The first week in May has been dedicated to recognizing the work of those engaged in public service. Throughout the country, federal agency leaders, governors, mayors and city and town councils participate in recognizing and honoring their public servants who provide vital services to the public.

In the past year, our public servants at all levels of government continued to serve us in the face of a global pandemic: medical professionals, nurses, health inspectors, EMTs and firefighters fighting a deadly virus; police officers; postal workers; teachers; those who process unemployment claims, Social Security checks, Medicare payments and federal stimulus payments; civilian defense workers and cyber- security professionals safeguarding our defense and infrastructure against threats; and many more.

Organized by the Public Employees Roundtable, of which NARFE is a member, Public Service Recognition Week is a time to honor federal, state and county government employees. We owe these dedicated men and women our gratitude, not just this week, but every week.

Joyce Matsuo

President, National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE)- Hawaii Federation

Investigation of police must be fair, objective

If someone is bashing my head in, I will use maximum, even deadly force to protect myself. If there is credible evidence that someone is about to use a deadly weapon or vehicle to harm me and/or others, I will do anything to avoid loss of life.

But if I am a police officer responding to violent, in-progress crimes jeopardizing human lives, and I use deadly force on someone who has used or is using deadly force on victims, then — within hours — I face knee-jerk condemnation, lawsuits, termination and worse.

Locally, the ACLU, defense attorneys, legal experts and family members have recklessly and irresponsibly vilified and accused multiple officers of murder, resulting in a demonization of law enforcement with hasty speculation, inaccurate and incomplete information and zero investigation.

Investigations must be timely, thorough, objective, transparent and purposeful. Frenzied rushes to judgment are themselves unfair, biased and dangerous.

John Hoshibata

Mililani

North Shore sites not good for new landfill

Per the article on landfill locations, Areas 2, 3 and 4 are located in the North Shore area. They have a history of flooding (“City again takes first steps to relocate landfill,” Star-Advertiser, April 28).

The threatening streams start in the Hauula Forest Reserve. Opaeula and then Paukauila streams flow into Kaiaka Bay. Kiikii Stream joins flow from Lake Wilson in Wahiawa and into the bay. So how do you put a landfill in an area with active streams?

Even the river at Waimea Bay has to have the sand dredged to open up the river to the ocean. I can see Waimea on a big surf day, with mattresses going over the falls.

We have a two-lane road. Waialua has one road now with Waialua Bridge closed. Garbage trucks will be lining up the hill. This is not a good location for a landfill, with even a cursory look.

Laura Bolles

Waialua

‘Systemic’ racism doesn’t mean everyone’s racist

Bob Lamborn uses a straw man fallacy to attack President Joe Biden for saying the U.S. is systemically racist, while mischaracterizing Biden’s words (“Evidence abounds that U.S. isn’t a racist nation,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, April 23).

Lamborn said, “(T)hat means racism permeates all aspects of our national life” and is even “present in our DNA.”

That’s not what it means. A simple definition of “systemic” is, “relating to or affecting the whole of something.” Affecting something doesn’t equate with totally corrupting it. By Lam- born’s logic, Biden must consider himself to be racist, too.

Biden means racism can appear in any institution or class of people, though not all members may be guilty of it. Yes, people from across the globe want to live in America, even if they may encounter some of our less- appealing aspects.

Sean Goodspeed

Ala Moana

HART doesn’t need another consultant

I am appalled and angry at this government for even thinking of hiring a consultant, let alone Colleen Hanabusa (“Colleen Hanabusa, ex-chairwoman of Honolulu rail board, gets $924,000 HART contract,” April 29)!

Why the heck do we need a consultant? Are the people in charge not doing their job? If so, then fire them all. But to hire a consultant, and Hanabusa at that, is ludicrous. She is a lawyer. Doesn’t the city have a corporation counsel?

We are supposedly in financial constraints and we spend our money foolishly. No wonder people don’t trust government.

Meanwhile, we have a bridge in Waialua that is going to take a year or more to build. This is the kind of service we are getting?

Marilee Lyons

Haleiwa

Hiring Hanabusa an outrage for failing rail

Colleen Hanabusa gets a $924,000 contract (“Colleen Hanabusa, ex-chairwoman of Honolulu rail board, gets $924,000 HART contract,” April 29).

Is it any wonder why this train boondoggle has run amok?

Get the money while you can before this whole project craters. This is outrageous for a project that does not have the money to finish.

Who is in charge?

James Owen

Waialae Nui

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