The minimum wage is what the government forces me to pay inexperienced 15-year-olds while I try to teach them some basic work ethics — showing up on time, every day, all week; how to handle a customer or a broom; how to keep their phone turned off — and I’m not always successful.

If they learn and work courteously and hard, they promptly earn a $5 raise.

Minimum wage is an already inflated entry-level pay rate, never intended as a living wage or family wage. To pay experienced, productive adults a mere minimum wage is unconscionable.

John Corboy

Mililani

Navy should provide water purification system

Unfortunately, we haven’t had much rain since Christmas week. Reading that the Navy is flushing thousands of gallons of water down the drain is frightening and just exacerbates our drought issues.

It’s time for the Navy to empty all the Red Hill fuel tanks and spend its money installing a water purification system for our communities.

Moreover, if this was a civil case, the Navy would more than likely be forced to pay restitution. Maybe installing a desalination system to provide water would be reasonable.

Kimberly Case

Manoa

Protect public interest, not private landowners’

The buyers of the home on Kauai who placed “burritos” to prevent damage to their beach rental clearly did not do their homework before dishing out $2 million for the property in 2018 (“State has yet to release new rules cracking down on beach revetments,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 24). They should have known about the impacts of sea level rise and eroding beaches on their investment.

We understand that the problem of eroding public beaches is complex, affecting homes owned for generations and those more recently built. But builders and recent purchasers should not be let off the hook. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources must stop allowing “temporary” burritos to be installed, and it must come up with a plan to help our beaches, not further harm them.

With the major onus on buyers and their real estate agents for due diligence, when will sellers, their agents and inspectors be held responsible for not providing full disclosure of the erosion risks to beach homes?

The state and DLNR should be looking out for the public’s interest, not those of private homeowners.

Susan and Rod Salm

Kailua

DAGS’ Halawa rendering looks more like a ghetto

Fifty-three towers. Twenty thousand affordable condominium apartments. The state Department of Accounting and General Services’ rendering of this proposed development project surrounding a new Aloha Stadium conjures up “visions” of violent crime, drug dealing, gang activity, guns, muggings, fear and concentrated misery (“New visions for Halawa site,” Star- Advertiser, Jan. 27).

In fact, the term “projects” has come to be associated with failed attempts to provide low-income housing across the country. All this plan needs is a catchy name. How about “Instant Ghetto?”

John Wythe White

Haleiwa

Republicans should fight polarization of America

The accelerating hyperpolarization and incivility of politics may generate bizarre results. One possibility is separate Republican and Democratic neighborhoods, roads, airplanes, trains, farms, groceries, restaurants, theaters, sports, schools, preschools, libraries, universities, hospitals, churches, funeral homes, cemeteries, police, laws, courts, constitutions and militias.

Is such political segregation far-fetched? Already there are Republican and Democratic television news channels, red and blue states, and politicized deniers of science, climate change, vaccines and reality.

Republicans in Congress could stop this dangerous trajectory if once again they would pursue reason, truth, negotiation and compromise for democracy’s sake, instead of a personality cult of a narcissistic demagogue and champion liar, their selfish reelection interests and radical obstructionism.

For a change they could discover some courage, honor their oath, and become genuine patriots, like the exceptional U.S. Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.

Republicans could help avoid more American carnage, or if they continue, then help facilitate it.

Leslie E. Sponsel

Hawaii Kai

Safeguards needed to protect voting process

Regarding “Voting should be easier, not harder” (Star-Advertiser, Our View, Jan. 17): Thankfully in Hawaii, we still have signature verification, but election integrity must be first and foremost in the process. As the editorial stated, there must be safeguards.

Legislation in Congress would weaken signature verification and voter identification requirements. A billionaire with Hawaii ties donated millions of dollars for fund election operations that could include placing ballot drop boxes in mostly Democratic areas.

These types of actions should not be allowed. Ballot harvesting must have safeguards.

Voting should definitely be available to all American citizens. It would be an affront to our democratic republic to not ensure the integrity of our elections. When Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government we will have, he simply said, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Integrity is foremost in keeping our republic.

Alison Lopez

Palama

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