Junk-mail scams target the elderly

The state attorney general’s office recently halted a group soliciting donations for troops ("Group soliciting donations for troops is ordered to halt," Star-Advertiser, March 17).

The attorney general’s office should also look into junk-mail solicitations that heavily target the elderly, those who commonly have obsessive compulsions to respond, sending substantial dollar donations. Many solicitations even have threatening gestures to induce responses — "must reply immediately with your donation for support of this important cause."

Responders read professionally devised messages and have no idea what they are supporting. Many solicitations are definitely not from qualified nonprofits and legitimate registered groups.

Our mail carriers deliver huge amounts of nonprofit solicitations and junk mail to the elderly who created the volume by responding. Scams are prolific, and our government needs to get out of the scam business and clean up junk mail, especially when it abuses our elderly.

Birch Akina
Aiea

Projects will block rain catchments

William Aila, director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, says that we must care for the forests to protect our water supply.

Yes, we must.But no one has tackled the issue of where will the water come from to supply the proposed developments of Ho‘opili and Koa Ridge.Acres of land, much of it in agriculture, will be covered with concrete: homes, roads, schools, businesses.The rain will be unable to replenish the aquifer, as it does in farmland.Our island should not eliminate rain-catchment areas.

Ironic, isn’t it, that D.R. Horton, from drought-stricken Texas, is trying to cover much of our green land with water-consuming construction?

Mandy Bowers
Honolulu

Abuse of claims unlikely to happen

Stories on the "safe and sick" bill, House Bill 341, apply the term "abuse" to refer to women and children whose abuse has been documented in police and hospital reports, and also in reference to "potential" abuse of safe and sick leave by an employee, should this new requirement be imposed on businesses "struggling to survive" ("Bill would require paid sick and safe leave," Star-Advertiser, March 29.)

No mention is made of how this potential abuse of companies by traumatized women and children is to be assessed. I guess we just take the company’s word for it.

Abused employees are, or could be, habitual abusers? Please.

Frances Viglielmo
Honolulu

Judicial review is what courts do

By referring to the U.S. Supreme Court as "an unelected group of people" who must avoid the "extraordinary and unprecedented step" of "striking down a duly enacted law," President Barack Obama showed not only disrespect for the justices and other federal judges but also expressed a fundamental misunderstanding of a major function of the court.

Since he once taught constitutional law, Obama surely has read Marbury v. Madison, which established the basis of judicial review of enacted laws by federal judges under Article III of the Constitution.

Obama also asserted that if his law is struck down, it would be the result of "judicial activism." However, that insulting term is applied to judges who ignore the Constitution in order to reach a desired result. That is not the case here.

Judicial review is the job of the court, not the president, who seems willing to interfere while the court is deliberating and to show disrespect for an equal branch of our government.

Mark Desmarais
Hawaii Kai

We have the money to fix our schools

The front page photograph showing the deplorable condition of the showers at Farrington High School was the last straw ("Legislators in conflict over bills for projects," Star-Advertiser, April 4).

How can we, the good people of Hawaii, allow this to happen? We have enough money. We pay plenty of taxes. It’s not lack of money that’s the problem.

Recently we were told that we paid a $15 million change order because construction on the rail project was delayed. How many showers would $15 million buy?

Who signed off on agreeing to pay millions if we didn’t start construction on some arbitrary date? Would they have signed off on it if it were their own money?

Why are we not demanding answers?

John Wong
Hawaii Kai

Thielen can join Libertarian Party

The Democratic Party’s recent refusal to allow Laura Thielen to run as a Democrat exposes the large gap between the values held by most people who self-identify as Democrats and the actual modus operandi of the Democratic Party of Hawaii leadership.

Should Laura Thielen really be surprised that she was turned down by party bosses operating behind closed doors, using a technicality to disqualify her, refusing to disclose their reasons for rejecting her, but likely punishing her for having the audacity to work with Republicans like Linda Lingle? Anyone who has been unfortunate enough to spend much time at the state Capitol knows such behavior is the status quo for the ruling party.

If Laura Thielen considers herself socially tolerant, fiscally responsible, and a supporter of individual liberty, I suggest that she apply to run as a candidate for the political party that strongly holds those values — the Libertarian Party of Hawaii.

Jim Henshaw
Chairman, Libertarian Party of Hawaii