassment and shouldn’t be allowed.
“We follow the dolphins,” one snorkeler said. “We might stay in one place or move numerous times throughout the morning: it’s all up to them.”
No, it’s not! Tour operators following in boats are not in the dolphin’s best interest. In an era of growing awareness about tourism and environmental impacts, we must evaluate (and regulate) activities that are harmful to our land and wildlife.
Dave White
Manoa
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Trump’s audacity on issues is troubling
I believe President Donald Trump gained office with the help of the Russians. He is not just a buffoon with weird hair; he is an evil individual.
On May 8, Sally Yates gave very credible testimony that she had informed the presidential counsel of the troubling actions of Mike Flynn three times. It took 18 days for the president to fire Flynn, his director of intelligence. Also on May 8, the sister of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was caught touting connections to the White House to rich Chinese investors.
Trump fired Yates, who was acting attorney general because she wouldn’t support his Muslim travel ban. Now, he’s fired James Comey as FBI director. In the meantime he has been undoing every environmental regulation possible, even lowering the standards for kids’ lunches.
Democrats seem helpless in the face of Trump’s audacity. It is very troubling.
Judith Pettibone
Makiki
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Unlike car buy, rail rife with hidden costs
If the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s chief financial officer’s comparison of the proposed rail tax extension to a family’s need to pay interest on car loans is any indication of the muddle-headed thinking of rail leaders, it’s no wonder that the rail project is an unmitigated disaster (“Mayor eyes property tax for rail’s funding source,” Star-Advertiser, April 11).
Buying rail is nothing like buying a car. An auto buyer gets a detailed listing of all costs and finance charges and any later attempt to extort more money is a crime.
In the case of rail, it is the authorities who are demanding nearly twice as much, which barely half of Oahu’s taxpayers agreed to pay. Nobody can be legally forced to buy a car, but when the unions and politicians fooled 53 percent of the voters, the 47 percent who knew what would happen were left with no way, short of abandoning Oahu, to protect themselves from the coming financial disaster.
Mark Hildebrant
Kailua
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Elevated guideway prime for jogs, bikes
Which do you think would attract more users to the elevated rail route under construction: commuter trains or converting it to a walking-jogging-biking-skating path?
My guess is the latter.
Don Chapman
Kaneohe
