I had a home and lived in Waimanalo, 300 feet from the beach, from 2008 to September 2020. I had never seen overcrowding on any beach there. My husband and I walked the beach every morning, afternoon and sometimes in the evening and never saw more than two couples exchanging vows, possibly with a few witnesses. They stay 15 to 20 minutes usually.

I really don’t know what other commercial enterprises City Councilwoman Esther Kiaaina is talking about (“Honolulu Council passes bill banning most commercial activity on Waimanalo beaches,” Star-Advertiser, March 18). Film locations take up a large area of the beach and usually stay for days and “their” area is kapu to enter.

Even today, when we return to the beach in Waimanalo, they are never crowded. There is plenty of space for locals and visitors alike and always has been.

I challenge Kiaaina to stop by the beach any time of day, on any day of the week, during any month of the year, take a photo and send it to me of proof of “overcrowding” due to commercial activities.

John Laslo

Waikiki

Jones Act waiver won’t affect oil imports here

My friend Keli‘i Akina got lots wrong calling for a Jones Act waiver on Hawaii oil imports, again (“Isles need Jones Act waiver for oil imports,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, March 9).

Hawaii has mostly imported foreign oil since the Sultan of Brunei partied at the Sheraton Waikiki. Petroleum came to Hawaii from East Asia for decades, including Russian East Asia.

The Jones Act never pre-empted foreign carriers from transporting oil to Hawaii from Canada, Mexico or any other foreign country.

California consumes four times its own production, and has nothing to export. Most mainland oil lies east of the Rockies, past which few pipelines exist.

Akina said oil is cheaper in Texas but that’s mostly about sulfur content, not the Jones Act. Akina and former U.S. Rep. Charles Djou, obsessed with Jones Act waivers for bogus reasons, should chill out. Letting foreign carriers — like Chinese or Russian ocean surface carriers — serve Hawaii from the U.S. mainland is even more ridiculous now.

Paul H. Brewbaker

TZ Economics

Kailua

Honolulu rail project a black eye for industry

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation CEO Lori Kahikina said the rail problems we are experiencing is common within the industry (“Mayor Blangiardi’s new Honolulu rail plan would end construction shy of Ala Moana Center,” Star-Advertiser, March 16). I disagree.

The 20-mile Honolulu rail project is the black eye of the rail-building industry. Its $500 million-plus per-mile cost is ridiculous. It began in 2009 and is projected to be completed in 2031. It’s new, but the wheels and the track don’t align. What else can go wrong?

The new plan is to cut the rail short in order to entice the Federal Transportation Administration into giving us $744 million. Without this money, this rail would be dead in its tracks.

Therefore, just stop the rail at Middle Street. If we receive the $744 million, it’s a bonus. Extending it to South and Halekawila will bring more problems.

Clarence Chun

Kalihi

Commentaries offered hope in troubled times

The Star-Advertiser had messages of hope for these violent times.

The commentaries by Chris Marvin (“A Hawaii stand-your-ground law would encourage violence,” Island Voices, March 7); and Dr. Taran Chun (“Be vigilant, talk to your teen about perils of dating violence,” Island Voices, March 7) addressed two forms of violence: the terrible decision in the state House to advance a bill about stand-your-ground self-defense, and excellent advice about dating violence.

The commentaries about taking action, by David Brooks (“A week that awoke the world and filled it with conviction,” March 7), and Dawn Morais Webster (“‘Look, identify, ask’ — and take action,” Island Voices, March 9), provided reasons to be hopeful.

From my perspective, the major institutions around which our communities are structured are based upon destructive moral principles: mostly wealth and power. Just imagine a world that is based on compassion, justice and other life-affirming moral principles. There wouldn’t be a crisis in Ukraine or as many accounts of violence and poverty in America.

Solutions to these concerns abound and with the proper moral principles are not only reasonable but possible.

John Heidel

Kailua

Taking UH vision into the future with legacies

The future of a university depends on its ability to cultivate legacy gifts. The University of Hawaii can plan all sorts of things to improve itself; but to implement them requires an endless source money. There is a simple solution.

Build an upscale continuing care residential community (CCRC) on or very near the UH campus in Manoa. This already is happening at major universities around the country.

The benefits are boundless, but the biggest benefits of all are the legacy gifts left by the senior residents who reside on campus.

The potential is huge for a grateful CCRC resident (who has enjoyed campus life and all it has to offer) to leave some or all of this money to the university.

There are organizations that plan, build and run the CCRCs. All UH needs to do is provide the on-campus property.

A CCRC at UH will appeal to wealthy people seeking a retirement that has on-campus activities as well as good weather and will possibly bring new legacy gifts from other parts of the country or world.

Terry Joiner

Waialae-Kahala

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