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How irresponsible of Star-Advertiser editors to place the headline, “Short-term rental law could hurt economy” on the front page instead of on the editorial pages (Star-Advertiser, Oct. 24). The headline could just as easily have read, “Short-term rental law could ease housing shortage.”
Just a few suggestions.
For the lady in her 80s who needs income: She could be safer renting long-term to a nice local family instead of renting to numerous strangers. For Paul Brewbaker: The job losses of people employed by illegal rentals could be offset by filling some of the many job vacancies on Oahu. He mentioned that “tourism spending adjusted for inflation is still running behind 1989 levels.” Hawaii needs fewer tourists who spend more, rather than more tourists who occupy less expensive short-term rentals and spend less.
Also, did the reporter ask the couple who clean rentals if they were able to find an affordable rental in Kailua so they could live close to work? Oahu’s biggest problem is a shortage of housing for residents, not a shortage of visitor accommodations.
Barbara Krasniewski
Kailua
Let UH students help build campus stadium
Hawaii needs to consider the wasted time and money spent to date by the current brain trust of old-school thinkers. They hold positions of influence, but are not responsible, transparent or accountable concerning the needs of the University of Hawaii and the public regarding the planning and building of the much-needed new stadium and events center.
Let the UH schools of business, architecture, law and environmental studies commit to a state-of-the-art on-campus facility to be enjoyed by all. UH students would be working for a grade and auditioning for future jobs within the local community.
It’s a win-win situation for Hawaii and its brightest minds. Look at how current do-over plans have us at a standstill with no end in sight.
Greg Tabasa
Moiliili
Children, families need to be safe on Halloween
Halloween is nearly upon us. Children will be out trick-or-treating. My hope is that families will be safe and cautious with the fentanyl issues surrounding us. Take every precaution and use common sense.
Charmaine B.K. Chang
Laie
Candidates should take care in how they talk
So now new candidates are running for office saying how they are going to make our state better.
Well, we’ve heard it all before, and yet the cost of living here is the worst ever. Homelessness and the crime rate are getting worse.
They talk about gun laws, but have no answers for what they call gun violence. Guns aren’t violent. There have been a lot of knife attacks in Chinatown and Waikiki, so is it appropriate to say knives are violent?
People cause the violence. Those who hijacked those planes on 9/11, causing thousands of deaths, didn’t use guns. These candidates need to be better educated about the words they use. I wonder if they just want to get a nice paycheck and office to sit in, and then forget what they were going to do thereafter.
Paul Wong
Salt Lake
American Samoans, U.S. territories deserve more
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied U.S. citizenship for American Samoans (“Court rejects appeal to give American Samoans citizenship,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, Oct. 17).
I ask that the federal government once and for all put this matter to bed and put forth legislation that will guarantee citizenship for America Samoans. Furthermore, I ask that we come together and discuss the roles that U.S. territories play.
They have little to no representation in Congress, are denied basic voting rights and suffer abuses socially and financially. It’s time to give them a choice going forward.
Have the citizens vote to join the United States, or declare independence. Either give the territories and their people full citizenship and rights or let them establish themselves among the nations of the world.
Michael Olderr
Manoa
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