Government retirees can be valuable assets

I totally agree with Tom Haynes’ sentiments about the misuse of 89-day contracts by many former government employees ("Former bureaucrats working the system," Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 11).

There certainly should be more reform, not to prohibit the practice, but to allow government to take advantage of such expertise with more transparency and uniformity.

To apply Haynes’ criticism against Bob Fishman, however, is terribly misplaced.

The city taxpayers are benefiting from Fishman’s unique expertise and institutional knowledge spanning decades of government and business experience at all levels.

To be sure, Fishman could be earning far greater rewards as a consultant elsewhere, but elected to serve the city and the people of Honolulu by providing City Hall with his rare, invaluable know-how and knowledge.

Why reinvent the wheel with each new administration?

Rather than discourage such participation by persons with such expertise, let’s find ways to take full advantage of such expertise without needlessly trying to embarrass those who possess it.

Francis M. Nakamoto
Moanalua Valley

Sugary beverages getting an unfair rap

Your recent article deserves clarification for your readers ("Heart disease tied to sugary beverages," Star-Advertiser, March 13).

Drinking sweetened beverages does not cause an increased risk of heart disease — not based on the referenced study or any other study in the available science.

Importantly, the authors of the national study found an association between consuming sweetened beverages and cardiovascular risk, but this could have been the result of other lifestyle changes over the 22-year study period involving men 40 to 75 years of age.

The study’s conclusions cannot be extrapolated to the broader overall population.

There is nothing unique about the calories from added sugars, or sugar-sweetened beverages for that matter, when it comes to heart disease. Rather, heart disease is a complex problem with no single cause and no simple solution.

When it comes to calories, our industry is helping consumers by providing clear calorie labels that put calorie information right at their fingertips so they can make a choice that’s right for them.

Tracey Halliday
Vice president, American Beverage Association Washington, D.C.

Don’t let Israel lead us into war with Iran

George Washington, who warned the nation in his farewell address to beware of foreign entanglements, must be rolling over in his grave.

A preemptive attack by Israel — a nuclear-armed, sovereign state — against Iran would certainly drag the United States into a Middle East morass vaster and deeper that George W. Bush’s ill-advised venture into Iraq.

This situation demonstrates why the U.S. Constitution reserves foreign policy actions to the federal government, so that individual states could not write a check that the nation would have to cover.

Our current policy in the Middle East is so closely linked to Israel that we may well be dragged into a foreign war by the actions of a sovereign nation that is extremely dependent on us due to our massive foreign aid, but not constrained to follow the foreign policy lead of our federal government.

This is not a Middle East policy; it is a Muddle East policy.

Edward Gaffney
Ewa Beach

Growing population points to need for rail

The late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts."

This aphorism certainly applies to the misinformation spread constantly by rail opponents that rail will do nothing for traffic.

It is a fact that rail will reduce future traffic congestion.

It is also a fact that if the population remains stable and Oahu doesn’t grow, rail will reduce current traffic congestion — by 18 percent.

But Oahu’s population will grow in the future, there will be a demand for more housing, and there is nothing that can be done to ban the number of cars on the road, limit family size or stop people from moving here.

So rail is the logical answer to coping with future growth and future traffic congestion.

Mark Yonamine
Honolulu

Charlie Maxwell inspired Hawaiians

"Uncle" Charlie Maxwell was the guiding light in the fight fought by Dr. Emmett Aluli, Walter Ritte Jr. and Richard Sawyer, who organized the Protect Kaho‘olawe Ohana in the mid-1970s and inspired those men, including Eddie Aikau, to risk their lives making a statement for all Hawaiians about the righteous preservation of the aina ("Native Hawaiian leader Charles Maxwell dies at Maui Memorial," Star-Advertiser, March 16).

About him songs were written, and from him inspiration was taken by all who battled the oppression that had persisted way too long until they came along.

Ron Jacobs
Kaneohe

Conception depends on how it’s defined

Katie Polidoro and Laurie Temple argue that all hospitals (including Catholic hospitals, obviously) should be required by law to offer emergency contraception (EC) ("Rape victims in Hawaii need access to emergency contraception," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, March 15).

They state that "EC is not the abortion pill; it will not end a pregnancy."

Well, that depends upon your definition on the start of pregnancy and on the moment of conception.

If the moment of conception is when fertilization occurs, then surely EC does end pregnancy, since fertilization occurs as soon as 15 minutes after sex.

But Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union have opted to redefine the moment of conception to be up to three days later — when the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall.

The Catholic Church considers the moment of conception to be at fertilization. Thus, it is the Catholic position that pills taken after sex can cause abortions.

To require Catholic hospitals to provide EC is just wrong.

