New fee would admit tourists to cultural sites

To have tourists contribute more to our economy when they vacation in Hawaii, and to enhance their exposure to local culture while they are here, could the following be considered?

For each adult passenger flying to Hawaii, a $250 fee would be added to the price of their ticket. This ticket would then admit them to culturally important sites, such as Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum and Manoa Heritage Center; the list of appropriate attractions is longer than I know, but the Hawaii Tourism Authority could certainly recruit many sites into the program.

The aggregate of this fee would be distributed to the participating cultural organizations (minus hefty administrative costs, of course!).

Many tourists would stay in Waikiki (fine with me), and not afford themselves of the educational opportunities that they have already paid for. But many others would visit these sites, and would have lots of cultural value added to their Hawaiian vacation.

Henry Trapido-Rosenthal

Manoa

Visitors overrun, trash Maunawili rainforest

Mountain stream waters so clear you could safely drink from them — this is a part of my childhood memories.

Have you seen the Facebook pictures of more than 50 people packed shoulder-to-shoulder under a small waterfall in the Maunawili rainforest? Where do they use “the restroom”? Do they really pack out their trash and poop?

Have you seen the naked exposed roots on this trail? Have you seen hikers muddy from head to toe, leaving the scene like a bloody “CSI” TV show? Not funny how suddenly people can no longer read a sign that clearly say, “Private property, no trespassing.”

Would they like it if people did this to their homes? Have you seen the graffiti and desecration of one-of-a-kind Hawaiian cultural sites?

Trevor, my grandson, is now 6. When he grows up and asks me how my generation let this happen, what will I say? What would you say?

Chris Nakamatsu

Kailua

Micromobility options good for getting around

It is great to hear House Bill 72, related to personal mobility devices on our streets, has been approved (“Electric foot scooter industry charged up by new Hawaii law,” Star-Advertiser, July 11). Since everyone pays taxes for roads, including nondrivers, we ALL will decide how our roads are used (or not used), and by what types of mobility devices.

The key is to regulate noise, sidewalk use and safety, and ensure car drivers are educated on requirements to share the road. People no longer want to be forced to get in their car for every trip, stuck in stop-and-go traffic, circling streets endlessly looking for “free” parking, while polluting our environment along the way.

These micromobility options are what Hawaii needs and what residents and visitors are demanding.

Jeff Merz

Waikiki

Better rules needed to regulate electric scooters

In response to Andrew Gomes’ Sunday story (“Electric foot scooter industry charged up by new Hawaii law,” Star-Advertiser): This opens the door to a much-needed serious conversation on regulations, which will be required to keep our Waikiki sidewalks free of unrestricted usage by now-legal electric scooters.

The rules will need to require a physical brick-and-mortar shop or a docking station that will function like a Biki bikeshare docking station, in which a user would pay to access and return these devices; billing would continue if left anywhere else but at those locations.

Renting space within the 15-foot setback of any property line is illegal without a permit; the city should immediately cite any scooter rented out within unpermitted sites. Insurance needs to be verifiable by a method to certify real, not phony, insurance on a yearly basis.

David Moskowitz

Waikiki

More housing should be priority over more police

Media outlets reported that the Honolulu Police Department will receive an additional $2 million in federal CARES Act funds to cover overtime pay for new 24/7 patrols in Chinatown. Will that be coming out of the CARES money that former Mayor Kirk Caldwell promised HPD would return to the city after rampant abuse of overtime was reported in 2020? And what happened to current Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s campaign promise to end homeless sweeps?

March 2021 reporting indicated HPD had already received at least $40 million of the $60 million in city CARES spending categorized as “Public Health and Safety,” while only $26 million has been directed toward “Housing Support.” Crime prevention is one thing, but how will more police in Chinatown prevent thousands of additional Honolulu residents from joining our houseless population when the eviction moratorium expires next month?

I agree with Institute for Human Services Executive Director Connie Mitchell: “More policing equals less home- less people which equals less crime? That doesn’t compute as far as I’m concerned.”

Adele Balderston

Puunui

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