Unions essential to democratic U.S.

Edwin Newton misses the point ("Unions should support GOP," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 4).

In addition to a fair wage, it is the unions that offer protection and due process to public workers when governments attempt to take away these rights.

We have already seen what happens when we rely on capitalism to create living wages for middle-class families. It hasn’t worked in the past and it certainly won’t work the way the Republican Party is trying to take us. We cannot stand idly by when politicians like Mitt Romney assure us we are spending too much money on teachers, firefighters and police while gutting and pillaging U.S. companies, outsourcing their jobs overseas for cheaper labor and leaving American workers with nothing.

Rep. Marcus Oshiro is correct ("Unions must get out the vote," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 1). Voting, and unions, are an essential part of a pluralistic, democratic society.

Jonathan Gillentine
Kaneohe

‘Sense of place’ comments bogus

Republican Bob McDermott’s comments about "Hawaiian sense of place" and celebrating "the host culture" are hypocritical because it is his ilk that has done the most damage to both. ("New District 40 features wide-open field," Star-Advertiser, Aug. 4).

In fact, politicians and architects invoke a "Hawaiian sense of place" to disguise the true effects of every new development — the ongoing destruction of virtually all lands that were once Hawaiian.

And "host culture?" There is no "host culture" in Hawaii, certainly not among kanaka maoli. A ‘‘host" person or culture is one that invites and makes welcome new arrivals or guests. It is impossible to see how Native Hawaiians can be considered "hosts" to an occupying army and a flood of mostly unwelcome settlers taking possession of native lands.

Nothing short of independence for Native Hawaiians can even begin to address the massive crimes of place and vocabulary about which so many of us are guilty.

Joel Fischer
Waialae-Kahala

Chick-Fil-A’s CEO deserves picketing

Regarding the ongoing Chick- Fil-A pilikia on the mainland, I for one wish we had a franchise here on Oahu, so that I could picket outside during my long retirement days.

Aren’t there any Hawaii companies with bigoted CEOs willing to step forward and express their homophobia or racism so the people of Hawaii can respond, and hopefully send them back where they came from?

Michael Wilson-South
Palolo Valley

Oi exposes mistakes of land commission

I wish that Cynthia Oi were a member of the state Land Use Commission.Her columns expose mistakes being made that enrich developers and turn our idyllic homeland into "Anywhere, U.S.A."

Why are developers being given permits to build higher than present height limits? Why is a developer planning not only to exceed a height limitation on a hotel but also extend the hotel closer to the ocean’s edge? Hasn’t anyone heard about rising sea levels?Why isn’t the Land Use Commission acknowledging the fact that our water supply depends on nature’s bounty and not a developer’s wish?

Yes, there will be more construction jobs. But I would be willing to bet that many of them will be filled by imported laborers, designers, engineers, etc.

Mandy Bowers
Manoa

City transit agency should be audited

Recent articles in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser paint a dismal picture of the future of a bus system that serves all of Oahu but praise an unaffordable rail system that would serve only a portion of the island.

The financial condition of TheBus seemed to appear without warning, causing one to wonder if the subject was addressed when the tax increase was enacted to fund the rail project.

Coinciding with the disruptive changes in the bus system, visitor arrivals jumped to more than 3.9 million, with a goal of 7.9 million for the year. Most of the visitors stay on Oahu and thousands use TheBus daily.Long delays to board overcrowded buses does not encourage visitors, butperhaps city Transportation Director Wayne Yoshioka would prefer an increase in rental cars on our streets.

We need a thorough review of the city Department of Transportation Services to make sure TheBus can efficiently serve residents and visitors on Oahu.

Roger D. Van Cleve
Waikiki

Rail will help shield us from oil volatility

Because rail will operate, in part, on renewable electric energy, it will help shield us from the volatile price of oil. As renewable energy makes up an increasingly larger portion of our electrical power, rail will become even greener.

In the past 10 years, oil has gone from $22.81 a barrel to $93.02, a 320 percent increase, and spiking to over $147 in July 2008.

News media have ignored the effects of energy prices on our oil-reliant state. By the time the rail project is operating, the cost of a gallon of gas in Hawaii could easily be around $8 or even $10 a gallon. Energy conservation is one of many good reasons to support this project.

We need rail’s energy benefits for our island to continue to thrive. If we remain completely reliant on petroleum-powered transportation, like buses, we are one natural disaster or political crisis away from our energy fount being shut or drastically reduced.

Will Fuller
Kailua