I have to agree with Tyler Gomes: It’s about time Hawaii gets out of its comfort zone and starts helping boost the economy (“Proposed Kapolei casino survives narrow vote to move forward,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 23).

It’s about time to have casinos on all islands. Hawaii people love to gamble. Furthermore, we can no longer be dependent on tourism alone.

Hawaiian home lands must be utilized effectively, generating revenues and affordable housing for the Hawaiian people who have waited and died without getting a homestead.

Hawaii has the highest cost of living in the nation and depends on imports. What do we have to lose?

What Tyler Gomes envisions will be good for for Hawaii’s growth.

Ethel Lundberg

Kaneohe

HPD doesn’t enforce rules at ‘family’ parties

My neighbors have demonstrated how easy it is to violate the COVID-19 Tier 2 regulations with the assistance of the Honolulu Police Department.

Large, loud party? No worries. Just tell HPD, “Hey, we’re family!” Two hours after one call to the COVID-19 hotline and three calls to HPD finally brought a police officer, who walked away from the party and reported into his radio, “They are family members.”

No worries, Mayor Caldwell, all of us auntie and uncles and keiki can party all holiday long and HPD will walk away without having the bother of writing a ticket. All one ohana, right? This is on Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard’s watch.

Oh, gotta close my windows to sleep tonight, and to pray for our health care workers further burdened by this negligence.

Eileen Gawrys

Ewa Beach

Nonprofits deserve praise and support

I would like to thank the staff, boards and volunteers of nonprofits here in Hawaii. I’m afraid many people just expect nonprofits to provide needed services on a never-ending continuum. I’m afraid that many of us do not realize or are unaware of the hard work and sacrifice that these service providers and their agents make on a daily basis.

I’m even more afraid that these nonprofits will not have enough resources to continue to do their best or make their important differences. Please allay my fears and donate now to your favorite charity.

Marion Poirier

Mililani

We are blessed to live in beautiful Hawaii

We have the tradewinds that trade COVID air with fresh, clean breezes from afar.

We have the ocean, which allows us from our safe islands to see a horizon beyond which are exotic lands.

We have every religion of the world among us, which mirror our souls surrounded by a lei of various paths to God.

We have beautiful, graceful and lovely wahine and strong, handsome kane with soft hearts that play the strings.

We have mountains upon which we can mount our heiau and and munch our luau.

We have the streams that fill our artesian wells to wash our keiki, feed our taro and water our animals.

We have our many minorities from every continent that compose our one unique majority.

We have most languages of the world, which compose a symphony around us.

We have aloha, which is the felt but unseen cohesion among our peoples.

We have Mele Kalikimaka.

We have Hawaii.

John Wollstein

Waikiki

Be grateful for your parents and relatives

With this pandemic and a questionable future return to normalcy, my sister Pat (81) and I (80) are persevering and blessed as we enjoy our children and grandchildren. My sincere wish to the young students, including Pat’s and my college-educated grandchildren, is to be mindful of and grateful for their parents and relatives because they are behind them throughout their precious life.

There is a saying: “Parents are children’s shield and shelter.” In the meantime, let’s have faith and patience in this world to demonstrate KFC: kindness, forgiveness, and compassion.

Gloriana Valera

Waipahu

Guide tourism on more sustainable path

Hawaii had more than 10 million tourists a year before the pandemic. That is way too many. Tourism should be reoriented toward a more sustainable path.

Too much tax money is being spend on advertising Hawaii tourism to the world. The 2020 budget for the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), which is funded with tax money, is $86.7 million, which was reduced to $48.6 million for 2021. Most of that money is used to advertise Hawaii on the mainland, in Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and other parts of the world.

Hawaii is wasting tax money to advertise tourism because the tourist industry is doing enough of it by itself. The HTA money should be put to uses that benefit Hawaii, such as reducing the proposed furloughs of classroom teachers in the public schools.

John Kawamoto

Kaimuki

A HOPEFUL 2021

With a tumultuous 2020 coming to an end, wishes for a “Happy New Year!” seem more heartfelt than ever before.

What are your hopes and dreams for 2021? Let us know, in a letter (150 words max) or an essay (500-600 words). Email to letters@staradvertiser.com; or send to 500 Ala Moana Blvd. #7-210, Honolulu 96813, c/o Letters. The deadline is 5 p.m. Dec. 30, with a collection of them to run Jan. 3.