Trump the bully
Does no one feel repelled by President Donald Trump’s online bullying of a 16-year-old child, a Nobel Prize candidate, who dared to criticize him about his position on climate change?
What is the first lady’s opinion, given her “initiative” regarding online bullying?
Is this what the United States of America is?
Michael Grigsby
Keaau
‘Get ready’
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overruled the city of Boise’s ordinance against camping out on the sidewalk when no other shelter is available. It was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to hear it, so now the 9th Circuit ruling stands. Hawaii is part of the 9th Circuit.
Hawaii businesses and tourist agencies, get ready. This is just the thing needed to extort politicians to pony up money for homeless shelters: big money.
From the L.A. Times: “A city ordinance ‘violates the 8th Amendment insofar as it imposes criminal sanctions against homeless individuals for sleeping outdoors on public property, when no alternative shelter is available to them,’ said the ruling by the 9th Circuit, which has jurisdiction over California and eight other Western states.” Hawaii is one of those “eight other Western states.”
Think about the potential costs involved in this ruling when Hawaii and its great weather starts to offer homeless people free shelter. Do you think it might attract some people from the colder states to come over here? Will we be able to cover the ever-increasing costs?
The tents will start popping up and so will the poop, needles, liquor bottles and who knows what else. The problem is this decision will attract the worst of the homeless population — the alcoholics, drug users and the mentally ill who were abandoned by the state and society will start camping out on the sidewalks near businesses where begging is more profitable.
The available support services will be overwhelmed to provide shelter for all these people, thus they will be allowed to camp on public property where they please.
Get ready. Although we have a homeless problem, I think it will get much worse and more in your face. Look at the images of the homeless camps in L.A., San Francisco and other formerly great cities, coming soon to a sidewalk near you.
Keep in mind, there are those homeless folks who are doing their best to get out of their situation, and they deserve whatever help we can provide — good people in a bad situation who still do their best by their family and society.
Roger Schweitzer
Volcano
Vote Kim out
Regarding Harry Kim’s veto of the herbicide bill (Tribune-Herald, Dec. 13): Let’s not speculate why he did this. Let’s just vote him out of office.
Paul Booth
Kurtistown