Letters: Rail project’s problems are not beyond repair; Case should be honest, register as a Republican; Fire sprinklers could stop surfboard blaze

Case should be honest, register as a Republican

Our congressional representatives weighed in on President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan to boldly transform American society (“Where Hawaii stands,” Star-Advertiser, Insight, Island Voices, Oct. 17).

Three of them, U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz, and U.S. Rep. Kaiali‘i Kahele, clearly support the bill. They explain that it would be wonderfully beneficial in sustaining many of our people in Hawaii in our difficult economy, providing needed affordable housing, child care, preschool programs and medical care.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Ed Case, who has opposed an expanded Build Back Better plan from its beginning, is dead set against it. He argued that its costs would “cripple our social, economic and financial foundations.”

But the $3.5 trillion over 10 years would be less than half of our military budget. And Case seems to ignore that the bill mandates increased taxes on corporations and rich Americans.

Since Case has joined Republicans in blocking Build Back Better, when is he going to stop pretending to be a Democrat and run in next year’s Republican primary?

Noel Kent

Manoa

Rail project’s problems are not beyond repair

Mary J. Culvyhouse’s rant about rail (“Insatiable rail project heading for fiscal ruin” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Oct. 19) was notable for its lack of helpful content and for the raw blame she places on rail for damage to her mental state.

I recall a Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board member saying he did not want to sacrifice the four minutes that would be lost if train cars slowed going over the frogs. A rethink of that position would free rail to proceed without altering the car wheels or the track while dealing with legalities.

Additionally, the car door openings during transit could be solved with an engineer riding in each car until a door pops open, and then doing a forensic analysis to determine the cause. Then check all the cars and fix that problem where it shows up.

We can do this.

Ann Beeson

Chinatown

Natural immunity can help protect us

I am so reassured to have read in the Star-Advertiser that infectious disease expert Tim Brown referred to “the increased levels of natural immunity that have been obtained as the delta variant spread rapidly through the unvaccinated population” as contributing to the decline in COVID-19 cases (“Trick-or-treating gets a green light this year as COVID-19 cases fall,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 21).

This is evidence that we have powerful innate immune systems that are effective in protecting us.

Drinda Maxwell

Nuuanu

Bidding good riddance to coach Nick Rolovich

Well, be glad Nick Rolovich did not stick around Hawaii (“Washington State fires former Hawaii football coach Nick Rolovich over COVID-19 vaccine refusal,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, Oct. 18).

Who knows what accommodations would have had to be worked out for an overrated coach who took the money and ran off after seemingly professing the notion that he was fully committed to coaching football at the University of Hawaii?

I soured on him after that on-field incident with a member of the media here a couple of years ago (“Assault at UH game alleged by Star-Advertiser photographer,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 29, 2019). And actually, his record as a winning coach was never that good, but Hawaii is always desperate to hire somebody or anybody, judging from some of the past choices.

You have to question the thinking of someone who may have basically lost his career over a vaccination.

Aloha, Coach Nick. Don’t reapply for the UH job.

Steve Cedillos

McCully-Moiliili

Fire sprinklers could stop surfboard blaze

Regarding the recent fire at the Waikiki surfboard storage area, a fire deluge system or even simple fire sprinkler pendants should be installed to protect against such a blaze (“Man, 48, charged for setting fire to surfboard racks in Waikiki,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, Oct. 20).

I believe that, like similar storage facilities covered by National Fire Protection Association codes, the amount of combustible material might require a fire sprinkler or deluge system at relatively low cost. It’s something to consider moving forward.

Michael Turina

Waialae-Kahala

Military should respect Hawaii land, oceans

I recently learned about the oil leaks from the U.S. Navy base near Pearl Harbor (“Lawmakers seek answers about Navy’s handling of Pearl Harbor fuel leak,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 20).

This is terrible and shouldn’t be tolerated. I’m shocked and disappointed this has happened and that more isn’t being done to fix the problem and prevent more in the future.

As guests on this land, we should make keeping the land healthy priority No. 1. Unless the U.S. military can stay here and respect the land and oceans, it should not be allowed to operate in Hawaii.

Michael Baroh

Manoa

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