I read with interest the article, “Developers readying affordable apartment projects on Oahu” (Star-Advertiser, March 28), which covered solving the lack of affordable housing with a trial city program that would give developers various incentives to erect multi-family dwellings in place of single-family homes. It said the buildings would be three to six stories, sprinkled around the Makiki, McCully, Nuuanu, Kapahulu and Kailua areas.

What exactly is the difference between these proposed apartment buildings and the monster houses that so many homeowners in traditionally single-family neighborhoods have fought against for several years?

Has the infrastructure, like parking, sewers, electrical grid, sidewalks and more, been mysteriously upgraded to handle the greater number of people these apartment buildings would bring into neighborhoods?

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck …

Jim Cook

Aiea

Vaccine no guarantee against COVID infection

Lt. Gov. Josh Green recommended that travelers who have received full doses of the COVID-19 vaccine need not be tested for the coronavirus within 72 hours of travel.

In the Sunday paper, the article, “Nursing center halts visits after vaccinated resident contracts virus” (Star-Advertiser, March 28), described a new admission who had been fully vaccinated with two doses of the Moderna vaccine, and also had received a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before arriving at a nursing home facility.

Three days after admission at the nursing home, the patient tested positive for COVID-19. The article noted: “Health officials have stressed that being vaccinated for COVID-19 does not guarantee that a person will not contract the coronavirus.”

We should not allow visitors coming to Hawaii to avoid quarantine based just on having received a COVID-19 vaccine. They also should be required to have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of travel to be exempt from self-quarantine for 10 days after arrival.

Terri Jones

Hawaii Kai

Show compassion for students in trouble

Diane Tippett’s letter, “Race has nothing to do with breaking the law” (Star-Advertiser, March 29), suggests that the higher arrest rate for minority students is because they commit more crimes. This belief is based on the mistaken idea that arrest rates are the same as crime rates.

Arrest rates reflect our explicit and implicit biases, not crime rates. Arrest rates will only reflect actual crime rates when systemic racism is eliminated from our justice system and the institutions that feed into it.

Instead of calling for arrest in a most public-shaming way, schools should show compassion for students who are truant, have problems with substance abuse, run away from home or break curfews, and provide or find help for them. Surely, our community can do better.

Michael Richards

Kaneohe

Public workers support community, economy

Chip Davey, what are you smoking or drinking (“Private businesses will lead economic recovery,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 12)?

Public workers — who are taxpayers just like everyone else — greatly add to the economy, not drain it, and are absolutely essential to Hawaii’s recovery.

Doesn’t he think we go out and buy products and services too, spending at local businesses to help boost the economy? Who does he think provides the many crucial services he and others take for granted, such as public safety, water treatment, road maintenance and food inspection?

These are services that public employees provide and that everyone relies on daily to live, work and play. We help to keep our communities healthy and safe, and we are vital to our state’s economic recovery.

Please keep that in mind the next time you take a drink of water, buy take-out food, drive down a highway or go to the park.

Earl Young

Aiea

Tap federal funds to reroute coastal roads

The Biden administration intends to have a huge infusion of money for infrastructure, to make our highways safe from ocean rise and climate change.

This is a perfect opportunity for our state and federal representatives to construct major highway reroutings to keep our roadways away from the ocean-clinging routes where they are presently located.

The Makaha Beach Master Plan has stagnated for two decades (“Complete plans to move Farrington Highway,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 30). Kamehameha Highway on the windward side of Oahu is in constant peril of washing out.

Now is the time to use the federal funds to finally protect the essential travel routes around our island. We can only hope our representatives will realize this unique opportunity for the future of our island and make highway safety a reality.

John and Rita Shockley

Free Access Coalition

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