Now that the Power Five conferences has become the Two Elite conferences and the Three Wannabes, it’s time for the University of Hawaii to face reality (“Big Ten votes to add USC, UCLA as members starting in 2024,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, June 30).

It is time to drop down a division and try to get into a conference on that level. With these developing mega-conferences, UH will find it hard to schedule any marquee games. The proposed stadium size also fits that level of play.

By dropping a division, UH will only have to have a record that qualifies them for a playoff spot and not worry about some committee passing them over. It’s time to swallow our pride and do the right thing for the football program, the university and the taxpayers of Hawaii. Go ’Bows!

Gregory A. Poole

Mililani

Waikiki’s glitzy image motivated by money

Those who are not recent wash-ashores understand, it’s not the money, it’s the value.

Waikiki became a shiny object with chain restaurants, high-end luxury and generic mainland stores. Driving has become a daily nightmare, with endless lane closures for repairs, as well as haphazard tree trimming, oceanside houses and roadsides falling onto the shore.

A thriving short-term-rental business model, whose major complaints were resolvable by requiring permits be issued only to owner-occupied properties with on-site parking, was hijacked by the hotel lobby. It’s unlikely those visitors will come back to hotels (“Fewer visitors intend to return to Hawaii within 5 years, survey finds,” Star-Advertiser, July 8).

Hotels greedily packed on those extra, extra, extra charges, all taxable. And don’t forget the transient accommodations tax to pay for the endless rail boondoggle.

The hubris of making “ohana” and “aloha” commodities for bureaucrats to maintain power by lining the pockets of off-shore hoteliers, management companies, PACS, developers and more, will come back to bite them in their okoles!

Andrea W. Bell

Kailua

Keep air travelers from crowding baggage claim

All air travelers are reminded of the pushing and jostling we often have to go through to retrieve our luggage at baggage claim because of the line of passengers pressed up against the carousel, as shown in a photo on the front page (“Summer travel bustling for July Fourth holiday,” Star-Advertiser, July 1).

There is a simple and inexpensive solution to this problem. Paint a broad line — yellow, let’s say — 10 feet from the carousels and post signs that say, “Stay Behind Yellow Line Until You See Your Luggage Approaching.” No more crowd to push through.

Roy Tsumoto

Kaimuki

Bishop Museum CEO saved Greenwell Garden

Melanie Ide, the talented and dedicated CEO of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, is under attack by her own board of directors. Many of us in Kona find this inconceivable. Melanie came to Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden’s rescue after a previous museum CEO drove the museum into financial ruin and forced the garden to close in 2016.

Ide’s leadership has pulled the museum out of disgrace. She saved the museum’s relationship with Waipio Valley and Kona’s unique garden. She fulfilled the museum’s historic responsibility, its kuleana. That is the kind of person she is — a person with integrity. She’s amazing!

Now Ide is fighting to keep her position. Her board is treating her as if she has done something wrong, and she has not. If you have aloha for Bishop Museum or Greenwell Garden, make your voice heard. Ide should be given the respect she deserves, and a full apology.

Maile Melrose

Kealakekua

It makes more sense to replace ADC staff

If, as a government audit suggests, the documents related to the Agribusiness Development Corp.’s (ADC) land management and day-to-day operations were “inconsistent, incomplete and in many cases nonexistent” (“Agribusiness Development Corp. splits from state Agriculture Department,” Star-Advertiser, July 11), it would seem sensible if not prudent to get rid of the complete staff and hire people who care about the lands over which they are supposed to be responsible, and also are competent enough to do the job correctly.

ADC is a government agency. As a taxpayer, I do not think I am asking too much.

Michael Garsva

Ala Moana

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