Giving aid to illegal immigrants is wrong

I was greatly upset by the front-page article in Wednesday’s Star-Advertiser ("Bill would cut UH fee for illegal immigrants," Star-Advertiser, March 21).

These illegal immigrant students are unequivocally unlawful.

It is not right and very unfair that these illegal immigrant students from other countries, euphemis-tically and improperly called undocumented students, be afforded greatly reduced resident tuition status while American students from other states who would like to attend a university in Hawaii have to pay non-resident tuition fees.

Adding insult to injury, rubbing salt in the wound, these students here unlawfully, who should be kicked out of our country for violating our immigration laws, are even eligible for taxpayer-funded student loans under this proposed bill.This is outrageous!

What are these legislators thinking?

Mark Webster
Waialae-Kahala

Sam Slom is only reasonable senator

Mahalo, Sam Slom, for being the only reasonable senator Hawaii has. All the rest of our senators would reward students for being here illegally and make them eligible for in-state tuition and taxpayer-funded financial aid.

What a country!

Marjorie Goodloe
Hawaii Kai

Thank Republicans for lousy health care

All of the major Republican presidential candidates oppose the Affordable Care Act (ACA), even though it is designed to reform the nation’s health care system so that virtually all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care.

The Republicans oppose the ACA because they say it will limit our freedom. However, none of them has any alternative proposal that would significantly change existing conditions. If, by some tragic misfortune, Republicans are successful in neutralizing the ACA, we will have them to thank for the freedom to continue to spend much more per capita on health care than people in any other country.

We will have Republicans to thank for the freedom to continue to have the worst health outcomes of all developed nations (and many undeveloped ones), including life expectancy, infant mortality and patient satisfaction.

We can thank Republicans for upholding our freedom to have the most expensive, least efficient health care system of any developed nation.

John Kawamoto
Honolulu

‘Disservice’ editorial seemed hypocritical

The editorial, "Cayetano’s rail tactics a disservice" (Star-Advertiser, Our View, March 18) that criticizes former Gov. Ben Cayetano for cherry-picking through old communicationsis unfair.

Cayetano should not be expected to release all 500,000 pieces of documents he holds.

It’s unfair for the Star-Advertiser to be OK in its pro-rail stance but not OK for Cayetano to be anti-rail, exposing emails damaging to the city’s rail project, no matter how old they are.

All "support" and "commitment" statements coming from the Federal Transit Administration have an escape clause uttered by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood himself during the Senate budget hearing: "And until we hear differently from others who are intimately involved in this, I see no reason why we wouldn’t go forward."

The escape clause could mean that should FTA staff memberswho are "intimately involved" with the rail project say differently,then all bets are off.

Ruben R. Reyes
Waipahu

Cayetano presented rail facts, not ‘tactics’

I believe the Star-Advertiser, not former Gov. Ben Cayetano, serves us poorly on rail.

Cayetano presented uncontested documents — not tactics — showing rail was birthed in a frenzy of "rail at any cost" propaganda based on unprofessional and, I believe, dishonest planning.

Hawaii knows Cayetano says what he means, no matter what, whereas too often it seems the Star-Advertiser is aligned with the interests of the ruling big money/big government class.

I know if Gov. Cayetano had a hundredth of the taxpayer dollars spent by rail’s promoters to produce propaganda and buy experts, he’d uncover far worse facts than he’s uncovered so far.

Nice try, but no sale.

George L. Berish
The American Political Party

Limbaugh abused his right to free speech

Freedom of speech is a good thing, absolutely no argument there.

But like all good things, it can be — and is — abused.

In the case of Rush Limbaugh, I don’t think there can be any question that it was.

That wasn’t the case for the young woman pushing her agenda; she had every right to her views.

Was Limbaugh wrong to air his views? Of course not. He was by no means the only one to disagree with her.

It wasn’t what he said, but how he chose to say it. There were so many words he could have used to get his point across — after all, he doesn’t have a limited vocabulary.

So many words he should never have used. It was the sheer ugliness, the unforgiving choice of words, the total lack of respect for the young woman — for all women.

Merle Iseke
Waipahu

Make sure vehicle fees go to repaving roads

Regarding potholes: I just renewed my license plates and am shocked that the cost is $100 more than it was last year.I have been told that this is the average increase per vehicle.

Is this increase going to pay for repaving roads, rather than local governments siphoning it off for some other undisclosed expenditure?

Repaving our roads and highways, where desperately needed, would create jobs and make a good impression on tourists who travel around the islands. Let’s get the repaving of roads done now.

Warren Johnson
Waikiki

OHA distracted by bright, shiny penny

It is with great trepidation and sadness that I read of the recent proposal by the Abercrombie administration to offset the more than $200 million debt owed to the Hawaiian people with a land transfer of 20 acres of oceanfront property in Kakaako.

