Kupuna need help, not bureaucracy

Kudos to Rob Perez’s reporting on “Aging in Place” (Star-Advertiser, Oct. 15).

The article raises more questions about the ability of the state Department of Health to fulfill its mission to promote, enhance and protect the health of Hawaii’s people.

It appears the department is more interested in preserving its bureaucracy than protecting our health.

It demands that it be given authority to regulate and inspect nonlicensed aging-in-place (AIP) facilities, yet can’t keep up with health-related facilities it already is obligated to inspect. (Plus, the few inspections DOH conducts now are easily circumvented by even licensed operators.)

Indeed, DOH’s inability to regulate and inspect now, has been the impetus for unlicensed AIPs.

There is a critical need to provide more AIP homes for our ever-increasing numbers of kupuna. Perhaps it’s time for DOH bureaucrats to get out of the way or, better yet, work with AIPs and kupuna families to assure the health and safety of their loved ones.

Francis M. Nakamoto

Moanalua Valley

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Too-close call with DUI driver chilling

On Oct. 6, I was apparently the last car Jared Rader passed before speeding to his death going the wrong way on Monsarrat Avenue.

I was driving makai near Waikiki School when I noticed headlights in my rear view mirror approaching very fast. I slowed to about 20 mph. He accelerated through both green lights and raced to his death seconds later.

His DUI history of 15 incidents leads me to two very chilling observations:

1. I am thankful no car was coming up Monsarrat when he flew past my family of three at 60-plus mph, or we very likely would have become part of his history of property damage and fatality statistics that night.

2. How many other drivers like Rader are out there who ignore administrative license revocations and rarely, if ever, do jail time or mandatory detoxification programs to regain the right to drive in the Aloha State?

Rod Todorovich

Ala Wai

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Lifeguards deserve full-time status, pay

Regarding lifeguard pay (“City facing a shortage of lifeguards for pools,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 10): Please note that paying someone for 19 hours per week means that they will not receive health benefits (or any other kind of benefit). And as contractors — unless they get a W-2 form, which is rare — they will have to pay twice as much into Social Security and also the Hawaii general excise tax (GET) of 4.5 percent.

If they fail to pay and file their GET on time, they will be efficiently fined by the state. Plus, when they file their taxes they usually have to hire someone to help them because this is all so complex.

If the City and County really wants lifeguards, why doesn’t it hire them full-time and pay them what they are worth?

Pamela L. DeBoard

Kailua

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Consider insurance for world peace

The world has come to a point where it can no longer accommodate territorial expansionism by any political entity.

In times like these of extreme international tension, the United Nations should consider proposing what is desperately needed in the world today: World Peace and Sovereignty Insurance (WPASI).

Under this concept, all nations would mutually guarantee one another’s territorial sovereignty and peaceful co-existence.

When any nation commits territorial transgressions against another, all nations shall automatically apply economic sanctions on the offending nation and the suffering nation shall be duly compensated from said sanctions.

Further, when any nation commits overt, or covert, damaging threats of any kind against another, all nations shall immediately and automatically apply economic sanctions on the offending nation and the suffering nation shall be duly compensated from said sanctions.

WPASI — World Peace and Sovereignty Insurance — is needed now and should urgently be brought up by the United Nations General Assembly.

Bill Miller

Pearl City

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Kalaupapa is ideal homeless ‘safe zone’

Many years ago, Oahu addressed a health and safety issue of the same magnitude as today’s homeless game of “whack-a-mole.”

I think a “safe zone” is a great idea.

There’s a perfectly functional site already capable of housing, feeding and treating hundreds of these vagrants, bums and mentally ill. While the travel and delivery would be much more humane this time around, Kalaupapa is ideal.

Tom Bellit

Kailua

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Fund, fix PA system at Aloha Stadium

I attended the University of Hawaii vs. San Jose football game on Saturday. Sitting in the south end zone, I noticed that the public address system was not functioning. This, in my opinion, is a public safety issue that the state Legislature should correct immediately.

Years back, some public high schools were given funds to upgrade their public address systems as a safety measure.

I do not put any blame on the Aloha Stadium staffers — as having once had a working relationship with them, have found them to be very concerned for patron safety. This seems to be a matter solely of funding.

And while the Legislature is debating what can be done with the aging stadium, this is a priority for the safety of the patrons.

Egan Kawamoto

Ewa Beach