Be skeptical of ads during election year

On Jan. 21, the nation will mark the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a decision that enabled corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence federal and state elections.

As the 2012 election season ramps up, so will the corporate, union and special interest financing of political advertising.

With the proliferation of Super PACS and 501(c) organizations, major donors funding election advertising remain unidentified to the voters.

Be an informed voter. Ask every candidate at every level of government for his or her position on campaign finance reform. Visit http://www.opensecrets.org for reliable information for following the money in races in your district and around the country.

And finally, question every political advertisement you see or hear. Ask yourself who paid for that ad and why. Does the ad state clearly who paid for it? If not, ask yourself why not.

Beppie Shapiro
President, League of Women Voters of Hawaii

Paramedics deserve every cent they get

We shouldn’t begrudge paramedics their earnings now or in their well-deserved retirement years ("Agency seeks to stem pension spiking," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 15).

Our paramedics are among the lowest paid in the nation. That goes for our firefighters and police officers as well. These brave men and women do a job that most of us don’t want.

As a retired 22-year veteran firefighter-paramedic on the mainland, I can attest to the fact that these folks have endured vomit, saliva, blood, urine and feces from complete strangers. They have been cursed, spat upon, kicked, punched and bitten, all in an attempt to come to someone’s aid.

It takes two years of classroom work, testing and hands-on training to become certified as a paramedic. The years that follow are filled with continuing education requirements.

Jack Niendorf
Waialua

‘Silver wave’ ideas will have little effect

As a visitor from New Jersey who has specialized in the challenges presented by our aging population for more than 30 years, I was very interested in your article on preparing for the future ("Prepare now for ‘silver wave,’" Star-Advertiser, Our View, Jan. 13).

Unfortunately, what is being suggested by the Long-Term Care Commission will have little positive effect on long-term care needs as we go forward in this century.

The suggested daily benefit of $70 with a growth factor is grossly inadequate today and even more so in the future. The one-year limit on benefits makes this attempt even more meaningless.

Yes, it will provide minimal protection; however, it will, ultimately, give a false sense of security to enrollees and cause them not to consider more comprehensive choices.

Requiring premium payments for 10 years before being eligible for benefits means major problems that occur during that period will go completely uncovered.

Paul S. Bunkin
Turnersville, N.J.

Praise of teachers was heartening

It was uplifting for this retired educator to see that Dr. Hingson M. Chun, a noted cardiologist, took the time to pay tribute to all his teachers at Lincoln Elementary, Stevenson Intermediate, Roosevelt High, the University of Hawaii and the UH John A. Burns School of Medicine ("All teachers deserve praise," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Jan. 13).

Over my 35-year public school career, I have seen that the public schools have often been a convenient whipping target by many who seem uninformed. There are those who should know better but yet pass anecdotal hearsay about how "dysfunctional" our public schools are.

One problem may be that many have never stepped into a public school classroom. Unfortunately they miss observing and knowing the many dedicated teachers in the classroom.

As an aside, three of our sons went to public schools and are upstanding, taxpaying citizens.

Ted Nishijo
Salt Lake

Advice to parents ignored depression

Family psychologist John Rosemond clearly offers the wrong advice to the parents of an 8-year-old who was complaining for the past two weeks that he’s not good at anything, has no friends, "and so on" — none of it true ("Tell son ‘cure’ for problem is no TV and early bedtime," Star-Advertiser, Parent Power, Jan. 14).

Pay no attention to this "personal soap opera," the expert suggests. Instead, institute a month-long behavioral program of early bedtime without TV — until he stops complaining.

Usually one can support this simple, one-size-fits-all approach that has helped many parents deal with a child’s manipulative behavior.

But in this case it clearly ignores possible signs of childhood depression, a serious condition believed for many years not to exist.

Ignoring the possibility of such a treatable condition underlying these recent-onset complaints can be dangerous.

John McDermott
Professor emeritus of (child) psychiatry, John A. Burns School of Medicine

Hawaii a lot busier but still beautiful

In 1939, the U.S. Navy purchased the land, and the major construction for the initial infrastructure of the 498-acre air station (now Marine Corps Base Hawaii) was completed in late 1941.

In 1940, my parents purchased a house on Lilipuna Road, Kaneohe. As a little girl growing up there, I can remember lying in our yard, looking up to the sky and watching the planes fly over the area. I felt safe, knowing those planes were watching out for me and my islands.

Here we are in 2012, and Oahu has grown exponentially. Traffic, noise, the high cost of living — the list is endless.

For those who have "had it" with progress, it may be a time to move to a quiet and less expensive location, somewhere else in the world.

For me Hawaii is, and will always be, about the people and God’s beautiful creation of these islands.

Josi K. Hahn
Kaneohe