Tim Plick
Kaneohe

Clean-energy efforts won’t cut power costs

Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz describes Hawaii’s movement toward clean energy ("Clean energy in Hawaii is moving from research to reality, from talk to action," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, March 11).

It’s not a plan, however, for lack of at least two things.

First, no one is in charge.

Second, there is no overall system description and operating scenario from which costs can be estimated — the number and location of wind turbines, energy storage capacities, acres for biomass feedstock, and gallons of water to grow feedstock and convert it to ethanol.

It is erroneously believed by many that clean energy will generate cheap power.This is certainly not true when all the subsidized costs are included.

The clean-energy initiative is basically building a parallel power-generating system that will reduce the amount of oil used during a portion of the day.

All the current power-plant costs will continue to be incurred, as well as a whole new set of costs for the clean-energy power.

Robert Hoffman
Kaneohe

FROM THE FORUM

"State settles suit by protester for $100,000,"Star-Advertiser, March 13:

» Everyone should be thankful to Mitch Kahle for standing up for free speech and the separation of state and church.

» Only in Hawaii.

» That’s not correct. People all over the country are objecting to the institutionalization of prayer and faith into our secular matters.

» Kahle was right: Keep religion out of state affairs. Good job. Bad news for taxpayers, caused by witless politicians.

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"Wave riders: AccesSurf helps wounded war veterans enter the ocean for fun and fellowship,"Star-Advertiser, March 13:

» Great story and program in Hawaii. My son was also wounded in Iraq in 2007 and lost his right arm and leg and loves surfing in Southern California.

» What an inspiration you veterans are to all of us. Thank you for serving for our country well. We appreciate all of you.

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"Senators upbraid officials for over-paying employees," Star-Advertiser, March 14:

» What this article fails to do is list the names of people who received this unjust compensation. There’s a word for keeping something thats not yours. It’s called theft. Shame on you people;

» Thank you Sens. Kim and Hee for demanding accountability from an executive branch employing more workers per capita than any other state (Florida is the lowest at 119 per 10,000). One would think that with so many employees, there would be enough to properly manage payroll functions. Perhaps we need to privatize those responsibilities, and others, so that sloppy work would not be paid for by the taxpayers.

» I’m glad some legislators are doing their homework and exposing the scam that’s been going on for years. Now how about going across the street and start checking the city’s payroll?

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"Geothermal gaining ground with public," Star-Advertiser, March 14:

» Geothermal is the real answer to the energy needs of the future. Unlike wind and solar, it is 24/7 and ultra-clean. Now that the momentum has shifted to actually building out enough geothermal to make a difference, let’s not be shy. Drill many wells and put them on line so electric bills go down and give everyone on the Big Island and Maui an actual pay raise.

» There is enough geothermal energy on Hawaii island to power the entire state. The true potential of geothermal in Hawaii will not be realized without interconnections between the islands. The lead time for development of the geo-thermal generation and the cables to deliver the power is quite long. Let’s quit talking and get this ball rolling.

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"Hawaii consumers paying down debt," Star-Advertiser, March 15:

» Credit card debt in Hawaii has dropped $250 or so, but it’s still averaging $6,000, which tells me that primary bills are being paid with credit cards. Which means there is a major cash-flow shortage. Does anyone have emergency funds? Many folks are just one paycheck, or one major illness requiring hospital stay, away from being homeless.

» Student-loan debt will exceed credit card debt on a national basis this year.

» The problem is, credit card debt is only a tiny part of overall indebtedness. We are responsible for our country’s debt, including cities and states and the federal government, Even without mortgages, it is over $100,000 per person.

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"Turnout a ‘game changer’ for isle GOP," Star-Advertiser, March 15:

» Congratulations to the 10,000 citizens who came out to take the first steps to return the worst president in U.S. history to his proper role, i.e., obscure community organizer. Hang in there; the nightmare is almost over.

» Yes, and if Rick Santorum wins, the rapture shall begin.

» I don’t know about the GOP turnout being a "game changer." I’d say "broken record" is more like it. Maybe it’s just because the photo was taken in East Honolulu, but it’s almost entirely old white people. P.S.: I’m an old white person.

» From the photo in today’s issue of the Star-Advertiser, yes, most are in the senior citizens age group and appear to be recent imports from the mainland. Having said that, they represent the "Greatest Generation," as Tom Brokaw, the popular Democratic newscaster, called them, which happens to be his father’s generation. Sad to say, that includes Sen. Dan Inouye, a Democrat who has raped this great nation for the benefit of the "Entitlements Generation." More power to the people of Hawaii, with its new generation of Republicans. Hoorah!

» What does it mean when the Democratic-controlled Legislature is pushing a dozen bills aimed at gutting the environmental review process for developers in Hawaii? I’m voting straight Republican this year!