It appears that state Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees have fallen victim to recent trends in our society to acquire "bling-bling."

With all the value held bythe state that could feed, clothe, house and support our future, OHA chooses to pursue the bright and shiny penny.

Robert Rosehill
Hilo

FROM THE FORUM

"Thinning blue line: Honolulu’s police chief says finding qualified people for cop jobs is difficult,"Star-Advertiser, March 20:

» In today’s paper there is an article stating that 75 percent of young people couldn’t get into the military due to drugs, not finishing high school or weight. If that is our future, we have challenges.

» With a bad economy, there should be plenty of applicants for these jobs. Pay is decent, great benefits, great security, etc. The police chief needs to get more aggressive in recruiting.

» I really don’t know who would even want to become an Honolulu Police Department officer with all of the negative public comments going around. Why would anyone want to risk their own life for the general public when the public doesn’t appreciate their efforts? It may be true that there is corruption and mismanagement, but, tell me, what government agency doesn’t have its share of bad apples? Personally, I’d rather just applaud their efforts, support them as best we can and let them do the job they were trained to do, which is to protect and serve.

———

"Kauai utility sued to halt smart-meter plan,"Star-Advertiser, March 21:

» I believe the largest users of electricity in your home are the water heater, dryer and air conditioner. So now the electric company will know when the water heater or dryer or air conditioner kicks in. What’s the big deal?

» Maybe they don’t want to get their marijuana growing lamps detected.

» Maybe they don’t want it known when they’re on vacation and their house is vacant — a great time for a break-in.

» Let the people that opt out pay for the meter reader to come read the meter. Base the charge on how many meters need to be manually read in that area. If there are plenty, the surcharge will be fairly small. However, if there is only one household in that area that needs reading, the cost could be hefty.

———

"Hiker’s route perilous, pals say," Star-Advertiser, March 20:

» Staying on the trail was not part of the MO of this group or this climber. He knew the risk and, really, in the end, sought it.

» Single father of two young daughters and he goes off trying to play superhiker and gets killed. I sure hope that guy had life insurance. If I had two kids to raise I would never take risks, knowing I’m all they have. Where’s the common sense?

» Died doing what he loved. He had guts.

———

"Bill would cut UH fee for illegal immigrants,"Star-Advertiser, March 21:

» Let them become legal citizens before having the benefit of my tax dollar.

» If they don’t have legal immigration status, what are they doing in our state? Enough giving taxpayer money to those illegals and undocumented aliens! What about those wishing to immigrate and are taking the legal and necessary steps to secure legal immigration?

» If we are to treat undocumented (illegal) immigrants the same as tax paying, law abiding citizens, where are the incentives to become a citizen of the U.S.? Make them become a citizen first. It’s not that hard.

———

"First Wind gets $236M loan for Kawai-loa project,"Star-Advertiser, March 21

» Another "green" project that will not pay its way, and in the long run will be a pink elephant of the likes of Solyndra. Spain went all in on wind power and since has almost bankrupted the nation.

» Congratulations to First Wind on obtaining funding for this project in spite of the uneven regulatory and political climate and the anti-everything kooks we have in Hawaii regarding renewable energy. We need every kind of renewable energy resource we can get. While the crybabies trash and hold up ideas and proposals that offer progress — almost always without any facts to back up their positions — oil prices keep going up, costing us all.

———

"Judge restrains man in disturbance in court,"Star-Advertiser, March 21:

» "Hauge has an extensive record dating to 1977 with more than 50 convictions." And the judges keep letting him out. Awesome.

» He picked the wrong judge.

» Chuck Norris would not mess with Judge Lono Lee.

———

"Council clears money bills for rail,"Star-Advertiser, March 22:

» The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is taking Oahu taxpayers to the cleaners. Money is being spent faster than potholes can be filled, faster than bulky items can pile up by the street side, faster than city pipes can burst, and faster than Mayor Peter Carlisle can pack for his next trip out of town.

» It would be cheaper to just continue paying unemployment to union construction members rather than build something that will be torn down after November.

» Spank here, spank there. Then give them the checkbook to go shopping.

» There’s lots of irony here with some Republicans critical of starting rail construction before all funding is in place. Didn’t your Gov. Linda Lingle do the same with Superferry, and when it got shut down, taxpayers got to foot the bill for harbor repairs and an EIS that was worthless? As for paving roads and fixing potholes, didn’t Lingle raid the Hawaii highway fund, which is the state’s share of the gas tax to repair highways and use $350,000 of it to pay for a study on rail so she could hold up the rail EIS? Pots calling the kettle black.