Letters: Supporting Biki makes more sense than rail; ‘Clean’ energy creates a mountain of waste; Republican control would be a disaster

I read Richard Borreca’s column about Colleen Hanabusa’s $924,000 contract with the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (“Hanabusa’s new contract with rail authority will test her, and troubled project’s, resiliency,” Star-Advertiser, On Politics, May 2).

Then I turned the page and read how Biki is struggling to survive due to the pandemic (“Smooth riding for Biki, until pandemic,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, May 2).

This juxtaposition raises obvious questions.

Which of the two is a better value for the taxpayers? Which has a better track record of replacing car trips with an alternative that contributes less to traffic congestion and climate change? Which is more likely to help reduce traffic congestion and climate change over the next 10 years, or, for that matter, the next 20 years? Which will contribute more to transportation equity?

Which is more worthy of the support of our tax dollars?

Nobu Nakamoto

Aiea

HART consulting just a means of corruption

Hats off to David Shapiro (“Administration change, but never HART’s malfeasance,” Star-Advertiser, Volcanic Ash, May 2).

Colleen Hanabusa will receive up to $924,000 to consult on the rail transit project. Are you kidding me? Who approved this? Fire them immediately.

Consulting is code for corruption. We’ve had enough of “consulting” for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation. The state and city administrations are incapable of managing more than $1. Hanabusa had her chance with HART and failed.

Here’s a novel idea. Contact the poorest-run train company in Japan and give it $924,0000 to consult with HART. It’ll be 10 times better than what we’ve had, now have or will have.

Mike Godfrey

Kailua

‘Clean’ energy creates a mountain of waste

It does not take a math genius to appreciate the accelerating impact of geometric progressions — “doubling” being the most familiar.

It should not take an environmental genius to appreciate the avalanche of PV panels and turbine blades exploding our landfills. We have barely begun; we are just starting the doubling, perhaps even tripling or more, of the exhausted materials being thrown away.

Batteries! Batteries are in their infancy. And they are the inevitable, unavoidable consequences of any commitment to making wind, PV or electric cars materially effective (they will never be cost-effective). Can you appreciate the almost infinite tonnage of decomposing batteries that we are forcing down the throat of our planet? And the punishing servitude of the Third World cultures that are mining the metals to make them?

And forget about the millions of birds and bats, and billions of bugs, being annihilated in the hypocritical name of environmental stewardship. I mean, nothing could be more obvious. In truth, very little could be more blindly destructive.

Scott G. Gier

Ewa Beach

Republican control would be a disaster

With a less-accurate COVID-driven U.S. Census, gerrymandering, and the usual loss of House seats by the incumbent president’s party exacerbated by voter suppression, I predict (and hope and pray that I am wrong) the 2022 midterm elections will result in Republicans taking back control of both the House and the Senate.

With Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House and Mitch McConnell as Senate majority leader, the last two years of President Joe Biden’s first term will result in no action on many critical issues such as immigration reform, gun control, infrastructure, climate change and health care expansion.

As Barack Obama said, elections have consequences. And the consequences would be dire.

In the words of Carl Schurz, the first German-born American elected to the U.S. Senate and also a Union general in the Civil War: “My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.”

John Priolo

Pearl City

Show your support for UH men’s volleyball

Star-Advertiser readers are avid advocates for the University of Hawaii’s athletics teams.

It’s time for the entire state to declare, cheer and extend our full support and encouragement toward the No. 1 Warriors men’s volleyball team at the NCAA championship in Columbus, Ohio.

If our team remains disciplined, focused, committed and inspired, UH will prevail and become national champions.

Go, Warriors!

Bruce and Katarina Thabit

Ala Moana

Biden made poor choices on immigration

Violence, climate change and poverty are said to be reasons people from Central America are fleeing to the United States. The U.S. has those same problems and more. But according to Vice President Kamala Harris, she can fix their countries’ problems so they’ll have no reason to come to ours. Good luck with that.

The reality is that President Joe Biden made poor decisions by stopping construction of the border wall and restricting deportations in his first 100 days. Pride prevents him from admitting it, so excuses and denial followed. Then his administration and supporters perpetuate his mistakes.

Yes, pride comes before a fall.

Guy Morgan

Moanalua

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