Letters: Ranked choice voting has multiple benefits; Drain Red Hill fuel tanks under state supervision; Speeding car kills endangered koloa

Briana Harmon makes a good argument in favor of ranked choice voting (RCV) (“Switch to ranked choice voting to more closely reflect Hawaii voters’ preferences,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Feb. 6).

In addition to the benefits she cited, RCV can facilitate the elimination of primary elections, which would have additional benefits:

>> Eliminating the cost of administering primaries;

>> Reducing the length and cost of election season;

>> Reducing the barrier to entry to running for office, which will help address our problem of not having enough candidates to offer voters choices;

>> Selecting candidates with broader appeal than our current election system, reducing the polarization of our political systems.

RCV is particularly well-suited for special elections, such as elections to replace an officeholder who dies while in office. RCV would select winners with broader support than our current winner-take-all special elections. RCV also will encourage all interested candidates to run by eliminating the fear of splitting votes with other candidates.

Legislators, if you aren’t ready for a full pivot to RCV, please consider at least changing our special election format to RCV.

Nobu Nakamoto

Aiea

Give voters real options with ranked choice

Kudos to Briana Harmon for her informative article on ranked choice voting (RCV) (“Switch to ranked choice voting to more closely reflect Hawaii voters’ preferences,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Feb. 6). It is wonderful to see young people propose viable solutions to issues affecting everyone’s future.

I was not even aware that Senate Bill 2162 for RCV in special elections was currently pending until reading this article. Although it could be a good test case, why test something successfully implemented in many other places in the U.S. and foreign countries?

Hawaii’s current political system, dominated by one party, allows no worthy candidate of another party any real chance for election and voters cannot choose candidates they really want. Only incumbents seeking to serve their own interests rather than that of the voters benefit.

RCV with two or three choices should be implemented for all general elections in Hawaii before the next mayoral or gubernatorial elections. Chance ’em. How could Hawaii’s dismal voter turnout get worse?

Ellen Koppenheffer

Moanalua Valley

Drain Red Hill fuel tanks under state supervision

Ernie Lau of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply deserves a medal. Hawaii needs to work comprehensively to protect Honolulu’s main water supply — the aquifer beneath the Navy’s fuel storage tanks on Red Hill.

Why did the Navy refuse to share information when it discovered the leaking fuel? Why is the Navy refusing us full reports of its investigation into those leaks? Was using millions of gallons of drinking water the best strategy to flush the fuel from contaminated lines, was it effective, and how much of that fuel ended up in the ocean? Why is the Navy refusing to follow Hawaii’s laws and taking the state to court?

And when the Navy does eventually drain fuel from the tanks, can we trust it will be done in a way that does not cause even more harm?

Drain the fuel with state oversight to ensure our families, our health, our environment and our economy are protected.

Lynn B. Wilson

Waipahu

Hawaii vacation rentals part of global industry

Let there be no mistake, vacation rentals are big business.

Long gone are the days when a vacation rental, legal or illegal, was a bed, bath and breakfast in someone’s home. Now they are whole houses, cottages, converted garages and they rent out for lots of money, with preferred locations being in residential neighborhoods where the zoning is residential, not resort.

The short-term rental folks would like you to believe that they still are all small and local and the money stays here. Then why do most of them advertise their availability on the major tourism platforms, like Airbnb or Expedia? These are not local and their money does not stay in Hawaii. They are part of an industry that spans the globe.

Bill 41, now being considered by the City Council, will help rein in the excesses of short-term rentals and in the process assist in redirecting our major industry from an “anything goes” trajectory to something we can more easily live with.

Mollie Foti

Kailua

Losing half a pension shouldn’t be enough

The headline said that “former lawmakers English and Cullen stand to lose half of their pensions if convicted of bribery” (Star-Advertiser, Feb. 10).

My question is, why only half, after what they allegedly did?

Catherine Graham

Alewa Heights

Speeding car kills endangered koloa

There he lay in the middle of the road in front of my home: an endangered koloa or Hawaiian duck in his death throes, flapping his wings pitifully as if attempting to flee his fate.

His skull had been crushed by a passing car shortly before I appeared on the scene.

He and his mate had spent the past few weeks waddling about our neighborhood, much to the delight of all.

Who would hit-and-run a rare bird? Someone who does not care. Drivers often speed on the straightaway in our neighborhood. The victim could easily have been a small child.

Will we ever learn to care for each other and Mother Earth?

Mark Hixon

Diamond Head

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