Kealia roundabout atrocious
The new roundabout at Mailihuna Road in Kapa‘a is an absolute disaster.
The traffic backed up for miles in both directions today.
Traffic way into Kapa‘a and way up to the solar-power station.
How can anyone even think of making a roundabout on a highway?
Lionel Moore, Princeville
Bill cutting tobacco programs a bad idea
Governor Ige: Please veto tobacco legislation that will cost Hawai‘i lives and money
As a cancer survivor and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteer, I’m deeply concerned that the Legislature eliminated our tobacco-prevention and cessation funding.
Tobacco use is responsible for nearly one-quarter of Hawai‘i’s cancer deaths. I am alive today because of investments in programs that were in place that helped me with early detection of the disease.
I oppose House Bill 1296 and ask Governor Ige to do the right thing now and veto it.
Not only is tobacco use the leading cause of preventable death, it also costs the state roughly $526 million in health-care costs each year. Taxpayers already face this enormous financial burden — and if this legislation becomes law, health-care costs will only increase, and more lives will be lost. As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, we should prioritize public health, especially respiratory health — not eliminate funding for proven tobacco-prevention programs.
For 20 years, this program has successfully decreased Hawai‘i’s youth and adult smoking rates, saving countless lives and more than $1 billion in health-care costs. Unfortunately, the current youth e-cigarette epidemic threatens much of this progress — and investing in tobacco-control efforts has never been more important.
Governor Ige, if you are serious about improving health outcomes in the state, please veto this legislation.
Uri Martos, Lihu‘e, State lead ambassador, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Condo sales article was ‘useless’
I’d like to respond to an article that ran in The Garden Island on June 16, 2021, “Condo prices skyrocket over five years.”
Really, who really gives a rat’s behind about the condos and how much money the Realtors are making? Only the Realtors, the rich and the very rich. And to think that the article was very long, but very meaningless, no value and very futile to the low-income, the needy and the homeless, and those wanting and needing help. This article only benefited the high-class Realtors. This is a useless article, I feel.
Why not talk and write something that would help and benefit those very unfortunate? Why not have the rich and the Realtors who are making all of those monies and donate some lands, monies or something to the poor?
Are these The Garden Island are important news? No one and nobody has ever done or spoken of what they can do for the poor. Just the for the rich ones.
I really don’t care whether the prices of condos are valued high. Do, write, and have those rich people, and you Realtors, give something to the poor.
Ray Domingo, Lihu‘e
