Military budget should be cut

The article, "Isles hold on to military might," (Star-Advertiser, Feb. 21) states that "military communities … fret about defense cuts," presumably referring to President Barack Obama’s budget plan.

I support this plan to trim $1 trillion of Pentagon spending over the next 10 years, and hope Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka do, as well. Cutting waste from the Pentagon budget would benefit many.

Billions could be saved by defunding nuclear weapons — we already have enough to destroy the planet several times over. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the $31 billion to $60 billion lost to waste and fraud would have been better spent at home on health care, education, job creation, clean energy, veterans, the elderly and reducing the national debt.

Many of us have been taking cuts in these tough economic times. The bloated Pentagon budget is literally killing our country and must take its share of cuts.

Alyce Dodge
Palolo

Punahou using Apple items, too

On reading your article about Mid-Pacific Institute’s upcoming iPad program, I was surprised it didn’t include any mention of next-door Punahou School’s recent school-wide conversion to Apple products and its already-running program of giving every student a Mac laptop from the fourth grade on ("Mid-Pacific to integrate iPad use throughout school’s curriculum," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 23).

Seeing as it’s nearly the same program, I would think it worth mentioning, especially since Mid-Pac’s self-supplied "first in Hawaii" claim implies it’s the only school being innovative.

It’s nice to hear what Mid-Pac is up to, but let’s not forget to present stories, even soft news, that offer the reader some context.

Eric Butler
Makiki

Don’t give forum to anti-gay views

As good people across the islands strive to create schools and communities that are welcoming and safe for all, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, why would you provide a platform for those who espouse bigotry and whose words put young people at risk ("Law aimed at bullying in schools poses threat to freedom of speech," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Feb. 19)?

You identified James Hochberg as an attorney allied with the Alliance Defense Fund, a legal center established by a coalition of Christian Right advocates who are defined as being anti-gay by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Please, use your valuable role to help lift up and unite, rather than divide, our communities.

Joe Wilson
Director, Out In The Silence Campaign Haleiwa

City secretive in its rail dealings

I am tired of the city committing my money for outrageous expenditures in addition to spending it on skewed publicity ads for rail.

If Mayor Peter Carlisle now talks about transparency, he won’t have to work very hard on it as the truth of what’s going on keeps spilling out, such as suspending the normal limits on the city’s debt service for the rail project.

What’s next? Do our leaders think they can keep playing with us? I have lost faith in the honesty of those pushing rail at this point, as so much information has been kept secret or only half-truths have been shared. The reality of this project is very scary.

Mary Jo "MJ" Culvyhouse
Kaneohe

Please outline all likely rail costs

Every day in the news, there is some politician stating that the city of Honolulu needs the rail system. The total cost of building and maintaining the rail system — including eminent domain costs to purchase land upon which the rail will be built and the yearly maintenance costs — should be publicized to the entire voting public and announced as to the grand total cost for building a 20-mile rail system.

Claudia McCloskey
Honolulu