History repeated?
Pause for a moment and rewind the clock back 16 years. George W. Bush had just ascended to the presidency and his administration and Congress began deregulating Wall Street and Corporate America.
Now fast forward about seven and a half years. The housing bubble bursts and Wall Street and Corporate America go into a tailspin, thrusting the American economy into the Great Recession.
Finally, fast forward to the present. How soon one forgets.
Fred Fitzgerald
Kailua-Kona
Tiny violin for Trump haters
You pompous celebrities, where would you be today if someone did not give you a chance to succeed? Probably on the streets, working two jobs to survive. Some Americans found this election as a feeling of hope and financial relief.
Besides, how do we know that your Golden Globe or Academy Awards were not hacked by aliens and that maybe, just maybe, you did not win your prestigious award. See how silly this all seems?
We are all given a chance in life, President-elect Donald Trump was given that chance by the American people. Let’s give him the respect he deserves.
We may stand divided but for heaven’s sake, we are all Americans and whether we are Democrats or Republicans let’s join hands and welcome in our new President Donald J. Trump.
Laura Bollman
Kailua-Kona
Give land for homeless community
Regarding the homeless occupants of the Old A Park, I think one must realize the myriad reasons a person can be so damaged they wind up homeless.
I once knew a person from California who lived in East Hawaii. She immigrated to the U.S. from Asia. She was not well educated but married an Asian man here. He died and apparently had no life insurance. His children from his first marriage tried to keep her from getting anything. They had lived well in a comfortable house. She lost that but moved to a 5-acre land parcel they owned north of Hilo. With minimal job skills she survived by leasing her land as horse pasture. She lived in a shack on the land. I have not seen her in quite a few years. I am sure the property taxes were not being paid. Probably, the county auctioned off the land. Most likely she is living on the streets in Hilo.
Other people have mental illness issues. Whatever the reasons, they have lost the internal drive to better themselves. Malnourished, bitten by insects, beaten down by the heat, suffering from parasites and diseases; they live from day to day by redeeming cans and bottles they find in the trash.
So here is my suggestion. There is much state land on our island. Why not apportion a few acres outside of town but within a short bicycle ride?
Bulldoze it. Install water spigots, outdoor showers, toilet facilities and a trash dumpster. Make it a legal address with mailboxes. Allow people to put their tents there legally and freely. Perhaps they could have a community garden for food. They would still be able to ride their bicycles to the park to recycle cans and bottles. Some would stay there the rest of their lives.
Others may recover to where they become employable and find jobs. Hele-On could make the entrance a stop for those with jobs. Forcing them out of a squatter encampment without a practical alternative is not a solution. If my suggestion works, wonderful! If not, not much lost.
Douglas Nelson
Kailua-Kona