In mid-August, the Star-Advertiser revealed that unnamed state workers had been spending many hours watching movies on their computers. No reprimands were given.

“Officials could… figure out who was watching Netflix,” a consultant was quoted, but no one went to the trouble.

Two weeks later, on Aug. 30, an article ran about overtime payouts to state workers cumulated over a period of nine years, leaving implications of corruption and theft.

Is this the entire story? None of these individuals can receive overtime pay without the approval of a chain of superiors and fiscal officers. The article states clearly that the system is at fault: poor financial management and archaic software.

I hope this is just part one and reporters will continue to investigate both the facts and the roots of this issue. Otherwise, giving no evidence of abuse, nine people were singled out publicly, tarnishing their reputations without talking to them or their direct supervisors, managers or department heads.

Nancy Aleck
Manoa

Chun Oakland event deserves support

Richard Borreca’s article highlighted the sometimes sticky boundaries of our state Ethics Commission (“Chun Oakland in danger of falling over ethics cliff,” Star-Advertiser, On Politics, Aug. 25).

The Children and Youth Day organized by Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland deserves state support as it benefits our children — most countries celebrate Children’s Day.

Chun Oakland works hard for the needy people of Hawaii. Why should using her staff and using state conference rooms to organize this popular event be considered “a private event”?

She is our beloved legislator doing good service for all.

The Chinatown Business and Community Association recognized her tireless efforts and awarded her the Chinatown Hero’s Award last year.

Her work with children, elderly, the poor and homeless should be lauded.

Chu Lan Shubert-Kwock
Chinatown

No lasting peace with bad Iran deal

A deal to supposedly limit Iran’s nuclear intentions for 10 years is touted as good politics by Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono in backing the White House. Yes, both apparently fear their progressive Democrat supporters more than Iran, an “active state sponsor of terrorism.”

The deal expiration date allows Iran to get a nuclear warhead and spread terrorism, and simply kicks the can down the road and only dismantles sanctions that forced Iran to negotiate in the first place. There is no lasting peace.

Later, they and ex-President Barack Obama will simply blame others for the failure of the unverifiable and partially secret agreement, which wards off any sabotage against what Iran declares “civilian nuclear facilities” and supports a secret verification inspection agreement between the IAEA and Iran regarding inspections.

If the United States learned anything from the failed deal with North Korea, which built a nuclear weapon after promising to not do so, it is to not trust Iran, which has lied repeatedly in the past.

Anson Rego
Waianae

Electricity rates here suspiciously high

The Aug. 26 letter to the editor perfectly describes the current situation as it relates to Oahu (“‘Clean energy’ just not practicial”).

Now that Gov. David Ige has ruled out the use of liquefied natural gas, he should explain how the cost of electricity will be reduced on this island.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average U.S. cost for residential use in June is 12.93 cents per kilowatt hour.

We pay about 2.3 times this amount and often much more.

Hawaiian Electric Co. has claimed in its TV ads that it will reduce the cost by 20 percent, but it does not list any dollar figures. So much for transparency. It is obvious that we have been overcharged for years.

Currently about a dozen utilities worldwide without access to pipelines (as is the case for HECO) are using LNG. These utilities did not have to build expensive land-based re-gasification facilities. Instead they are using offshore floating storage and regasification units that are less expensive and easier to obtain regulatory approvals for.

It is time that the public start getting the facts from government officials instead of trumped-up misinformation about 100 percent renewable energy.

Christian Brunnschweiler
Kakaako

Churches could do more to help poor

If the 600-plus churches in Hawaii paid taxes first, then got exemptions for money actually spent on charity, our coffers would be overflowing.

Pastors would not be on TV, proudly proclaiming, “We have over $100 million in assets now,” as one Maui pastor recently did.

And some might actually develop and implement concrete solutions to help the poor in Hawaii.

Drive up Nuuanu Avenue and see all the beautiful, manicured, multimillion-dollar church properties, all tax-free, that sit empty most of the time — churches that should, as per God’s commandment to help thy neighbor, be helping the poor and downtrodden.

If the 600,000 Christians in Hawaii banded together, imagine what could be done for the 7,000 homeless people here.

Give those that collect millions a tax credit for charitable work, but only for the money actually spent on charity.

Gary Dubrall
Kapolei