Let vaccinated travel between islands

I could understand all of the COVID-19 lockdown measures throughout 2020, but we are still in lockdown in 2021 as far as interisland travel is concerned.

I am 78 years old, received both of my COVID-19 vaccinations by the end of February but as far as our astute governor is concerned, I’m still in interisland lockdown until possibly July 4.

Why, you ask? Because there may be some counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination documents. Wow, I guess this excuse assumes there are no counterfeit passports or driver’s licenses. Gov. David Ige should let me make my own decision as to whether or not I’m willing to risk flying interisland. I don’t need his help.

Fred Van Osten

Lahaina

Protect children from e-cig companies

History repeats itself. Whereas 30 years ago we fought against Big Tobacco and the cigarettes they were putting into the hands of our youth, today we battle against e-cigarette startups, candy-like vape products and flavors, and marketing geared toward teens and pre-teens.

As a school leader, parent and concerned community member, I support our legislators taking a stand to protect our children from these harmful products and effects.

Alex Teece

Kapolei

Support resolution on climate change

During this legislative session, Senate Bill 1237 was curiously morphed into House Bill 1174, HD1, SD1.

I opposed both bills because they cut the tax credits in half for all clean-energy projects, slowing Hawaii’s progress toward 100% renewable energy. After two legislative rounds, SB 1237 was secreted away as Part II of an unrelated movie production tax credit bill. Strange!

Luckily, my akamai friends discovered this sneaky little bill at the tail end of HB 1174. The deception continued. The description of HB 1174 highlighted an increased tax credit cap for commercial community-based projects, but failed to mention that other commercial and homeowner tax credits would be cut by 50%.

Who changed this bill and why are we discriminating between project initiators? Meanwhile, I barely found the bill in time to testify against it. Why should citizens wanting to be heard have to put up with these shenanigans? No wonder only a fraction of citizens even try.

Jan Pappas

Aiea

Overpopulation harms environment

People worry about climate change, but the biggest factor underlying all environmental problems is overpopulation. Yet we completely ignore this issue. Nature has two ways of controlling populations: disease and starvation.

It took 200,000 years for the human population to reach 1 billion. For the last four decades we have been adding a billion more people to the planet every 12 years. In those 40 years we have driven 50% of all wild animals from existence.

More than 500,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. About 3.2 million people died in the U.S. in 2020, up 400,000 from last year, but there were still more births: 3,957,540.

If we don’t voluntarily limit our population, nature will.

Kathy Valier

Hanalei

Support resolution on climate change

Kudos to the Star-Advertiser for reporting on Senate Concurrent Resolution 44, declaring a climate emergency, heard last week at the Legislature (“Hawaii closer to declaring a ‘climate emergency’,” Star-Advertiser, April 7). It’s time our lawmakers treat the climate crisis for the crisis it is and begin statewide coordinated efforts as outlined in this resolution.

Let’s be clear. Climate change isn’t a future problem. Climate change is happening now, we are causing it, and the longer we wait to act, the more we lose. Children living today will live to see an inhospitable warmer world because of the failure of our government leaders to take real action when there still was time to do so.

Their decisions from here on out are the differences between combating this crisis, or the escalated suffering from further climate breakdown that comes with ignoring it.

Hawaii is ground zero for climate chaos. We need bold climate action now. We need to pass SCR 44.

Sherry Pollack

Kaneohe

Third parties lack access to elections

Voter registration laws are in the news almost every day, but you rarely hear about the hoops that third parties and their candidates have to jump through in some states to get on the ballot. The reason is pretty obvious, at least to me.

The Republicans and the Democrats want to hold power. Third parties challenge that power. That sure doesn’t sound like the basic notion of a free people in a free republic making free choices, as expressed in the Constitution by our founding fathers.

I’m all for improving election laws to ensure only qualified voters vote once, and to make it easier to vote. But if you really are trying to improve election laws, it sure would be nice to also make it easier for third-party candidates to run and compete.

Voter turnout is abysmal. Perhaps if there was more choice and less suppression, more people would choose to vote in both the primary and general elections.

Fred Fogel

Volcano

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