Importers should help keep out pests

The recent ruling striking down the air cargo pest inspection fee by the U.S. Department of Transportation and upheld by Judge David Ezra in U.S. District Court provided an example of how federal laws can trump state laws ("Conflict with federal laws voids state air cargo fee," Star-Advertiser, April 25).

Specifically, the Hawaii pest inspection law (HRS § 150A) required airlines to collect the fee from cargo importers using their services, but the U.S. DOT and the federal judge ruled that the state cannot require airlines to do such, according to the federal Airline Deregulation Act and the federal anti-head tax.

It is time to think about how to charge and collect the inspection fee from importers directly. With the amount of invasive pests arriving alive on air cargo (especially on produce, cut flowers and Christmas trees), the need for inspection of these incoming goods is absolutely essential, and importers should help pay for inspection services.

If we want to continue to produce food locally, we must keep new pests out.

Christy Martin
Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species

Kailua quarry site would affect water

Although pleased by the decline of the Ameron Quarry from No. 1 to No. 5 on Mayor Peter Carlisle’s Advisory Committee Landfill Site Selection list, I remain surprised that the Kailua site is on the list at all.

When Ameron Quarry was considered by the City Council as a potential dump site in 2004-2006, I recall compelling testimony by the engineer who inspected landfill sites for the state that the quarry would be a terrible choice because the pit was in contact with the island water supply.

In fact, he explained, the pit is partially filled with water year-round, which means contaminants would leach very quickly into the groundwater and that any effort to seal the bottom of the pit prior to filling it with trash would be exceptionally expensive (and only marginally effective).

I hope the upcoming reviews will consider these very important environmental, public health and cost considerations and disqualify the Ameron Quarry as a possible landfill site.

Mark Brown
Kaneohe

Home dog breeders couldn’t meet rules

This year’s legislative attempt to stop the breeding and selling of all puppies in Hawaii is not the first time.

During the past several legislatures, the Humane Society of the United States, along with the Hawaiian Humane Society, have had bills introduced with mandatory spay/neuter language for anyone selling a puppy.

This year’s final bill took out that requirement but left in measures that no one who breeds purebred dogs in their home could possibly meet.

They used the Waimanalo situation for publicity. This has become such a polarizing situation that a new organization of local dog owners has been formed, the Hawaii Companion Animal Coalition. We hope that in the future HHS will choose to work with their local friends and former supporters rather than radical animal rights organizations.

Kaye Walsh
Kaaawa

Change fee structure for benefit of patients

Our American health care system has become dysfunctional.

Dominated by financial needs and business administrative practices, it is embroiled in political warfare.

Today we see excessive use of diagnostic tests and studies and inappropriate treatment for some ofour patients.

Our current system of reimbursing our physicians for their services is contributing to these problems. Looming high above is that physicians are finding it difficult to share sufficient time in consultation with their patients.Unable to learn about the nature of the person with the problem, there is a tendency to focus largely upon the disease itself.

We should reimburse many of our physicians through capitation. The primary care physician will be prepaid for providing the services for each patient in his or her practice. Eliminating the hassles of trying to collect fees for the services provided, more time can be found to consult with the physician.

Dr. Donald F. B. Char
Niu Valley

Fire-EMS merger has worked elsewhere

Since my retirement pension is being taxed, and the government spends my taxed money, I wish to talk about government cost savings.

A Honolulu Fire Department-Emergency Medical Services merger would be a cost saving. Using New York as one example, the merger worked, money was saved, all personnel lived in the same fire station, all of the same functions were merged into one, the administrative staff was reduced, and each service maintained its original purpose. Firefighters did not have to become EMTs or paramedics.

Everyone is feeling the government’s burden. An HFD-EMS merger is a reasonable cost-saving measure.

Keoni Ronald May
McCully-Moiliili