Rules, enforcement on short-term rentals

Recent letters to the editor extolling the benefits of short-term vacation rentals (STRs) are alarming, self-serving and misleading from a number of perspectives.

They don’t mention the effects they have on our housing crisis.

They talk about what tourists want as if it were more important than local residents’ needs.

They don’t mention the effects on people’s daily lives in residential neighborhoods.

They leave out important economic issues such as the negative effect of STR tourist spending being 20% less than those staying in hotels.

They do not discuss hotel employment and the benefits it provides.

They leave out that 70% of the rentals are foreign-owned, and the new trend of companies buying houses in bulk to use as STRs.

Strong regulation and effective enforcement of STRs is needed to prevent the damage that they do to our neighborhoods and our economy.

Chuck Prentiss

Kailua

Baffling behavior by adults in girl’s arrest

I am truly baffled by the behavior of adults in our community, beginning with the mother whose child was, according to reports, bullying a 10-year-old girl (“HPD tells commission arrest of 10-year-old girl ‘reasonable,’ ‘necessary,’” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 4).

The mother did not request that the school have a counselor work through the problems of the two children — and that led to the mother’s friend insisting the school administration call police because of a drawing the girl did as an expression of her frustration over the bullying — a very healthy child response to bullying.

The school did not counsel the parents in the direction of working things out, but called the police, who handcuffed, interrogat- ed and arrested the 10-year-old based on her self-imposed art therapy (she did not assault the bully). Now the Honolulu Police Department and commissioners are concerned that the police acted in accordance with the law, acts that HPD describes as “reasonable” and “necessary” — but it seems none of these adults acted with common sense or compassion.

The result here is that a child (racially profiled or not) is traumatized over a perfectly natural attempt on her part to address the abuse, in a nonviolent way, that a classmate inflicted on her.

Van James

Maunalua

COVID-19 vaccine is social contract for all

I remember a long time ago, standing in line in Kaneohe to get my polio vaccination. I was too young to remember much else, but I do remember the lollipop I received afterward. Fast forward to my own children’s vaccinations: I don’t remember any opposition by parents or community members (although I think that kids sometimes made their opposition known).

What is different today? Is it the word, “mandate”? Are we so polarized that we cannot change our opinions even when presented with clear scientific data? Why do some of us cling to the “you’re not the boss of me” thinking? Do we just want personal freedom without common rules?

We are traveling down an increasingly twisted road in this country, and heaven help us if we cannot figure out that we have a responsibility to each other, a social contract. If we fail in this regard, the legacy we leave our kids and grandkids is quite sad.

Mary Hudak

Hilo

Sad state of plants on Nimitz, H-1 shameful

Having just returned from a mainland trip, my wife and I were reflecting on the sad state of landscape plantings on Nimitz Highway. Virtually all of the plants were dying from lack of water and general care. This area is one of the first to make an impression on our visitors and it is pathetic. Likewise the plantings along the H-1 freeway.

This is shameful and embarrassing to the people of Hawaii, and the state of Hawaii seems content to sit on its hands and do nothing about it.

Please, Governor Ige, can’t we showcase Hawaii’s beautiful tropical foliage and flowers as other popular destinations have done? This has gone on for too long.

John McHugh

Mililani

Don’t see value of Ige’s trip to COP26

Can anyone explain to me and to the rest of Hawaii’s overburdened taxpayers why Gov. David Ige felt compelled to lead a cluster of state dignitaries and their hangers-on to Scotland for the COP26 climate meeting last week and into this week? Hawaii contributes less fossil fuel pollution to the world than a flea bite on an elephant’s, er, neck. And I bet they didn’t all travel in the back of the plane.

Wakefield Ward

Kuliouou

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