Letters for July 27, 2015 Ships could host homeless Since 1775, 15,000 ships have been decommissioned by the U.S. Navy. Many are now in what’s called a “Mothball fleet.” Some have been donated for museums, memorials and to support artificial
Letters for July 27, 2015
Ships could host homeless
Since 1775, 15,000 ships have been decommissioned by the U.S. Navy. Many are now in what’s called a “Mothball fleet.” Some have been donated for museums, memorials and to support artificial reefs. There are logistic support ships and transport deck ships in mothballs at Pearl Harbor. Has anyone spoken to our representatives in Washington or the U.S. Navy commanders about donating one or two ship for our homeless veterans and homeless people?
A troop ship or an amphibious ship could be taken out of mothballs and provide housing for a lot of people with possibilities of segregation by gender if desired. These ships have plenty of boats for shuttles and plenty of kitchen and bath facilities. Medical volunteers, job counselors, food kitchens and other services could volunteer to help by visiting the ship weekly.
This idea was proposed by the Rev. Gary Shields some years ago pertaining to the USS Acadia, a destroyer tender that was decommissioned and prior to that held 1,500 sailors. This idea was not adopted and the USS Acadia was destroyed in a bombing practice over Guam.
Now we have Rep. Tulsi Gabbard fighting for veterans’ rights in Washington and many retired naval officers living in Hawaii who could make this happen. My wife’s cousin is a retired Navy commander, my friends include Navy and Marine veterans who served in Vietnam and they all volunteer their services to make this happen. This idea does not need expensive studies, just common sense. Let’s solve our homeless problem once and for all.
Richard L. Turner
Princeville
Pay, benefits no longer affordable
I was talking to a friend of mine who works at KVMH as a nurse. She was complaining about her job, so I said, “Why don’t you go to work for Wilcox Hospital?”
She had a deer-in-the-headlights look and said, “I would be taking a cut in pay.”
The problem with the state hospital system is that their employee costs have gotten totally out of hand. With the salaries, retirement and medical benefits, we can no longer afford them.
It is too bad the union won’t adjust salaries and benefits so more people can continue working. I truly feel sorry for the laid-off workers.
JoAnne Georgi
Eleele
Amend, rather than repeal barking law
Our council seems poised to throw the baby out with the bathwater (regarding repealing barking dog ordinance). I’m concerned with the all-or-none approach the council seems to be taking. I haven’t read the ordinance, but I do know that its existence has improved the quality of life for several people I know. If it has weak spots that need fixing, then I urge my elected officials to propose wording in the form of an amendment to fix it.
Repealing and starting over from scratch seems to me like a huge waste of resources.
I (a deaf person) had known there are barkers in my neighborhood from people’s comments. For a while my own dog, who I don’t hear at a distance of more than 10 feet between us, had decided to join the choir on a nightly basis when I was otherwise distracted. After two neighbors kindly informed me of their annoyance, I became more proactive by simply keeping her in the same room with me, thus reducing her temptation to engage in the nightly barking concert.
It seems to me that the existing ordinance could be amended to include several intermediate steps such as a number of attempts to notify the owner of the offending dogs and give them the opportunity to remedy the situation, after which a mediator could hear both sides and assist in finding a mutually agreeable resolution.
Both Ms. Cistaro and Mr. Kollar were quoted as proponents of this more sensible alternative than to repeal and start over at square one.
Lucy Miller
Lihue
