Letters: Guard against rhetoric claiming election fraud; Tearing down stadium would be a waste; Don’t give developer a sweetheart deal

It appears that Hawaii is also being swept into the hysteria regarding voter fraud allegations in mainland communities made by Donald Trump and his sycophants (“Threats escalate against election volunteers,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 21).

Evidence to support voter fraud allegations is nonexistent, but flawed logic supported by emotional tirades abound.

Let’s all guard against Hawaii being swept into believing the rhetoric expounded by people who believe illogical and dangerous suppositions that have no basis in fact.

Stuart Shimazu

Kapahulu

Old stadium rusts while state officials bicker

I can see the progress as far as the new stadium construction is concerned every time I pass by going up Red Hill. No progress. The old stadium is still standing there, rusting away from the dirty brown waters of Pearl Harbor. Maybe state officials are hoping it will collapse in a heap on itself, saving on demolition costs.

As the Stadium Authority and the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism bicker and throw hissy-fits at one another, one more day goes by that we can admire the rust bucket that we called Aloha Stadium (“Attorney general urges cooperation on stadium issue,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 21).

Judd Ota

Aiea

‘Design/build’ stadium would be a nightmare

Addressing the stadium project and current agency bickering: The last “design/build” project is still being designed and built — the rail.

As I said before construction began on the rail, you cannot efficiently build a major civil rail project on a change- order basis, which is what the rail project is.

To “design/build” the stadium will result in a nightmare of arguing and cost overruns and endless delays, similar to not designing enough seats in the rail cars to begin with, triggering costly changes and delays. The only fair and reasonable way to build a new stadium is with a complete plan and a hard-dollar contract. Anything short of that will be another lengthy nightmare.

Arthur Simpson

Wilhelmina Rise

Tearing down stadium would be a waste

I am utterly befuddled. Constantly driving by the Aloha Stadium, I am impressed by its size and beauty and wonder why the engineers here make life so complex. Any other place on the planet would enjoy such a magnificent structure and merely fix its defects.

In what world do we tear down a multimillion-dollar structure when structural supports need to be replaced? Is there no respect for the hard labor and money prior generations spent?

Anyone can create a million-page report on any structure’s deficiencies. I have worked on projects where every structural member was replaced or sistered, quickly and easily, to save a structure.

There are a thousand engineers who can put together a renovation plan for what we have, adding a beautiful exterior and complete roof. Will we trash our rail system, tunnels and bridges and start over when we see rust or a crack?

Hopefully new leadership will stop fat paydays for these deep-pocket projects and bring some logic and reason.

Ryan Routh

Kaaawa

DLNR can divert water to fix Kailua stream odor

A recent Kokua Line column discussed comments from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) about the causes of the odor in Kawainui/Hamakua stream (“Natural plant decay causing putrid odor,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 20). DLNR mentioned the lack of oxygen in the water as part of the problem, but did not offer any solutions, only saying that it is monitoring the problem.

A few years ago, along with Oceanit Inc., DLNR conducted a demonstration project called the “Siphon.” It proved effective in diverting water from Kawainui Marsh into Kawainui/Hamakua stream, restoring the flow that the Army Corp of Engineers cut off when it raised the dike. The DLNR approved the final results of the study, but never followed through on constructing a permanent structure.

A permanent Siphon should be installed to keep the steam from being stagnant, maintain oxygen levels and protect the wildlife.

Chuck Prentiss

Kailua

Don’t give developer a sweetheart deal

Kobayashi Group wants a sweetheart deal from us taxpayers, in the form of $7 million worth of exemptions from permitting, water and sewer fees, and waiving of height, density and other zoning restrictions under the guise of building “affordable” housing in Moiliili (“Tower plan aims high,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 11).

The “median” income groups that are the purported beneficiaries of 60% of this project, families earning between $104,480 and $182,840, are middle-class folks able to afford existing housing, and are certainly not those we see living under bridges or camping on sidewalks. On the other hand, many living in the existing de facto low-income apartments on the project site, unable to afford the new rents, would be likely to add to our homeless population.

Height and density restrictions exist for a reason, and other properties built in the area during the past 40 years have conformed to them. Also, the public interest is not served by taxing our endangered aquifer with another massive development.

Let’s not be fooled by a developer attempting to disguise his profit motive under the pretext of serving the community.

Ken Sentner

Kapiolani

EXPRESS YOURSELF

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser welcomes all opinions. Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor.

>> Write us: We welcome letters up to 150 words, and guest columns of 500-600 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Include your name, address and daytime phone number.

>> Mail: Letters to the Editor, Honolulu Star-Advertiser 7 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana, Suite 210 Honolulu, HI 96813

>> Contact: 529-4831 (phone), 529-4750 (fax), letters@staradvertiser.com, staradvertiser.com/editorial/submit-letter