Letters: Isle crime; Pali Lanes lease causes critical situation; Protesters called abusive

Thank you, Lee Cataluna, for your Nov. 15 column, “Rash of brazen crimes a foundational problem.” When are the people of Hawaii going to wake up and realize how upside-down everything has become?

Now a private citizen whose property was invaded and burgled, not once but twice on the same day, is being held in jail for protecting his family and property? The persons who should be in jail and on trial are the other teens involved and their parents!

Hawaii is now a state with laws that the Judiciary and elected officials choose to disregard. The police are overburdened dealing with the homeless and controlling protesters.

Seven years ago, I, too, was the victim of a serious crime by a complete stranger. Luckily for me, justice was served. I’m afraid if it had happened today, somehow I would have been guilty. Wake up, Hawaii.

Diane VanSlyke

Beretania

Navy’s water use would help against fuel leakage

I have had the opportunity to perform engineering services for the Navy’s Red Hill fuel tanks. The Navy’s source of potable water for Pearl Harbor is also located at Red Hill, consisting of wells directly underlying the Red Hill tanks.

The constant pumping of water by the Navy results in a draw-down of the the water table that would keep any leaked fuel remaining directly under the Red Hill tanks, rather than spreading out and widely contaminating the ground water.

Masa Fujioka

Waialae Iki

Keep gas tax but add small road use charge

I disagree with one part of your recent editorial, “A gas tax alternative” (Star-Advertiser, Our View, Nov. 16). You state, “One thing’s for sure: The RUC (road use charge) should be a replacement, not an addition” — but in your previous paragraph, you raise the issue that eliminating the gas tax could make it easier to buy a gas guzzler.

The obvious solution is to keep the gas tax but add a road use charge that is initially small — just enough to make up for the loss in revenues. Over time, as gas tax revenues hopefully decline, the RUC can be increased to make up the difference.

Meanwhile, the gas tax should be retained at the current rate. This approach will incrementally increase the pressure on vehicle owners to switch to electric vehicles while providing funds for road maintenance.

Ronald A. Lynch

Moiliili

Pali Lanes monthly lease causes critical situation

The next few months are going to be very critical in our efforts to save Pali Lanes. Starting on Feb. 1, 2020, the bowling alley will be operating on a month-to-month lease. This lease is not smart for business at all. Can you think of any business that is able to stay open on a month-to-month lease? Because of the new lease, bowling leagues are leaving, hours have been cut back, and the bowling center is losing money.

However, we at Team #SavePaliLanes are dedicated to working hard to ensure that Pali Lanes does not close. We will continue our campaign to save Kailua’s true gathering center, Pali Lanes. Come to our monthly meetings, the second and last Sundays of each month at Pali Lanes, 4-6 p.m.

Christian Arakawa

Vice president, Team #SavePaliLanes

Red flag laws could help prevent more tragedies

According to “60 Minutes” this past Sunday, these new “red flag” gun laws would take away guns from people with demonstrated problems. My reaction is that these laws are good if they can prevent unnecessary violence and deaths.

There is the old saying that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I do not believe, as one person interviewed said, that more guns mean less crime.

I think that the more guns we have, the more often the guns will be used with tragic consequences, as with the laws of probability

Phil Robertson

Kailua

Concern over protesters being called abusive

I am disturbed by the accusations by Deputy Police Chief John McCarthy labeling the Kalaeloa protesters of AES’ wind farm project as abusive.

Instead of speaking to the media, why not first wait for a Honolulu Police Department investigation? A quick “I cannot comment on an ongoing investigation” would have sufficed. Also, I am surprised at his justification for not releasing HPD’s very own video footage, the same footage recorded by equipment paid for by taxpayers.

Let’s wait for cooler heads to prevail. Do an investigation for Hawaii’s Finest and for the public.

Kevin Wilson

Waipahu

Tell us what are you thankful for

Maybe it only seems that things have gotten more divisive. Maybe we’ve become too focused on the negatives instead of the positives. Here’s your chance to reflect on things to be thankful for, and to share with fellow readers. Today through Nov. 24, we’ll be accepting “Be thankful” letters (150 words max) or essays (500-600 words). A collection of these will run on Dec. 1, Thanksgiving weekend. Email to letters@staradvertiser.com or send to 500 Ala Moana Blvd. Suite 7-210, Honolulu, 96813, c/o Letters.

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