Local housing more critical than vacations

Paul E. Nachtigall’s concern about Bill 41 on vacation rentals is, where would tourist families seeking several rooms possibly go if no longer allowed in residential areas (“Bills would incentivize illegal vacation rentals,” Star- Advertiser, Letters, Feb. 8)?

My concern is, if allowed, where would local families displaced by these tourist families possibly go?

For tourist families, a vacation trip to Hawaii is not one of life’s necessities. By contrast, for local families, housing is indeed one of life’s necessities, and the loss of it is a cruel life-changing event.

Furthermore, the new higher fees and taxes for short-term rentals referred to in the letter are commensurate with resort activities and are neither unreasonable nor likely to incentivize illegal tourist operations in residential communities. That is, unless unscrupulous operators would continue to ignore the law, and the city would fail to enforce the rules, regulations and inspections contained in Bill 41 CD1 that Nachtigall finds “absurd.”

There is nothing absurd about putting the housing needs of local residents before the desires of visitors and the demands of those who cater to them.

Ursula Retherford

Kailua

World threats to safety on Joe Biden’s watch

The world just became a more dangerous place. Russia encircles Ukraine with more than 100,000 infantry, with tanks, artillery and close-in air support. China seems briefly content to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics, perhaps to divert attention from its plans to annex Taiwan shortly after the games. Iran will soon have enriched weapons-grade uranium to build nuclear weapons to destroy its ancient enemy, Israel.

The only common denominator of all of these threats to the safety of the world and of the United States is the administration of President Joseph Biden.

Earl Arakaki

Ewa Beach

Lesson to be learned from bribery scandal

Quick advice: Learn something every day. In reference to the headline, “Bribery case rocks Capitol” (Star-Advertiser, Feb. 9), today’s lesson: Two people cannot keep a secret.

Albert Miral

Ewa Beach

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