In what has been called, “not a surge but a tidal wave” of COVID-19 infections in the mainland and Europe, Hawaii is reopening the state to tourism.

Lt. Gov. Josh Green and Mayor Kirk Caldwell know that COVID-19 spreads exponentially, but insist that having 10% of tourists infected is an acceptable number. That means 10 people will infect 10 others, each infecting 10 more until we have thousands of cases.

The only way to safely open the state is a negative same-day molecular test, taken at the departure airport just before boarding the aircraft. After arrival, visitors need to quarantine at least six days, take a mandatory same-day molecular test, and if negative can be released to move about.

And we should never use the word “voluntary testing.” Visitor testing must be mandatory, or it will never happen.

Steve Brenessel

Kakaako

Millions wasted on political attack ads

When I read how much has been spent on political advertising, it makes me sick (and I am a doctor). Disinformation, the purposeful spreading of false information for personal gain, is epidemic.

Imagine those same millions or billions of dollars for political attack ads being spent on people who are now in need because of the pandemic. Having another stimulus bill to help people and our economy needs to be our top priority instead of political theater.

What happened to those familiar words I heard at the beginning of the pandemic: “We are all in this together”?

Roger White, M.D.

Kapolei

Military should leave all Hawaiian lands

Lack of care and regard for the land and its resources by the U.S. military is no different at the Pohakuloa Training Area on Hawaii island.

‘A‘ole to giving any additional leases to the U.S. government now or in the future. I support retired Col. Ann Wright’s commentary calling on the state to terminate the lease of 23,000 acres of Hawaii public trust land, due to breaches and violations to the lease made in 1964, as evidenced through continued degradation of land and damage to native ecosystems (“State should terminate Army’s lease on land at Pohakuloa,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Oct. 12).

We reject any use of Hawaiian lands for military training, as lands need to be returned to the rightful owners of Hawaii. Pohakuloa should not ever be used for live-fire training, or anything else having to do with the U.S. military, who, as occupiers, have no business on these or any other lands in Hawaii.

Meleanna Meyer

Makiki Heights

Pandemic forces choice between money, lives

The holidays are approaching and the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says family gatherings are helping spread the coronavirus. Not to mention our own president not following safety guidelines and catching COVID-19.

It looks like it comes down to money or lives. The problem is, money is what is needed to survive.

Joey Viernes

Wilhelmina Rise

Supporters of Trump fed lies every day

President Donald Trump may not tell his supporters how to think, but he lies to them, like he lies to the whole world every day (“Trump doesn’t tell supporters how to think,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Oct. 14).

Thanks to Trump acting like an idiot, there was chaos and mayhem rather than a presidential debate. If Stef Wenska wants to support an idiot who supposedly doesn’t tell him how to think, go right ahead. Good luck.

Art Frank

Makaha

Hirono embarrasses Hawaii at hearing

Does U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono represent us? I think not. During Hirono’s allotted questioning time at the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, she rambled on with little direction or clarity, even though she read from notes in front of her.

Hirono spent most of her assigned time pontificating on numerous topics, and either interrupting or talking over Barrett, disallowing even a partial answer to the senator’s incoherent question. Her performance was mostly irrelevant.

I have two very young granddaughters and, as they grow, I would choose to have them look to Barrett as a role model and ignore the embarrassing spectacle of our Sen. Hirono.

Joel Brilliant

Hawaii Kai

My vote doesn’t count as much as in other states

As a very important national election approaches, ironically right after Halloween, I can understand why some recent letters to the editor have debated the pros and cons of the Electoral College system.

Personally, I feel saddened to think that, once I cast my vote in a presidential election, its impact may never go beyond the state level. Instead, electors we don’t get to choose will then take over, decide who won the majority in this state, and cast all their votes entirely for that candidate.

So if the national candidate I voted for does not win the majority in the state, my vote simply does not count. Worse, the Electoral College weighs some people’s ballots more than others, based on which state they live in.

That just does not feel fair and equal to me. In fact, why should I vote at all, if the result is decided so indirectly?

David Chappell

Kaneohe

Ko Olina’s actions a huge offense to locals

I used to live at the Ko Olina Resort and was a manager there. Jeffrey Stone has always tried every lame excuse he can find to put his lagoons off-limits to locals and keep them for exclusive use of resort residents and guests only, starting with his original excuse that they were privately made and didn’t exist before he carved them out. (Sure, they didn’t, but the coastline did, and he had no right to make any coastline exclusive.)

So I hope his recent effort to steal the oceanside away from locals costs him dearly for years to come (“Ko Olina to open all 4 lagoons to public,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, Oct. 15). It was a huge offense to locals.

David Haggith

Bellingham, Wash.

EXPRESS YOURSELF

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser welcomes all opinions. Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor.

>> Write us: We welcome letters up to 150 words, and guest columns of 500-600 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Include your name, address and daytime phone number.

>> Mail: Letters to the Editor, Honolulu Star-Advertiser 7 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana, Suite 210 Honolulu, HI 96813

>> Contact: 529-4831 (phone), 529-4750 (fax), letters@staradvertiser.com, staradvertiser.com/editorial/submit-letter