‘Scarlet Letter’ days seem upon us again

The Star-Advertiser argues that we should ignore the inconsistency that currently exists within our legal system ("Judicial records should remain open to public," Star-Advertiser, Sept. 27).

In doing so, it embraces the perverse Puritan ethic described in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel, "The Scarlet Letter."

HRS §831-3.2 orders the attorney general to expunge public arrest records under certain clearly defined circumstances. This statute was intended to assist legally forgiven offenders in their future endeavors by removing the stigma or brand of past mistakes.

Apparently the law did not anticipate the implementation of the Judiciary’s Hoohiki website, which provides online public access to information contained in the attorney general’s database. As a result, the expungement process is rendered meaningless.

What seems to be forgotten here is that deferred plea agreements are available to both the guilty and the innocent. Also, not all defendants are found guilty. These duly exonerated individuals should have the right to full record expungement.

Bernard Wilson
Laie

Air show was just ‘bread and circuses’

As I write, I have before me the shocking photo of a 4-year-old gunner featured in your Sunday edition ("Spectacle on high," Star-Advertiser, Sept. 30).

Given this early conditioning of our youth, in which the machinery of war is glorified in a carnival atmosphere,is it any wonder that institutional violence becomes as acceptable — andas American — as apple pie?

Looking at the bigger picture — the setting of a two-day entertainment by Blue Angels in the skies above Kaneohe — we see a classic example of how the leaders of empire throughout history have distracted the citizenry with "bread and circuses." While billions of our taxpayer dollars are wasted in Afghanistan, Iraq and other futile wars, millions more go to sugar-coating and disguising the weaponry’s true purpose — to kill human beings and destroy their environment.

Shame on our military’s trivialization of violence, and shame on us for buying into it.

Wally Inglis
Palolo

Air show neighbors tortured by noise

I hope you can follow up your story on the Blue Angels and report the awful and torturous noise levels in residential neighborhoods, especially over Kailua.

Noise damage to hearing is cumulative. Noise levels in Kailua during Blue Angels overflights were extremely high, probably higher than anybody ever experiences, even if you park on Lagoon Drive beneath the take-off zone. The frail elderly in their 80s and 90s were especially disturbed.

Why did the Blue Angels have to over fly residential communities? They could easily have conducted their show over water.

That the Blue Angels have no respect for local residential communities and believe that they can fly anywhere, any way they want. To me this is disrespectful.

Gene Dashiell
Kailua

Solar tax credits serve social good

I find it amazing that Paul Brewbaker continues to represent tax credits for solar photovoltaic systems as "subsidizing rich people to put PV on their beachfront homes" ("Solar tax credit burnout?" Star-Advertiser, Insight, Sept. 30).

PV installations occur on thousands of homes, businesses, schools, government buildings and nonprofits all over the state.

He is correct that owners of PV systems benefit directly from this technology and the accompanying subsidies through savings on their utility bills. However, when he challenges the "social productivity" of the public investment in PV, he again blatantly ignores the indirect benefits to everyone in the state served by schools, government entities and nonprofits whose tight budgets are also improved.

How could it not be socially beneficial for a school to hire a teacher due to its electricity bill savings?

How could the community not be improved by churches and nonprofits that are able to further their respective missions with additional funds?

I can imagine few better uses for my tax dollars.

John Cheever
Kalani Iki

FAST Plan will ease traffic congestion

It is high time that somebody came up with a transportation plan that would make bus commuting more convenient and faster, but also that will actually relieve the long-ignored problem of traffic congestion on the H-1.

The Flexible, Affordable, Smart Transportation (FAST) Plan that former Gov. Ben Cayetano unveiled recently is bold, innovative and modern.

Ruben Reyes
Waipahu

City doesn’t control Nimitz Highway

I have not read the "new" FAST transportation plan being proposed by the mayoral candidate and former Gov. Ben Cayetano, but I can state with certainty that it is not the City and County of Honolulu that exercises jurisdiction over highways and freeways of Honolulu, and that the Nimitz Highway fly-over extension has been on the books for years, including the eight years that this candidate was the governor.

It sat there on the back burner from neglect or lack of interest by him and his successor, who also had no vision for transportation improvements.

Now as the mayor, he’s going to make all this happen?

He must think that we are really stupid.

Tadahiko Ono
Kaneohe