Legislature sought to lower cost of ads

Last week’s article on the foreclosure law was a self-serving story by the Star-Advertiser ("Reform law could draw fresh scrutiny," Star-Advertiser, Aug. 6), apparently to preserve its position on the cost of publishing foreclosure ads.

The moving force for change was not RCO Hawaii, but advocates for lenders, condo associations and borrowers concerned that the Star-Advertiser was using its monopoly status to charge more than $2,000 for each ad.

The Mortgage Foreclosure Task Force received numerous complaints about the high costs of ads — costs ultimately passed on to defaulting homeowners. This prompted legislators to amend the law by redefining a "newspaper of general circulation" to increase competition and lower ad costs.

The Star-Advertiser reduced the cost of its ads because of the new law. We should be grateful to legislators who acted to protect Hawaii’s citizens from predatory practices of those who would prey on consumers just to improve their bottom lines.

Jane Sugimura
Member of the 2010-2011 Mortgage Foreclosure Task Force

Unions fail to focus on needed changes

Regarding Jonathan Gillentine’s letter, I wish I had a dollar for every time someone says: "It is the unions that offer protection and due process to public workers when governments attempt to take away these rights" ("Unions essential to democratic U.S.," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 7).

In Hawaii, most public union workers are members of our civil service system, which provides a host of due process protections. But we never hear about these guaranteed protections because they don’t fit with pro-union "talking points," which strive to label efforts to discuss the unique problems associated with public unions as vicious attacks on workers "rights," as opposed to honest attempts to balance public budgets.

As well, those who argue that public unions are essential to a "pluralistic, democratic society" would be wise to keep in mind that these two concepts are rendered void when both sides of the public bargaining table are hand-picked by the same special interest group.

Richard Thomason
Honolulu

‘Marriage’ implies heterosexual union

If the union between two opposite-sex persons was the same as between two same-sex persons, humanity would have ceased eons ago. How can that be argued?

And since the union between two opposite-sex persons has been established as "marriage," why try to call the union of two same-sex persons the same thing? It has got to be different.

Let the latter unions have similar legal rights but don’t call it "marriage."

Robert Henninger
Foster Village

Kailua can’t handle 153 more homes

I see D.R.Horton-Schuler Divisionis aboutto build 153 "upscale" condos in Kailua.

How is this permitted when Kailua is in gridlock daily with all the recent commercial building? Doesn’t anybody care?

Kaneohe Ranch once was a respected landlord who put Kailua first. Now it seems the almighty dollar rules. This is very sad.

Peter Nottage
Kaneohe

Rail actually will cause loss of jobs

There is a substantial risk that the California high-speed rail system (about 30 times longer than Honolulu’s rail project but only 10 times as expensive) will not be completed.

Honolulu rapid transit faces a similar risk for the same reasons: inadequate funding and legal problems.

Under these circumstances, transit-oriented development, the political motivation for this whole thing, will not be forthcoming. Instead, taxpayers will be stuck with a bill for a train to nowhere — a real job killer.

Even if the project were to be completed, it is likely that the benefits would be less than the costs, meaning that the project will shrink the economy, in that the rail-related jobs gained will be offset by jobs lost elsewhere in the economy.

James Roumasset
Economics professor, University of Hawaii

Honolulu coastline is a natural for rail

I’m an occasional visitor to your city, an interested bystander, you might say.

For a city laid out like Hono-lulu, stretched out along a coastline, a rail line is an absolute no-brainer. I think the opposition to this project must come from people who have never experienced a rail-based transit system. Rail travel is slick and fast and beats rubber tires every time.

A rail line will be a boon for you — for commuters, sure, but also for tourists.

Don Rhoads
Bloomington, Ind.

Reid should focus on Senate business

It is small wonder that Congress now enjoys a single-digit job approval rating when the leader of the Senate takes the floor to castigate a presidential candidate, despite an already full agenda requiring Senate action.

Sen. Harry Reid, the leader of a legislative body that has not presented a budget in years, despite the fundamental constitutional responsibility to do so, chooses to rant about a candidate to the Senate in session?There was no relevant legislative action associated with the lecture.

The Senate ought to focus on how to effectively wield its legislative powers rather than wringing its hands over who may lead the executive.Reid is entitled to lecture anyone on his opinion of who the next president should be, but not on our time.

John Hansen
Waipahu