Politicians should serve their terms

Every election day, I dutifully head to the polls to cast my vote for candidates for public office.

I expect candidates who seek public office to represent their constituents for the terms for which the offices mandate.

However, my expectations are sorely misplaced, as it seems that the individual political ambitions of some of our elected officials take higher priority than the duties bestowed upon them for the offices they sought.

Tulsi Gabbard failed to finish her first term as City Councilwoman to campaign for the 2nd congressional district, and now Brian Schatz, rather than fulfilling his first term as lieutenant governor, is applying to be appointed to the recently vacated Senate seat held by the late Sen. Daniel Inouye. Even Colleen Hanabusa, who just campaigned and won re-election in November, wants to abandon her current office for a new one.

At this point, I question why I vote, since it appears the office eventually will eventually be filled by someone who has been appointed rather than elected.

Gerald Martens
Pauoa Valley

High-paid officials don’t need bonuses

I want to comment on the salary and bonuses for the new incoming athletic director as reported in the Star-Advertiser ("UH’s new AD will earn more than predecessors," Star-Advertiser, Dec. 15).

Ben Jay is certainly qualified to be Hawaii’s new AD, and I am sure we are fortunate to have him on board. His base salary is $293,000. My issue is with his base pay and bonuses.

Based on the Star-Advertiser’s article, the new AD can make well over $75,000 in bonuses if certain University of Hawaii teams perform accordingly. I believe this is wrong.Why should one person benefit so handsomely at a state government job?I will introduce legislation this year to limit future bonuses of any state employees making over $275,000 to no more than $25,000.

High-income, publicly paid administrators should not expect high bonuses that the majority of public workers do not receive.In the end, UH students and taxpayers pay for the high bonuses.

Sen. Will Espero
District 20 (Ewa, Honouliuli, Ewa Beach)

Keep animal cruelty in legal perspective

Courts do take animal cruelty seriously. They just don’t take it past all nonsensical bounds.

The Hawaiian Humane Society wanted to give that dog-breeding manager more prison than Kirk Langford, the killer of Masumi Watanabe. More prison than the Australian boy with the jet ski.

Since the HHS was not the victim, they have no standing to request restitution. The laughably large amount makes them lose all credibility. The animals are the victims, not the HHS.

It is the people who petition for stricter laws who are wholly responsible for the animals’ conditions. Stricter laws equal higher cost of pets, which in turn drives these puppy mills. Tightening regulations drive up prices, creating a marginal market for exactly what the HHS attempts to destroy. Judge Glenn Kim’s sentence was absolutely judicious and fair.

Love your pets like your children, but they’re not. Do not expect the courts to treat them as such.

Marcus L. Landsberg
Waikiki

Courts are where to make examples

Judge Glenn Kim apparently did not review the horrid pictures of the voiceless animals under David Becker’s ruthless care or he just doesn’t get it ("Man gets 6 months in puppy mill case," Star-Advertiser, Dec. 20).

If serving time in jail since June counts toward time served, then so be it, but I am appalled that he will not have to pay a fine or settle monetary issues with the Hawaiian Humane Society.

Why is Becker allowed to just walk away from any responsibility for the inhumane crime he committed to those animals? What kind of message does that send?

Kim claims that the courts are not the place to "set an example." What other place than the court of law would be the best place to let people know that if you break the law, you will face the consequences? What just happened here clearly sent the wrong message to both the criminals and innocent alike.

Shame on you, Judge Kim.

Deborah Kaneshiro
Hawaii Kai

Boost punishment for animal cruelty

Circuit Judge Glenn Kim is no friend to man’s best friend or to the people who work hard to protect animals from people like David Becker.

If the law truly dictated such a light sentence, the law needs to be changed.

Colleen Haviland
Mililani

Younger generation will learn to like rail

The City and County of Honolulu is in dire need of a rail transit system. This island can never construct sufficient highways to meet the travel needs of our residents.

As a lifetime resident of Hawaii, we have been talking about a rail system for more than 25 years. Can you imagine how much we would have saved if we had built one then? It’s never going to get cheaper.

Today we all rely on automobiles for transportation. We are "car" people. As our population increases, we’ll have more. We’ve got to give our people another alternative for travel — primarily go-to-work travel. We older people will find it hard to change, but if we give our children a rail alternative now, when they mature they might decide that the automobile is not necessary to get to work.

We must have a rail system now. Our roads alone will never meet our needs.

Roy Benham
Honolulu