Numbers show it’s time to reopen the economy

It is time to start reopening the state. This lockdown is destroying the economy. It seems like the cure is worse than the disease.

In 2018 the death rate for influenza/pneumonia in Hawaii was 24.5 for a total of 542 deaths. The present COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 12 deaths as of Thursday. The state was not shut down for 542 deaths, so why the panic now?

No one wants deaths to occur, but let’s keep everything in perspective.

Maurice Nicholson

Waikiki

When will we be able to go back to work?

The one question I would like the governor or any mayor to answer is: When does this end? What will it take to allow those who are able to return to work to open businesses and resume their lives?

Are we waiting for no new cases, fewer cases, a length of time without a new case? If six months from now nothing has changed and we still have two new cases per day, will we still be under lockdown? When will it be enough already?

Kevin Fraser

Kailua

Dangerous to lift restrictions too soon

Our Declaration of Independence includes the phrase “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” My question to those in the streets protesting: What good are liberty and happiness if you’ve lost your life or caused someone else to lose theirs because you didn’t like staying six feet apart or wearing a mask (“Lockdown has gone too far, Hawaii protesters say,” Star-Advertiser, April 20)?

The financial and personal hardships are tremendous — no question. But they’re likely to get worse if guidelines are lifted too soon.

Think of the more than 2.5 million people infected with COVID-19 to date. Think of the more than 170,000 to date who have died alone, in isolation, and how many more survived because nurses, doctors and the people supporting them put their lives on the line, working day after day to save those infected. Do you think these people liked the restrictions any more than you do?

Of course you have the right to protest. But you can do it from home with letters, phone calls, social media, photos. Be creative!

Judy Goldman

Kakaako

State has many options to close budget gap

Your editorial stated that the Lingle administration had to close a “$185 million budget gap” and therefore ordered furloughs (“Transparency from Gov. David Ige will help determine pay-cut levels for Hawaii workers,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, April 19). It is unclear what that number refers to.

The fact is that the gap was an anticipated $1.8 billion for the fiscal year 2009-2011 biennial budget.

We took numerous steps to close the gap without tax increases or cuts in essential services.

These included: pay cuts for cabinet and senior staff; money transfers from special funds; restricting debt; reducing discretional funding by 14%; maximizing draw-downs of federal funds such as Medicaid revenue; maximization of federal stimulus money; and instituting furloughs.

Gov. David Ige faces an extremely daunting task, but it can be done. We did it. We wish him well!

Georgina Kawamura

Former director, state Department of Budget and Finance (2002-2010)

Test all tourists to find those who are infected

Instead of having incoming travelers quarantine for 14 days, why don’t they all get tested? As soon as we have their test results, we will know if they are healthy or not. I recently took the test at Castle Medical Center and it took only 1-1/2 days to get my results. I commend Castle for the fine job.

Assuming tourists can get their results in a similar amount of time, they can enjoy our island (assuming their tests are negative) and we can be assured that they do not have the virus.

This procedure would also help get our tourist industry up and running faster, as this is probably how it is going to be for awhile.

Ted Higa

Mapunapuna

Previous generations missed graduations, too

The state Department of Education’s cancellation of traditional graduation ceremonies due to COVID-19 is, of course, sad but necessary. Many seniors and their families are understandably devastated, including my ohana.

However, this year is not unique. Because of the Pearl Harbor attack, all school graduations were canceled for a few years beginning in 1942. Martial law, curfews, blackouts, and gas, food and alcohol rationing precluded large public gatherings. Sound familiar? Luckily we don’t have rationing yet in this new “war.” We all should be grateful for that, at least.

My mother-in-law and an auntie were in the Sacred Hearts Class of 1942. Their senior year ended early without a ceremony so that they could join the war-effort work force.

Fifty years later, the Sacred Hearts Class of 1992 invited all surviving members of ‘42 to join their graduation ceremony, so Mom and Auntie got to graduate after all! How neat is that?

We need to remember past generations who had it worse and that good things will happen in the future.

Dave Manu Bird

Kaimuki

Not a good time for noisy construction

So here we are confined at home, trying to hold it together, teachers working from home, conferencing with students and colleagues. One thing we didn’t need was for our next-door building, Chateau Waikiki, to decide it’s an opportune time to redo the pool and outdoor flooring — jackhammering for days on end and no ending date provided, unbearable noise making it quasi-impossible for us to function decently.

Unless this work is urgent, it was a very inconsiderate decision by the building management. Very noisy projects should be curtailed in residential neighborhoods at this time.

David Berger

Waikiki

KINDNESS GOING VIRAL

Even in these days overshadowed by the coronavirus, bright spots exist. If you see kindness or positivity going on, share it with our readers via a 150-word letter to the editor; email it to letters@staradvertiser.com. We’ll be running some of these uplifting letters occasionally to help keep spirits up, as we hunker down. We are all in this together.

EXPRESS YOURSELF

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