Public paying for rail, not politicians

Andy Robbins, the new executive director of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, is quoted as saying, “We have to manage the project to this budget. I think the message was loud and clear from our elected officials that they came through with the additional funding” (“Rail officials confident about strength of new plan,” Star-Advertiser, Sept. 20).

Excuse me? The elected officials came through with additional funding? That additional funding is coming from the taxpayers on the island of Oahu after the elected officials decided to continue the general excise tax surcharge.

The people are responsible for the additional funding. Mr. Robbins, please get it straight and please, please manage the project to this budget for the good of the people.

Robert Cravalho

McCully-Moiliili

—

Parolee found shelter unlivable

I am a non-violent possession offender serving concurrent 5-year terms for a crack pipe and drug residue. Months ago, after having served an exemplary three years and six months, I was paroled to what was presented as a program for indigent inmates with mental health disabilities. I was told by Institute for Human Services case management I would be taken to IHS for paperwork and housed initially at the YMCA and Sand Island containers.

This program is funded by the state Adult Mental Health Division. I would pay I.H.S. $100 monthly, pending permanent housing.

I was taken to IHS, housed in general population of homeless, where large bedbugs infested my bunk. The showers and toilet were broken or flooded and smelled of human waste. I lasted two days. Why does our state fund unsanitary, bedbug-infested “downtown” housing for inmates in recovery?

Although I share responsibility, failure was a given.

Michael Spiker

Recovering addict

Halawa

—

Don’t label teachers as superficial heroes

Good teachers do not want to be heroes, contrary to the current campaign by the College of Education at the University of Hawaii (“UH effort aims to grow pool of teachers in isles,” Star-Advertiser, Sept. 19).

Heroes dash in, save the hapless maiden from danger with their superpower, and flit away to another adrenaline-pumping situation.

Good teachers slowly achieve mastery of their subject matter, learn the skills of excellent teaching (from master teachers), prepare each day to assist all of their students, and dedicate themselves for decades working largely in obscurity and not for momentary glory.

Like the old Marine Corps slogan, we are “the few, the proud, we are teachers!”

The light of understanding in our students’ eyes is worth far more than the unqualified adoration of casual bystanders.

Mark Slovak

Manoa

—

Trump needs to be responsible adult

Our minority-elected president put on quite a show at the United Nations, no doubt pleasing his most extreme followers with his typically bombastic rhetoric. But shallow speeches are cheaper than real efforts to make progress to help the whole country, and not just the rich.

Ballooning the federal deficit with self-serving tax cuts, taking away people’s health care, and appointing puppets to run departments who actually want to destroy those departments is bad enough, along with institutionalizing racial discrimination and encouraging white supremacists.

But boasting that he might “totally destroy North Korea,” which has 25 million inhabitants, is a childish threat that, if carried out, would amount to genocide. He should get off the junior high school playground he seems to inhabit and start thinking more like a responsible adult.

David Chappell

Kaneohe

—

Japanese tourists overwhelm Kailua

The sweet soul of Kailua is overwhelmed by the influx of Japanese tourists brought in by dozens of tour vehicles.

Hundreds of them descend on Kailua daily, dumped in the middle of town on properties owned by Alexander & Baldwin, which permits the parking of these tour vehicles.

After being trampled or run over by these visitors on bikes, I am ashamed to say that my aloha spirit toward these visitors has faded.

Enough already! Some visitors are good, but we are swamped. Put the residents first, not the almighty dollar.

Susan Dowsett

Kailua

—

Don’t raise taxes; increase efficiency

Wouldn’t it be a novel idea, just once, if our dear state could hire consultants to recommend ways of reducing and cutting expenses, combining redundant government agencies and services and increasing efficiency, instead of always looking at ways to gouge us even more (“Remaking the tax code,” Star-Advertiser, Sept. 17)?

Soon there will be no one, and nothing, left to tax. Government is our problem. This state is pathetic. The rice tax is next.

Lisa Adlong

Hauula

—

White settlers didn’t have green cards

Some thoughts about the Dreamers, with all this national debate over who has a right to be in this country: The original white Christian invaders had no passports, visas, green cards or work permits. They just marched in and took over, imprisoning and killing any who opposed or dared to fight for their sovereignty and rights.

Think about how the Native Hawaiians, Mexicans who populated the Southwest, and Native Americans feel about this.

Fred Metcalf

Kalihi