Letters: City must maintain streets; Impeachment will work against Democrats; Pearl Harbor shooting raises questions

Is the repair of sidewalks in Waikiki by volunteers the best we can do for this city and the state’s major tourist venue?

Congratulations to volunteers for reporting needed sidewalk repairs — but having them reset uplifting stone pavement is not a good idea. The stone sidewalks on Kalakaua and Kuhio avenues are a lovely feature of the resort district and must be well maintained by the city — no excuses.

Waikiki side streets require major sidewalk and infrastructure improvements. The level of taxation in Waikiki should support the funding of these needed improvements and repairs.

Jack Gillmar

Palolo Valley

Usage of property should determine fair tax rate

I completely agree with your editorial of equitable taxing for all bed-and-breakfasts and transient vacation units (“Tax TVUs, B&Bs more,” Our View, Star-Advertiser, Dec. 14). To do otherwise, makes no sense.

The use of the property determines the tax rate. That is fair to all the property taxpayers. No exceptions.

Susan Dowsett

Kailua

Judge’s judgment cited in probation for killing

Regarding “Man gets 10 years’ probation in tenant’s death,” (Star-Advertiser, Dec. 14): Circuit Judge Fa’auuga To’oto’o sentenced a 42-year-old Kahaluu man to 10 years’ probation plus the time he’d already spent imprisoned — 398 days (in spite of the man pleading no contest in the 2018 stabbing death of his tenant).

This is the same judge who sentenced a Kaiser High School parent to five years’ probation for assaulting the football coach two years ago, “because he does not have a record.” This is the same judge who was rated “unqualified” by the Hawaii State Bar Association in 2010 when he was nominated by Gov. Linda Lingle, yet approved by the Senate.

So, a man was killed and dumped in his landlord’s Dumpster, and even though the landlord pleaded no contest to manslaughter, he is set free on probation? Where is the justice? How can this judge continue to adjudicate cases for the citizens of the state of Hawaii?

Janet Dagan

Punchbowl

Stadium site is prime spot for affordable units

Affordable housing should be built on the Aloha Stadium site, as a recent Star-Advertiser editorial recommended, because of its many advantages (“Stadium redo must have local housing,” Our View, Dec. 12).

First, it could significantly reduce the large shortage of affordable housing on Oahu. Second, it’s state land, so the cost of land would be zero, making it financially feasible to develop affordable housing. Third, it’s near a rail station, reducing the need for personal vehicles.

By my calculations, Oahu faces a shortage of over 50,000 housing units, based on island population, number of existing units and the average household size nationally. Preliminary plans say high-density development at the stadium site could accommodate 2,000 housing units; I believe that the 40 acres of the Aloha Stadium site dedicated to non-stadium uses could have 20,000 housing units, based on 500 units per acre, as urged by the Sierra Club’s Health Growth Calculator.

Stores, restaurants, theaters, health clinics, parks and other amenities could be in the same area so that residents would be no farther than a 5-minute walk. That kind of urban design supports a lifestyle of convenience, which more and more people prefer.

John Kawamoto

Kaimuki

Impeachment will work against Democrats

Congressional Democrats say they initiated impeachment proceedings against the president to prevent further abuses of presidential power. Yet it seems obvious that they will now achieve the exact opposite of their goal.

With the president having a firm grip on the Senate’s Republican majority, there is no chance that he will be removed by the Senate. Once the president is found by the Senate to be innocent of all charges, he will be so emboldened and energized that he will become even more outrageous in tweet and action.

Meanwhile, the Democrats, defeated and demoralized, dare not try to rein in the president again no matter what he does, perhaps with the exception of “shooting somebody in the middle of Fifth Avenue.”

Clifford Nishimura

Pearl City

Party-line votes cast doubt about truth, justice

Twenty-three “ayes” and 17 “nos”: 23 Democrats and 17 Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee, a vote along party lines to approve articles of impeachment against the president of the United States.

Truth and justice lie somewhere between this voting outcome.

The full House of Representatives voted on impeachment Wednesday. When making this vote, let’s hope our representatives put country, our Constitution and justice before party and politics.

Robert K. Wight

Nuuanu

Pearl shooting raises bearing-arms questions

Regarding the Dec. 10 letter, “Pearl Harbor needs tougher gun policy”: Whenever there is a firearms crime or incident, there is public outrage for stricter handgun control.

Lately, mental health is the new avenue to attack. Since PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is a mental illness, should there be a strict enforcement for this category of mental illness?

Military personnel, in hostile combat, can develop PTSD. Should they be given a medical discharge? Law enforcement officers, who engage in career hostile confrontations, can develop PTSD. Should these officers be given a medical retirement? What are the mental illness boundary lines?

When the PTSD military personnel and PTSD law enforcement officers are on active duty, should there be a weapons restriction: loss of security clearance, medical treatment, discharge/retirement?

Then when they are no longer on active duty, should there be similar restrictions?

Keoni Ronald May

McCully-Moiliili

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