Obamacare benefits being oversold?

I am thrilled to learn that, according to David Chappell’s letter and Democratic political posturing,Obamacare will accomplish two wonderful goals: Provide more coverage for more people and lower my own health insurance premiums ("Obamacare about burden sharing," Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 1).

I hope this will be the case, but forgive me for being skeptical that I’ll see a drop in my premiums.

If this is not a goal or economically realistic, I implore those who keep campaigning on this promise to stop beating that drum.

Kris Schwengel
Hawaii Kai

Punishment needed for stream dumping

I totally agree with Carroll Cox that those responsible for dumping hundreds of truckloads of concrete into the Mailiili Stream should be punished ("Concrete put into stream costing city $1.2 million," Star-Advertiser, April 19).

It’s outrageous to think that all this concrete was just dumped in a stream, given that the PVT landfill is just a few miles away.

The Waianae Coast has been the dumping ground for our island for far too long. A transfer of a manini amount of money from the city to the state isn’t going to solve anything. If we don’t take these kinds of environmental crimes more seriously, our paradise will simply fade away.

Vanessa Davies
Mililani

Jones Act is not main barrier to LNG

Criticism of the Jones Act relating to liquid natural gas (LNG) vessels is premature.

Most marine LNG loading and storage facilities require a substantial investment of capital and resources as well as safe, isolated sites to load and discharge this highly explosive cargo. Large tankers loaded with LNG have the potential to create disasters of epic proportions.

The Jones Act has provided Hawaii consumers with a stable and reliable supply of goods and decent-paying jobs since 1920. It’s been supported by every president since Woodrow Wilson, including Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Generals like Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf have voiced their support of it as being vital to supply our armed forces in time of war and peace.

Louis Mendez
Honolulu

Ban will cripple Kailua businesses

Council Bill 11 was proposed to save Kailua Beach from invasion, but it will have little impact on the 1 million Honolulu residents and 800,000 visitors a year who drive to America’s best beach, or tour buses, or commercial deliveries into Lanikai.

If Bill 11 passes, it will kill three small businesses, eliminate 100 jobs and make Kailua beach less accessible to taxpayers who have the right to use the beach just as much as the folks in Lanikai.

Rather than abusing these businesses, the city and state should designate the Kawainui Canal kayak launch area for these deliveries.

Bill 11 will increase unemployment, reduce visitor spending and do nothing about beach traffic. It is extremely unfair to Kailua town small-business operators and their customers. A traffic cop in front of Kalapawai Market would do significantly more than Bill 11 to solve the traffic problems at Kailua beach.

Will Page
Kailua

‘Biodegradable’ can be misused term

The city’s proposed ban on plastic bags is a good idea but has gaping holes in the definition of biodegradable plastic bags.

First, unless there is periodic, random testing of the biodegradability of the bags themselves, then anyone could sidestep the law by merely imprinting, "biodegradable" and the 3-arrow symbol on any old plastic bag. I’ve seen some around Hawaii and they do not break down completely.

The Federal Trade Commission’s "Green Guides" say that a product is degradable, biode-gradable or photodegradable if the entire product or package "will completely break down and return to nature … within a reasonably short period of time after customary disposal."

I believe that loosely written legislation such as Bill 10 will exacerbate plastic bag biodegradable claim fraud in order to sidestep the law.

Von Kenric Kaneshiro
Liliha

Bag ban is all about imposing more fees

It was so ironic that the very week the Honolulu City Council passed the bill to ban the "pesky plastic bags," the newspaper published photos of people filling plastic bags with rubbish on Earth Day. In the future, should they empty the rubbish out of a recyclable bag and take it home to wash?

Healthwise, when I shop for groceries, I would rather have the meat, butter, milk, eggs, vegetables, fruits and frozen items and anything else put in a nice clean plastic bag that will not drip all over my feet before I get home.

The whole idea of this is to impose more fees — fees that never are used for the original intention.

Margaret M. Giles
Honolulu

Cayetano was just being honest

I have always had great respect for U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye for all the many things he has done for the state of Hawaii.

Regarding the race for mayor of Honolulu and the remarks made by former Gov. Ben Cayetano, Inouye was quoted as saying he "was deeply offended by the statements and negative tactics attributed to Gov. Cayetano."

Inouye may have been offended, but Cayetano was just being honest.

A recent editorial stated that Cayetano was doing a "disservice" to the people regarding the rail issue ("Cayetano’s rail tactics a disservice," Star-Advertiser, Our View, March 18). His response: "Since when is telling the public the truth a disservice?"

During Cayetano’s years as governor, he made many controversial statements. However, he could always support it with facts and data, likewise regarding the rail issue.

Roy Komoto
Kaneohe