Letters: The city must now find a dealer to save the haiku stairs; Shared sacrifice for vaccines saves lives; Keep the track scaled to Oahu’s ridership, other needs

I just read Tuesday’s editorial in the Star Advertiser (“It’s Time to Let Go of Haiku Stairs,” Our View) and even though it’s 3:00 am, I’m so angry that I have to answer now.

First of all, it’s not a dangerous trail at all! It’s probably the safest on the island as you have handrails on either side and level non-slip steps almost the entire way. Also, there is little chance of getting lost on the stairs, so rescues should be much less likely.

And then when I say that there are other safer, legal hikes out there to get fantastic views of the ridge, I think the author has never been up there. The views from the top are incomparable and for the first time in my 40 years here I really felt like I was on an island. You can see the sea around us from many directions.

I agree it was a nightmare for the neighborhood near the trailhead, but there are other ways to get there without walking through the neighborhood. And that’s why the city should get out of control and choose a provider now. There was plenty of time to make up his mind, but as always, he drops the ball at every opportunity. It would be a shame to lose this epic hike because of the inaction of our elected officials.

Giovanni Sclarandis

Palolo

Shared sacrifice for vaccines saves lives

Stephen Tsai’s column was entertaining (“The Islanders Should Get Benefits for Our Victims,” Star Advertiser, July 13). I agree that we deserve benefits for the sacrifices made over the past year. However, I would argue that we have already realized a great benefit.

Many of us have older parents or grandparents living with us. COVID has stolen over 500 from us. If we hadn’t made the sacrifices and minimized the spread, more of us would have brought COVID home and potentially lost a loved one. If we had experienced the same per capita death rate as New Jersey, we would have lost more than 4,000 of our loved ones.

All of you in the community, thank you for the sacrifices you have made. Many lives have been saved, possibly my older mother.

Doug Tonokawa

Kailua

Take advantage of the lack of rental cars to improve the islands

Hawaii received an enormous gift when we need it most. The current shortage of rental cars allows the state to recalibrate Hawaii’s tourism industry.

We can reclaim our Aina by restricting the “wheels” that allow visitors to follow the internet to our most precious nature reserves and beaches. Tour operators need to reinvent themselves and resorts are incentivized to offer authentic cultural experiences, music and entertainment on site. Visitors looking for an off the beaten path adventure can do so with guides who understand and support Hawaiian values.

If the state doesn’t act quickly, when automobile production returns to normal, we will be inundated with U-drive cars again. Hopefully the counties could limit the number of rental cars allowed on each island. Yes, it would have economic implications, but wouldn’t it be worth it to have the high quality visitor industry our beautiful islands deserve?

Alice Guild

Keeaumoku

Don’t go carelessly from the sidewalk to the zebra crossing

A recent letter to the editors stated that pedestrians have right of way on the zebra crossing. Nobody will deny this point. But the sidewalk is not the zebra crossing.

As kids, we are always taught to stop and watch for oncoming cars to make sure it is safe to use the crosswalk. I’ve seen people just step on the crosswalk and force cars to lock their brakes so as not to hit them. If you are on the sidewalk, you have no right of way.

Be smart: only enter when it is safe. At the zebra crossing, watch out for oncoming cars and don’t assume that the driver will see you and stop you. We all need to show a little aloha for one another and for one another.

Clifford Toyama

Moanalu

Keep the track scaled to Oahu‘s ridership, other needs

Letter writer Josh Lee argues that major cities like New York, London, Beijing and Tokyo have transportation systems, “usually subways” (“Oahu Needs the Train to Connect the Island,” Star Advertiser, Jul 11) – therefore Oahu needs one. This is invalid, apples and oranges. Its referenced cities are very different from Oahu. Land restrictions aside, Oahu has between 900,000 and 1 million residents while the other cities have 10 to 20 times the population from which to draw financial aid and passenger numbers.

Focus on our own circumstances. Local transportation is important, but with so many other pressing issues – tourism growth, homelessness, housing costs, sea level rise – we need to exercise fiscal responsibility and explore alternatives like creating a multimodal transportation hub at Keehi / Middle Street locations.

Les Inouye

Manoa

Suspicion of government, pharmaceuticals stop vaccines

Why are people against vaccination? Government and Big Pharma.

The same companies that campaigned to keep a free, relatively safe drug (marijuana) illegal and instead gave us the opioid epidemic, now want us to trust them to take a vaccine? That’s why some people are against Vaxx.

Deceive me for once, shame on you; fool me twice, be ashamed of me. So when those in power tell me not to take a bong pull, I think it’s a damn good reason to take two.

Joseph T. Bussen

Kailua

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