Letters to the editor: 05-20-19

Serve justice to johns

After reading your article I was motivated to write. A really effective way to stop trafficking would be to prosecute buyers of sex. Take away the demand and the supply will die out.

Too much blame is put on the workers. If given a choice, 99% of sex workers would not choose this work.

Marilyn Davis

Ocean View

Sea level rise happening, but who knows about next eruption

There has been controversy about the wisdom of allowing home replacement or future development in Puna, after last year’s volcanic losses. We can’t predict volcanic events — the next Puna eruption could be next year, or 1,000 years in the future.

Meanwhile, the state and City and County of Honolulu are approving billions of dollars of development in Waikiki and Kakaako. We know that these developments will be inundated by the ocean within 80 years as sea level rise is increasing inexorably and we can measure it every year.

There will be 3-11 feet of ocean rise before 2100. The people of Hawaii (you and me and our children) will be responsible for covering billions or hundreds of billions of dollars of damages there, over the next 80 years. There is no question — it will happen.

Money talks. Developers build, sell, and disappear. Most of our elected officials will be comfortably retired before these bills come due.

Joel Aycock

Keaau

Ige should weigh in on WH meeting with island nations

On Tuesday, President Trump is scheduled to host the Presidents of the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau.

According to the White House, the four leaders plan to not only discuss their ongoing security cooperation. They also plan to discuss their shared commitment to democracy, rule of law, and a free and open Pacific. These discussions could set the stage for future renegotiations of the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) agreements between the United States and the Freely Associated States.

The State of Hawaii should be concerned that the official statement makes no mention of the impact of the COFA migration on local communities across the United States.

According to the latest Census data, there are approximately 16,680 COFA migrants living in Hawaii. To defray the annual costs associated with these migrants, the State of Hawaii received over $14 million in federal funding this year. However, many feel that is not fair compensation for the total impact of COFA migrants on local communities across the state.

Prior to Tuesday, Gov. David Ige should share this concern with the White House. He should also encourage the governors of other impacted states and territories to do the same.

Michael Walsh

Kailua-Kona