Top Navy brass shifts blame for Red Hill

Anyone who has followed the history of the catastrophic Red Hill fuel tank debacle knows that Capt. Albert Hornyak is the Navy’s sacrificial lamb to divert the spotlight from other culpable senior Navy brass (“Navy removes officer over handling of latest Red Hill spill,” Star-Advertiser, April 6).

Hornyak arrived at Red Hill only after many leaks and spills had already occurred and problems with the integrity of the massive tanks were documented.

Indeed, Hornyak was one of the first and very few who raised alarm bells regarding the instability and defects of the facility infrastructure.

What about the parade of Navy brass who pronounced and even testified that the tanks would be safe until 2045 when the Navy’s proposed “repairs” would be started?

What about those who engaged in a deliberate scheme of hiding embarrassing facts from the state and city, refusing to release investigative reports and misleading Hawaii with false assurances, which demonstrate both their untruthfulness and incompetence, qualities inconsistent with traditional Navy standards?

The Pearl Harbor commanders who perpetuated a clearly dangerous condition must be held accountable for their actions.

Francis M. Nakamoto

Moanalua Valley

Oahu residents need to conserve water

A single raindrop that falls atop the Koolau Mountains takes 25 years to reach the aquifer below — a quarter of a century. Now imagine watching a four-headed sprinkler system going off several times a day, seven days a week, for 25 minutes each cycle, rain or shine.

I don’t have to imagine it. For more than a year, my wife and I have witnessed this wasteful and willful misconduct by a Pearl City homeowner. What’s even more disturbing is the homeowner is using a precious resource, charged to all homeowners in our association, to water plants in a common area, contrary to multiple pleas by the Board of Water Supply to Oahu residents to conserve water.

E malama i ka wai? Sadly, it doesn’t apply to all but it should. Is it that hard to do what’s right? I can almost hear my tutu saying, “Shame on them!”

Ron Mizutani

Pearl City

Tourism industry must save water, too

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply urges residents to realize a 10% reduction in water consumption. If this reduction is not happening, could it possibly be attributed to the increase in the number of tourists coming to Oahu?

We already know the Navy has used lots of water to flush its water lines. And according to the news reports, tourism is rebounding. We’re anticipating, and have realized, larger numbers of vacationers, international visitors and others due to the relaxing of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

So what water restrictions are being imposed on visitors and businesses? Are they adhering to this 10% reduction as well? Our precious water resource needs protection and everyone using it must play their part. Not just residents.

Colleen Swain

Kaneohe

Heritage Foundation low ranking an honor

Regarding Hawaii’s ranking on the Heritage Foundation’s Election Security Scorecard, I am very pleased that Hawaii ranked last on that list by such an extreme right-wing organization as the Heritage Foundation (“Hawaii 2020 election needs to be audited,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, April 6).

Hawaii’s low marks were based largely on our voter-friendly election practices such as: automatic registration, same-day registration and unrestricted absentee ballots.

They gave us zero out of a possible 20 points for voter ID implementation in spite of our procedures for comparing signatures to the signatures on file.

The state scoring highest on the scorecard is Georgia, which is also the state that considered the greatest number of restrictive voting bills in 2021.

Voter suppression is far more extensive in this country than is voter fraud.

Ronald A. Lynch

Moiliili

Some e-bikers ride recklessly on streets

In response to the editorial on electric bikes (“Make streets safe for electric bikes,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, April 4): Many e-bike and e-scooter riders seem to like living on the edge, and in the process endanger others using the streets.

As a longtime bicycle rider on the Windward side, I have been alarmed to see the speed and lack of concern that many e-bike riders show for themselves and others. It is not uncommon to see an e-biker riding on the wrong side of the road along the shoulder or in a bike lane with no helmet and going at speeds of 20-25 mph.

They frequently show very little concern about others who they pass going the correct direction. I am surprised that there are not more serious accidents in which e-biker or others are killed or seriously maimed.

I question whether e-bikes should be allowed to use bike lanes; mopeds are not supposed to use them, so why are e-bikes, which can go at similar speeds, allowed?

Dale Jensen

Kailua

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