Letters: It’s time to eliminate all mask mandates; Insulting co-workers is not the answer; Higher taxes hinder a thriving community

It’s time for our state government to end mask mandates. People who are in the most vulnerable demographics have either received the vaccine or had the opportunity to receive the vaccine. It’s time.

Rich Kilbey

Mililani

Force Navy to relocate ancient fuel tanks

Another leak of toxic jet fuel at Red Hill (“Navy’s responses to leak at Red Hill fuel frustration,” Star-Advertiser, May 21). Another meeting with the Navy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the state legislative monitoring committee. Another hard-to-believe assurance by the Navy that all is well: We cleaned it up, but we won’t answer your questions.

It is way past time to rescind this monitoring agreement. It is way past time for the Navy to shut down these ancient massive tanks and move them away from Oahu’s primary source of drinking water.

Expensive? Yes. But the Navy has done this in another state. We have a new head of the EPA, a new head of the Department of Defense, a supportive White House. What is the problem? Is our state too fearful, too dependent, too polite to buck the Navy?

Please take action to preserve our precious water.

Mary E. Brandt

Nuuanu

Insulting co-workers is not the answer

Nobody said being a teacher is easy, but some of us may be losing sight of the big picture (“It’s not easy to work as a public school teacher,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 19).

Bullying others who ask for equality is unacceptable, especially while so many people are working together to try and get through this. It’s not about who thinks they deserve more because of this, that or the other. Gov. David Ige already said the lawmakers had “no authority” to approve the teachers’ bonuses.

If the Legislature chooses to ignore the collective bargaining process and reward only teachers for their work during the pandemic, then I guess the rest of us have to live with that. But please remember, we’re still in a crisis and we should be standing together, not tearing each other down.

Lance Kamisugi

School food services manager

Mililani

Public leaders don’t represent public interest

We can no longer count on our elected officials to represent our best interests. Let’s include the head of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, with her $200,000 a year salary, who fights against a living wage. Toss in a former politician who gave us the rail fiasco and now runs the tourist show that’s running roughshod over our fragile existence.

What to do? And who to do it? Perhaps the only ones left who really care about our way of life: a coalition of Save our Surf, Save Kewalos and the multitudes against the Thirty Meter Telescope; the brilliant eco-planners who want to save our shores; small farmer; minimum-wage earners; and young people thinking of leaving our shores. All of us who have to work hard just to tread water.

Our time is short. Do we continue unabated and become a Third World country or plot a new course and return to mellower times?

This could be our last and best chance to change our culture and future, and save our Hawaii.

Bill Thomas

Kalama Valley

Republicans should support Jan. 6 panel

I really don’t understand why members of the Republican Party oppose forming a commission to investigate the insurrection of Jan 6. Are they afraid the commission will find something that would implicate them personally? Are they so afraid of the former president?

At least there are 35 Republicans who believe they need to uphold their oath of office. Their leaders do not belong in office due to their belief of the former president. Here is a person who could be prosecuted for criminal conduct. He will be known as the only president who got impeached not once, but twice. Anyone who believes this chronic liar is just as bad as he is.

George Higashi

Kaneohe

Universal basic income is business-friendly

Recent articles in the Star-Advertiser note that some unemployed workers are reluctant to look for work because their unemployment benefits exceed the wages they would receive (“States push jobless from coronavirus recession to return to work,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, May 10).

The business-friendly answer to this problem is to reduce such benefits while simultaneously instituting universal basic income, the so-called democracy dividend proposed by former presidential candidate Andrew Yang.

A universal basic income also would improve national military and economic security. For example, in order to “win” the military and economic competition with China (“China flexes into the Pacific,” Star-Advertiser, Insight, May 16), we are going to need a great many talented scientists and engineers. Research on early childhood tells us that the way to get them is to ensure that parents have time to spend educating their children and themselves.

Neil Frazer

Kailua

Higher taxes hinder a thriving community

I write this letter from Waikiki Beach. I just read the commentary, “Hawaii’s tax future now in Ige’s hands” (Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, May 23), by Keli‘i Akina and Tom Yamachika.

I highly respect both of these gentlemen for their community engagement and their understanding of our economic needs. Their commentary is right on the kinipopo.

They are so right. Government must do everything it can to increase our employers’ ability to produce and thrive. Thus, our community will thrive too.

Please do not let the Legislature get in the way of our growth. Do not increase our taxes now.

Bob Hampton

Chairman, Waikiki Beach Activities

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