It is disheartening to see our young local people driven to the mainland because of low housing supply and high housing cost. It is accepted fact that the housing shortage (definition: two or more households living in one dwelling) has now reached crisis status. We have already invested so much in infrastructure for Kakaako, it should be the focus of additional workforce housing construction to benefit our community.

The 801 South St. project is a commendable example of what we need in the area. It was privately funded without the use of taxpayer money and provided more than 1,000 attractive and affordable housing units.

Let’s encourage the Hawaii Community Development Authority to remove the well-intentioned red tape (price and rent controls) to allow more projects like 801 South St. and to set a goal of at least two new construction cranes per year to address the housing shortage.

Alexander L. Fergus

Downtown Honolulu

—

Time for ‘death with dignity’ law

The state Legislature is finally seriously considering enacting law to allow terminally ill persons a path to a dignified and peaceful death. After a false start last year, Rep. Della Au Belatti revised the bill deferred in her own committee to address objections about protections for patients seeking life-ending assistance.

There should be now no legitimate opposition, just from those who wish to impose their personal and religious views on the 80 percent of Hawaii’s people who favor “death with dignity” or medical aid in dying. May the legislators have the courage and compassion to give our people the right to decide for themselves how and when they will end the agony of their final days.

Francis M. Nakamoto

Moanalua Valley

—

Sympathy for sheriff in shooting

I’m feeling some sympathy for the Broward County, Fla., sheriff deputy who failed to go into the school he was assigned to patrol. Yes, he did fail, but there may have been more to the story. No one who signs up for the police force is under contract to put their lives in unreasonable danger when they are not equipped or trained to deal with that danger. I noticed that when other officers arrived at that school-shooting site, they were wearing body armor. Was that deputy trained in SWAT tactics? Did he have special equipment to deal with the shooter’s bullets?

The officer being chastised after the fact didn’t run away, he just waited until he had more information or was given orders. No law or regulation can force someone to put themselves in mortal danger, but he’s being vilified for doing what anyone without sufficient information or cause would probably have done.

Tom Koenig

Mililani

—

Caution over Constitution

The recent column, “Work to keep politics ‘free and fair’” (Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Feb. 21), advocated a worthy goal: eliminating the influence of big money in politics, especially as unleashed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. But the author, citing the group Wolf-PAC, proposes a dangerous path to achieve it: a constitutional convention under the U.S. Constitution’s Article V.

Our congressional delegation and many other members of the House and Senate have already committed to support a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and curb the influence of big money. At present, the hope for a congressionally generated amendment is frustratingly slim; the solution is to elect more legislators who support it, not to embark on a venture that could endanger our basic rights.

Concerns about a constitutional convention are not, as the author claims, “unwarranted.” A raft of responsible, nonpartisan organizations and constitutional scholars have warned of the potentially disastrous consequences that a convention could unleash.

David Monk

Kalama Valley

—

Ride-hailing at airport dubious

Hawaii’s Department of Transportation is allowing Uber/Lyft to operate at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. First a “pilot project” and now, a six-month extension. Normally a 30-day public comment period precedes any rule implementation, but not so in this case. The DOT waived its own rules on permits and insurance to let Uber/Lyft work the airport, giving them a competitive advantage over the taxi and limousine businesses, who were not granted any such waivers.

The DOT has not only exercised unequal treatment but also has needlessly exposed itself to liability. Both issues could well come back to haunt it.

Richard Desmond

Hawaii Kai

—

Arm retired law enforcers

Nearly every day since the Florida school killings, there is another letter providing blame. It’s the bump stocks, it’s the high-capacity magazines, it’s the National Rifle Association, it’s bad FBI actions, it’s mental illness. Here’s a recommendation that will save lives.

The state needs to embrace and actively implement a federal law passed in 2004, the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act (LEOSA). This requires all states to permit retired law enforcement officers to carry a concealed weapon. It would immediately allow hundreds of retired police officers to provide enforcement to deadly situations like school shootings. The state of Hawaii requires a yearly administration and qualification fee of $500 per retired officer, which has prevented otherwise critical firepower to combat murders and shootings from taking place. The only way to stop a gun is with a gun.

Earl Arakaki

Ewa Beach