People who set off fireworks illegally are not just annoying. In our neighborhood, fireworks can be heard any time of the year, at any time of the day.

These scofflaws are the probable cause of the death of one of our beloved pet dogs. He was a large dog, but every time he heard firecrackers or “bombs,” he would go into a seizure. After a time, the seizures caused brain damage.

Can you imagine what fireworks does to people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease? Or people with emotional problems? Or our war veterans with PTSD? Those of you who think setting off fireworks is fun need to think about the consequences to people as well as pets.

If people at least set off the fireworks in accordance with the time set by law, we could anticipate and prepare accordingly. Those of you who purchase fireworks need to act responsibly before you cause irreparable harm or even death.

Enough is enough!

Cherie Kawamoto

Mililani

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Curb high drug costs, not just doctors’ fees

It comes as no surprise to find out that Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) and Kaiser Permanente are steeply raising rates of Obamacare coverage this year (“Health insurance premiums on the rise,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 26).

Those of us who have studied medical insurance plans, including Medicare, have long recognized that if the doctor’s fees and services were the main target of cost reform, while excluding unrestrained increases in pharmaceutical and other factors, these plans would fail to bend the curve in health care spending.

According to independent studies, doctors’ services consume less that 10 percent of the total health care cost, while prescription drugs account for more than 20 percent. Administrative costs have also escalated and hospital costs consume another 30 percent.

Relief from this severe situation will only come when factors other than doctor’s fees are addressed.

One avenue may be opened if it were legal for Medicare to require bidding from pharmaceutical companies for drug cost approval, as done in Canada and England. Is Congress listening?

Malcolm Ing, M.D.

Nuuanu

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Derelict cars ruin North Shore beauty

My family and I have been visiting Oahu’s North Shore recently, enjoying Hawaii’s weather, beauty, culture and food.

I’m puzzled, however, by the great number of abandoned cars littering the coastline from one end to the other. This not only detracts from the natural beauty of the island but also creates a negative overall impression, especially to a visitor.

I can’t help but think how much nicer the vistas would be if they weren’t obstructed with the shell of a burnt-out car every mile or two. A sincere effort should be made to clear these wrecked cars as quickly as possible so visitors and residents alike can enjoy the island without the unseemliness of derelict cars up and down the coast.

Jim Taglia

Oak Park, Ill.

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Leaders’ misbehavior strengthens voices

There are some saving graces to having a leader and a body of legislators who have proven to support just a select few in their governing policies and actions.

Although they are attempting to weaken agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Education by hiring unqualified people, some corporations continue to meet environmental protection goals despite the EPA’s lax regulations. Several students have walked out when the secretary of education spoke at their schools.

Even before becoming president, Donald Trump made comments about what he did to women, and many women accused him of sexual assault. The “#MeToo” movement has evolved.

We have become more active by taking stands as citizens in order to protect our civil rights.

So thank you, Mr. Trump and Congress. Your misbehavior has made our voices stronger for what is right.

Gladys Inamine

Liliha

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Protection good for coral and economy

Regarding the commentary, “Rolling back protections for the Pacific Remote Islands Monument would be wrong” (Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Dec. 24): I agree with the authors’ opinion to keep the area protected.

As a coral scientist, I am seeing the effects of climate change first hand. For example, Hawaii lost one-third of its coral reefs in the 2015 El Nino bleaching event, yet little has been done to reduce local stress and protect our remaining corals. Thus, preserving a marine ecosystem that offers benefits to the Hawaiian archipelago is critical.

President Donald Trump is concerned about reaping economic benefits. Consider that coral ecosystems protect homes and buildings from erosion and storms, provide jobs for ocean recreation companies and underwater beauty for visitors, and also provide spawning and nursery grounds for many species of fish that we eat.

In a report by NOAA, the average annual value of the coral reef ecosystem in Hawaii amounts to $364 million. Protect our coral, protect our economy.

Narrissa Spies

Makiki