Island Air being poorly managed

I am amazed at all the subterfuge, newspeak and outright deception that has been perpetrated on the flying pubic in Hawaii with regards to Island Air ("Island Air gets expert help as it considers restructuring," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 6).

How is it that at a time when tourism has been increasing yearly throughout the islands, visitors and kamaaina have managed to avoid flying on Island Air? Has it been because of its on-time reliability? Could it be its arrogance in holding a captive market when it comes to serving the people of Molokai and Lanai?

One would have to lay the demise of Island Air solely at management’s feet and subsequently its ownership. This was not a union or personnel-generated problem. Bad management and poor planning; that’s all. Telling us it is going through restructuring is only a means to add more smoke to the mirrors that are already in place.

Vic Craft
Kapolei

Bag fee another hidden state tax

Once again, government is taxing us, calling it a 10-cent shopping bag surcharge.

Before we had plastic bags, stores had a bin close to the front door with empty boxes for customers to pack up their food. Then the boxes were recycled.

The 10-cent surcharge is another hidden government tax. Reusable bags do not help the environment. Reuseable bags will use more water and increase the amount of phosphates into the environment. Reusable bags have to be washed after use to prevent cross-contamination.

If the Legislature is concerned about the environment, then hand out reusable bags to every citizen in Hawaii and bring back the empty box bin at the stores.

Robert Lee
Kailua

Encampment marks freedom

Weekly I hear readers bemoaning the Occupy Honolulu encampment in Thomas Square ("Bring back beautiful Thomas Square park," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Feb. 3).

When I drive by, all I see is the beautiful sight of freedom, democracy, peaceful social justice protest and the American way.

I can guarantee those who complain would find no mess of tents or protesters if they were to visit Tiananmen Square or Red Square.

I find it truly disturbing that so many find peaceful, constitutionally protected free speech in "the public square" so unsettling.

These same citizens, I imagine, would have found the Boston Tea Party an act of civil disobedience and a fouling of the harbor.

It makes me proud that the Occupy Honolulu patriots have resisted, longer than anywhere else in the U.S., local government interference and the disdain of many fellow residents who don’t seem to understand that they protect the right of free speech and assembly for all of us.

Let’s not be caught rooting for the tanks!

Robert Heisler
Waikiki

Oh, now military welcomes women

When are we invited to play in this nearly all-male sandbox ("False logic drives push to have women in combat," Star-Advertiser, Kathleen Parker, Feb. 1)?

When a volunteer military has lowered standards to include males with lower educational levels and criminal records; when suicides among troops are at unprecedented highs; when PTSDs are inadequately given prompt treatment; when wounded warriors’ families are increasingly stressed.

Even beyond this ploy of imperialist America’s determination to remain top military attack dog of the globe, there is this ultimate consideration: President Harry Truman said he lost not one wink of sleep over his decision to order the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Not one wink.

Do we want future and present mothers, wives and other females to become so brutalized, so inured to the horrors of ordinary wars, not to say the inevitable atrocities and massacres? Is this the "equality of opportunity" we have sought? Do not tempt us to join you in your charnel house of war.

Frances Viglielmo
Aina Haina

What is meaning of ‘feral birds’?

I see that the Legislature has gotten a "bird brain" law pending. House Bill 619 would ban the feeding of feral birds. This means a person could not put up a bird feeder on his own property.

Who thought up this one? The hotels? Restaurants? Where is this insanity going to end?

Arthur Sheehan
Kaneohe