Letters: Tourists, new condos affect water supply; Oahuians pay taxes for churches; Alakea Street Bike Lane Doesn’t Make Sense

Oahuians pay taxes for churches

Fact: The best magician in the world can’t pull a rabbit out of a hat if a rabbit hasn’t been put in the hat to begin with.

A significant amount of land on Oahu is owned by the church.

The uncollected property tax resulting from the tax exemption on these properties is compensated by the citizens of Oahu. The result compels all citizens to support churches, including those to which they do not belong or which may be in philosophical opposition.

The real miracle is how the churches get huge municipal services and important extra benefits from hats that start empty from taxes not collected from the churches.

If we want the police, firefighters, garbage collectors, construction and maintenance of infrastructure, keep passing the hat. But not to the churches, which once again will miraculously create something out of nothing.

So much for the “separation of Church and State”.

Stann W. Reiziss

Kailua

Tourists and new condos affect water supply

Oahuians are urged to conserve water ahead of the summer months. How is the water supply impacted by the arrival of thousands of summer tourists and the construction of more condominiums, especially in Kakaako?

Also, are there plans to expand the sewage treatment plants to accommodate more people living in Honolulu?

Gail Mizokawa

Manoa

Alakea Street Bike Lane Doesn’t Make Sense

I still can’t understand the reasoning behind the bike path created on the left side of Alakea Street.

It’s supposed to connect the King Street and Hotel Street cycle paths, but honestly no one uses this cycle path. Instead, cars can no longer pick up and drop off people on Alakea Street.

Has anyone even done a study to find out how many bikes actually use Alakea Street?

It’s really a mess.

Sharon Higa

Kaneohe

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