‘No’ to homeowners’ seawall exemptions

Most people who live in Hawaii’s beachfront homes are there because they want to enjoy the beauty of our Pacific Ocean and and have easy access to the shoreline. Most have purchased their coastal properties even though they know the shoreline belongs to the public and that it extends to the high-water mark. It is only reasonable to assume these folks know the conditions that define their property rights.

Permits to armor coastal properties should cease. There is no rational reason for the city to permit seawalls ever. City official Kathy Tokugawa’s defense for allowing seawalls as a way to control soil runoff from entering the shoreline is utterly ridiculous.

What happens if the ocean threatens a structure on a house lot and seawall exemptions are no longer given? Owner moves to high ground. He takes his loss as an important life lesson, that one should only gamble what he or she can afford to lose.

City Council Chairman Tommy Waters says hardship exemptions should receive more scrutiny. However, I believe exemptions to homeowners should be nonexistent.

Maile Goo

Kuliouou-Kalani Iki

Don’t allow owners to abandon vehicles

I agree with Edward McCauley’s ideas to stop abandoned vehicles (“Make owners pay for abandoned cars,” Letters, Star-Advertiser, Dec. 28). It is a major issue that everyone ignores; why? Make owners responsible so they ensure titles get transferred immediately and there is a chain of responsibility. Likewise, put flatbed trailers at all transfer stations to accept cars as trash, no questions asked, as well as video cameras on all frequent dump sites.

Personnel at all dump locations must be flexible and cooperative to accept all loads delivered to the station, because anything refused somewhat rightfully will end up on the side of the road.

For a people that celebrates the land and its beauty, we all seem to accept vehicles and trash left on the side of the road.

Ryan Routh

Kaaawa

Americans assault their own symbol

The insurrection against the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 too often has been compared to the British attack in 1812. But what sets the two inexorably apart is this: In 1812, it was a foreign adversary that mounted the attack against an enemy position; in 2021, it was Americans attacking their own symbol of strength.

Wendy Pollitt

Kaneohe

Storming of Capitol dark day in history

I am a lifelong Republican but more importantly, I am a lifelong American. As I watched that mob storm our U.S. Capitol building, I was saddened and sickened. This type of dissent and protest has no place in the American political system at all.

Those who participated should feel a sense of shame for giving America its darkest day in its history. This is the low-water mark of America. May we all grow in peace and unity as a result of this day.

James Roller

Mililani

Other Hawaiians in Congress honored

Regarding your article about Kai Kahele being sworn in as Hawaii’s latest delegate to Congress (“Kahele sworn into Congress, replacing Gabbard,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 4): Kahele is not the second person of Hawaiian ancestry to become a member of Congress, along with Daniel Akaka.

Hawaii’s first delegate to Congress was Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox, who was from the royal line of Lonomakaihonua from Maui; he served 1900-1902. A statue honoring him can be found at Fort Street Mall.

Hawaii’s second delegate to Congress was Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, who served 1903-1923. A champion of many Hawaiian causes, Kuhio is credited with passage of the Hawaiian Homes Act and helped form the Hawaiian Civic Clubs, which still serve important roles today. A statue honoring him can be found in Waikiki.

Wilcox and Kuhio served while Hawaii was a U.S. Territory. Akaka served and Kahele will serve since Hawaii became a state in 1959.

Cheryl Soon

Portlock

Must get tougher on repeat offenders

In the Jan. 7 Star-Advertiser’s “911 report,” I read an article about a home evasion where a man broke into a Manoa home, assaulted the elderly residents and made off with their belongings (“Man, 44, charged in Manoa burglary”). Thank God he was later caught by our outstanding police officers out there.

My concern is that the male had 13 felony convictions, including robbery, kidnapping, burglary, auto theft and drug charges. Why is this person and others like him allowed to be roaming our streets? With all those combined charges, this guy should be serving life. Yet our criminal justice system continues to fail us. It continues to allow these animals to prey on the public.

Thank God the couple was not more seriously injured. Another case for building a better prison and locking up these career criminals for good.

Mike Young

St. Louis Heights

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