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Like a lot of folks, I grew up avoiding Waikiki and watching family and friends serve tourists to make rent. And like thousands in Hawaii, I got COVID-19 during the August wave. It was miserable and I’m recovering, but I’m most scared of getting a phone call saying a loved one tested positive.
The decision to reopen tourism right now threatens to make that call happen. In response to local restaurants closing down, workers not being given personal protective equipment, mothers and caregivers being evicted, children getting a terrible online curriculum, and houseless being cited for the umpteenth time, we’re told this silly story about how hotels and tourists will save us — and that the people needed to run the industry are unavoidable sacrifices to the state’s economy.
We deserve better, more innovative industries and public officials who respect the dignity of Hawaii’s people and don’t place their profit over our literal lives.
Shayna Lonoaea-Alexander
Aiea
Visitors could slow city’s tier advancement
If I heard correctly, Mayor Kirk Caldwell said that incoming visitors with COVID-19 will be added to the Oahu statistics, thus lessening the chances of us reaching the next tier.
So, Oahuans are punished for the decisions made by government officials, and gyms had to remain closed until Tier 2 was achieved.
It appears that visitors are given priority over the liberty of local people. I do understand that we need more than ever Aesop’s goose that lays the golden eggs. However, local people’s freedom should never be compromised.
Rick Ornellas
Liliha
Military presence has benefited Hawaii
I write this in gratitude for the presence of the military in Hawaii.
When Hawaii was attacked by a hostile power, the presence of the U.S. military on my home island (Hawaii) was nonexistent. Our defense was entirely in the hands of those civilians who might have hunting rifles, my rancher father being one of those. It seemed an eternity later that several U.S. Army trucks with troops peering out the back appeared along our single ’round-the-island road fronting our yard.
It was then that we learned that prayers are answered. Soon thereafter came an Air Force observation post on a hill near our home, and gasoline storage site and ammunition storage sites in small pastures nearby — and good neighbors they were, too. Eventually, two Marine divisions arrived, with numbers of their men periodically going into battle (Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima, etc.), always returning in lesser numbers.
Don’t ever expect me to be non-supportive of the U.S. military’s presence, wherever that may be.
Theone Vredenburg
Makiki
Steep PPV price creates more risk for UH fans
An empty stadium for University of Hawaii football games, but $69.99 per game on Spectrum PPV (pay-per-view) during a pandemic economy.
The $69.99 price incentivizes viewing at bars, restaurants and house parties. This defeats the purpose of public health concerns in having fans attend the game at partial capacity, screened and socially distanced in an open-air environment. This environment also would be controlled and could be policed in order to ensure people are following rules.
I suggest either lowering the PPV price to a reasonable level or allowing partial attendance. As it stands currently, you are defeating any public health concerns with the status quo pricing.
Matthew Ledet
McCully-Moiliili
Don’t let conventional rules hamstring debates
Every debate has its own disposition. Some have been humorous, some informative and some argumentative.
To conclude that the first Trump-Biden debate was unacceptable only reveals that commentators have put their own expectations on how a debate should go and how the participants should act.
The personality and character of the participants are relevant factors when it comes to the perception of the viewers. If anything, the moderator could be removed and questions would be shown on a screen. This way, questions and time could be regulated by computer instead of refereed by a politically biased moderator.
Maybe the participants also could be given time to question each other.
Guy Morgan
Moanalua
More coverage needed of Biden and Burisma
Surprise, surprise!
Page One of the Star-Advertiser showed a pretty pie chart displaying how big a piece represents support from Hawaii residents for presidential candidate Joe Biden (“Oahu voters prefer Biden,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 20).
What is distressful is the placement of the article about Hunter Biden’s emails found on the hard drive of his computer left in a Delaware repair shop (“Biden needs to come clean on stories about son Hunter,” Star-Advertiser, Cal Thomas, Oct. 20).
Shouldn’t your readership know about the revealing emails, documents and photos detailing how Hunter leveraged his father’s position as vice president for gain with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma? Why is this very informative information in the back of the paper? And not even online?
Corrine Waterhouse
Kailua
Trump more pitiful than powerful now
In 2016, as a Philadelphian, I did not vote for a rich, spoiled candidate from New York.
Now it seems that candidate is frustrated that his tactic of attacking critics and demeaning the press is not working well. I think of the 3-year-old who finds her method of crying and stamping her foot less and less effective.
I lost my anger at this leader some time ago, and moved to the emotion of pity. My feeling now matches the lyrics from a hymn of my youth: “For you I am praying, for you I am praying, for you I am praying, I’m praying for you.”
I voted; please vote.
Jim Howell
Manoa
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