What about us? As a resident of Kauai who needs to travel to Honolulu for personal business, I am baffled by the apparent inequality between the way out-of-state visitors and Hawaii residents are treated regarding the COVID-19 quarantine.

Although my round trip to Honolulu will take fewer than 54 hours, I have not been able to find a logical, viable way to be granted a modified quarantine. I have consulted numerous sources and have been given nothing clearer than, “You could take a COVID-19 test 72 hours before arrival to Kauai.” This is the same requirement out-of-state visitors have.

Logically, that means I should get tested before I depart Kauai, where COVID-19 is ostensibly under control and I would, therefore, probably test negative. More important, that test would not show any possible contagion I might pick up during my two-day sojourn to Oahu. Where is the logic?

Jane Verdugo

Kalaheo, Kauai

Trump’s failure could hurt other Republicans

It’s obvious to most that President Donald Trump is on his way out. The only question remaining now is how many Republican senators he will take with him.

Walter Mahr

Mililani

Advocacy helped save apprentice program

Marvelous article in the Sunday Star-Advertiser concerning the 100th anniversary of the apprentice program at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (“Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard apprentice program marks 100 years, graduates a class of 208,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 25).

It is worth noting that for a number of years the apprentice program was suspended. Thanks to the advocacy of the Metal Trades Council, the Federal Managers Association and the Superintendents Association, civilians all, U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye inserted a line item in the Department of Defense Budget that provided funding for workforce revitalization at the four public shipyards.

Due to this funding, the Pearl Harbor apprentice program was resumed. With the support of the shipyard employees, managers and military, and Honolulu Community College, it has grown into one of the premier programs in the country, with a large number of applicants and an extremely low attrition rate — thus enabling the shipyard to service the fleet and “keep them fit to fight.”

John Priolo

Pearl City

Don’t use $500 card at expensive restaurants

Seeing a local (and expensive) steakhouse advertise they will accept the new government-issued $500 restaurant card is astonishing.

If someone is in such dire straits that they need this card, may I remind them that card will go much further at their neighborhood mom-and-pop restaurant or that food truck down the street. And while local people work in these expensive restaurants, getting the “biggest bang” for one’s food buck and spending it at the steakhouse doesn’t accomplish that, and is not a prudent use of the taxpayer money that funded this program.

Wendy Wright

Waikiki

Learn lessons of rail’s expensive failures

Our rail project lacks sufficient resources for completion. That may be an understatement because we have no definitive accurate and factual cost projection. What we have is an abundance of excuses and lamenting over what will not be if the rail cannot end at Ala Moana Center.

The lost opportunities resulting from the non-completion of the rail come with unknown costs and answers as to the who, what, when, why and for what public purpose.

The failing rail project has so many unidentified lucrative government- sanctioned projects attached to it that politicians do not want to abandon the original completion plan. Denial of reality remains a political priority.

To quote our Democratic candidate for president: “C’mon, man.” Wake up to reality and make a realistic plan.

Every disaster we experience provides an opportunity for learning what went wrong and how we can better prepare. We need to acknowledge that we made a mistake before we can find a remedy to cure the problem. The sooner the better.

John Tamashiro

Pearl City

Every real city has a rail transit system

My dad had some 1888 maps of southeast Pennsylvania. There were hundreds of small villages. By 1960 most of those villages were gone. The ones that survived had commuter rail service.

San Diego built a trolley line to the Tijuana border in 1990. It was ridiculed until it opened. The first year carried twice the expected passengers. Now the system is over four times the original miles and the trains run full.

Every real city (even Los Angeles) has a light rail system to spread the population, reduce crowding downtown and avoid the problems caused by car dependence.

Ken Obenski

Captain Cook, Hawaii island

Driver’s license renewal was quick and efficient

I went to Kapalama Hale to renew my driver’s license last week. While expecting the worst, I was pleasantly surprised by the efficiency of the system and even more by the friendly and helpful staff.

My appointment was at 2:45 p.m. I was there 10 minutes early and was on my way home by 3:15.

I have a challenge standing too long and there were no chairs in the room. I mentioned it to a staff person who immediately found me a chair.

I often find fault in my interactions with our city government, so it is only fair that I point out this excellent service.

Jim Cremins

Waikiki

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