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Letters to the Editor

Design small electronics with same size batteries

I don’t know how many times, when I need batteries, I end up with the wrong size. When I need AA, I have AAA batteries and vice versa. With all the technology available, can’t manufacturers make small electronics with the same size battery? There is not much difference in batteries, but with AAA, you may need three batteries, while with AA, you may need only two batteries. Sometimes I am wondering if the industry is trying to make you buy more batteries that you don’t need. The remotes are getting smaller, but I am sure small electronics can be designed with the same ...

Consequences needed for expired registration

Each day while walking or out on errands I see, without any real effort, many vehicles with expired registration. They are parked on public roads and driving on public roads, they are everywhere. I keep my registration and safety check up to date, which also means my insurance is paid up. This, I think, is the primary reason many registrations are delinquent, lack of insurance. How is it that these vehicles get to use our roads with registration that has expired long ago? I think it’s time to end their free pass. Maui Police Department needs to be given the ability to deal ...

China Daily guest editorial government propaganda?

Regarding the China Daily guest editorial published March 8, Wikipedia describes this newspaper as a media outlet under the control of the authoritarian XI Jinping’s communist government. The Wiki article says that up to the time of the Tiananmen Square uprising, the China Daily had a substantial amount of freedom and that it supported the efforts of the pro-democracy demonstrators. But after the deadly putdown of the protest, the China Daily was reined in by the communist party and has effectively become a government propaganda tool. I question whether it was in the interests of ...

Support proposed law to reduce blood alcohol

I am writing to express my support for the proposed law to reduce the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) from 0.08 to 0.05 percent. As a mother who lost her 16-year-old son to a drunk driver, I know firsthand the devastating impact of drunk driving. My son was a bright and promising young man with his whole life ahead of him. His death was a tragedy, and it was preventable. According to a recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), lowering the BAC limit from 0.08 to 0.05 percent will save lives and increase road safety. The study found that ...

Why do feral cats here get a free pass?

Cats, people love the kitties. Maui (and Hawaii) have many, many cats, too many. We have large colonies out in our “wild” areas and in towns that are supported by dedicated teams that feed them. The real story is that cats are a danger to Hawaii. They eat birds, all our birds, most importantly the unique birds found only in Hawaii that are federally protected. They spread disease that affects our monk seals. They urinate and defecate on homes randomly. When my dog defecates, I pick it up. I make it pee somewhere besides on my neighbors’ lawns. I keep it leashed so as not ...

Two-party system political illusion

The two-party system is an illusion. There’s lots of finger pointing and scolding, and empty threats made by both sides, but nothing changes. It’s all a show. I don’t know if I am a republican, but I am definitely not a democrat. I think that Hawaii’s lopsided representation in DC is one reason Hawaii is so corrupt, and why we are struggling as a state. Democrats have wasted years trying to impeach Trump and keep him off the ticket, they haven’t done anything except hunt Trump and scheme of new ways to disqualify him. Nothing. Meanwhile, the sitting president is ...