Health and fitness clubs are being unnecessarily singled out for enforcement of coronavirus restrictions. At this point we must live with this virus until it burns itself out or a vaccine is created, which may take considerable time.

Before the latest lockdown, gyms were doing a good job of enforcing social distancing and mask wearing, and limiting their capacity. With the addition of temperature checks at the door, they can safely operate and allow those who utilize gyms to stay healthy.

Not all workouts are easily moved outdoors, especially on this land-starved island.

Steve Cedillos

McCully

Officials fail to keep virus from care homes

Why is it that just when things are starting to improve locally with the COVID-19 pandemic, we hear that another care home is hit by the virus (“Liliha Healthcare Center scrambles to contain COVID-19 outbreak,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, Sept. 29)? We learned long ago that Job One is to keep the virus out of care homes.

Watch the death toll rise, and prepare for more restrictions. Local officials have failed us and have some “splainin” to do.

Rhoads Stevens

Hawaii Kai

We should be frugal, and support businesses

Brian Zinn is dreaming of La La Land (“To restart economy, stop taxing people,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Sept. 27).

If not for taxes, how would the state provide health and education programs, public transportation services, correctional facilities, parks and recreation, and so on? It’s not free. Taxes are a necessary evil.

Unfortunately for us, the state government has a tendency to waste tax dollars and spend foolishly. Government is (and should be run as) a business. But sadly, that’ll never happen.

So, we the people need to practice personal fiscal responsibility. Have an emergency fund to cover six to 12 months of living expenses for a rainy day (and this whole COVID-19 has been a freaking Category 4-plus hurricane). It’s all about priorities.

The big question should be: Is this a need-to-have or a nice-to-have? Can I afford it? We have to wake up and practice frugality.

It’s the business owners who deserve help. They took the risk. They provided employment to our community. They contributed to the economy. Businesses are of great value.

Lisa Adlong

Hauula

Airlines aren’t helping essential workers travel

In this era, airlines aren’t supporting their share. As essential workers, we need to travel to work between islands, but flights are few and far between. Flight times are not responsive to consumer demand. Seats fill quickly.

All the while, planes are sitting idly by and airline workers are being laid off.

A demand or capacity problem? Really? Or an event coordinated by airlines trying to show dismal revenue numbers to get a bailout from Congress?

Bill Santos

Kaneohe

Caldwell bailed on rail to protect candidacy

This was a brilliant move on Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s part (“City is withdrawing from P3 Honolulu rail procurement process, Mayor Kirk Caldwell tells feds,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, Sept. 25). When he runs for governor, he will use this to say he tried to prevent the rail project from wasting more taxpayer money.

I guess Caldwell was never in the Navy, where the captain goes down with the ship. Now he will be able to leave this mess to the next mayor.

Ken Takeya

Kailua

Troubling, uncertain future for Obamacare

I am deeply concerned for the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (“Ginsburg’s death shows fragility of Obamacare health protections,” Star-Advertiser, Sept. 22). Republicans, especially President Donald Trump, have tried to get rid of the ACA.

The legality of Obamacare will be heard again by the Supreme Court soon after the November elections. Amy Coney Barrett, if confirmed, possibly will derail ACA, which has narrowly survived close calls in the past.

Trump wants to throw it out and replace it with something, which he has not revealed in detail. How will Trump’s plan be more beneficial for average and poorer Americans?

I sure don’t trust the president on his purported ACA replacement, any more than his surrogate Republican senators who said in 2016 that the newly elected president should nominate the next Supreme Court justice. Now, they’ve flipped.

Obamacare could be fine-tuned. Eliminating it probably would be disastrous, especially for many millions who have medical conditions. I sincerely hope it survives, as many Americans need it desperately for their health and survival.

Lawrence M.O. Chun

Kailua

Every vote should count; dump Electoral College

In an overly simplified example, let’s say there are only two states in the union: Texas and Hawaii.

One hundred people in Texas vote for a candidate. In Hawaii, 200 people vote for the opponent. Obviously the people’s choice is the one with the most votes but, because Texas has 38 electoral votes and Hawaii has only four, the Texas choice wins and the people lose.

The Electoral College was created before there were 50 states and a population of almost 332 million. It’s time to eliminate it and install the people’s choices in office. If the popular vote is the only thing that counts, more people will get out and vote, and not rely strictly on whether their state tends to automatically go Democrat or Republican.

Maybe then the votes of 1.5 million people of Hawaii could actually make a difference.

Carol Schmus

Mililani

Times have changed since Washington’s day

Imagine a presidential election in which the winner is the president and the runner-up is the vice president. How things have changed since George Washington was elected our first president, and runner-up John Adams became the vice president.

Thanks to “Hamilton” for another interesting lesson in American history.

Grace Mimaki

Salt Lake

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