Roof-top garden is height of irony

Say what?

The governor advocated increasing agricultural production and local food security in his ‘New Day’ plan ("Plan puts garden on Capitol’s roof," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 10).

And to prove this, he wants to put a garden on the fifth-floor deck of the state Capitol?

Where was our fearless leader when 1,600 acres of actual farmland, currently producing fruits and vegetables on the Ewa Plain, was forever taken out of production by the Land Use Commission’s recent approval of D.R. Horton’s Ho‘opili housing project — which will build 12,000 homes atop incredibly fertile, irrigated land that will never again contribute to our "local food security"?

But it all makes sense, when you think about it. This way, Abercrombie can make sure our legislators have access to fresh, locally produced veggies — even if the rest of us have to get ours from California.

Kevin O’Leary
Honolulu

Gay marriage about civil rights

It’s disturbing that the majority of our legislators don’t support the gay marriage bill.

No one is asking everyone to like gay marriage or personally agree with it, but this is about civil rights, not the comfort level of Joe Q. Public.

Desegregation didn’t happen because the white majority decided it was finally OK with it.Forcing the civil rights of Group A to be delayed by Group B is akin to tabling the right of women to vote because not enough men supported the measure.

Pass the bill because it’s the right thing to do. These are the civil rights of adult Americans, pure and simple.

Ariane Gilman
Kaneohe

Question study on gay tourism

Sumner LaCroix’s same-sex marriage and tourism study said more than reported ("Isles stand to lose gay tourists," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 14).

It admits that adoption of same-sex marriage could change visitors’ perceptions of Hawaii and reduce the number of visitors to Hawaii.

This study reports three significant limitations that need to be considered carefully:

» Once the pent-up demand is spent, annual U.S. same-sex marriage rates are likely to be much less than 10 percent, and spending by same-sex couples and their guests after 2016 will be substantially lower than projected in this report.

» The study presents visitor spending results as illustrative rather than definitive.

» A substantial standard error should be attached to the estimates.

Jim Hochberg
President, Hawaii Family Advocates

Waikiki nice but could be better

We have been spending the winter in Waikiki for the past 13 years.

We love our visits. We have seen some good changes like the sidewalks in Waikiki, the sand added to the beaches, and the addition of people in yellow to help answer tourist questions.

Two items concern me and others. The first is eight porta-potties on Kalakaua Avenue and people sleeping on Kalakaua from Kapahulu Avenue to the McDonald’s on Kalakaua.

Police could walk that section every night and have them go elsewhere.

Both situations give a bad impression of Waikiki.

Another change would be to put back the E and B buses. Buses are more crowded than ever before.

Certainly there is enough money to take care of these problems, if the city can pay billions of dollars for rail transit.

Walt and Jeri Cundiff
Bend, Ore.

‘Birds and bees’ bill omits values

In legislation concerning the birds and the bees, there is nothing regarding moral values ("Bill would mandate birds, bees are taught in schools," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 14).

Come to think of it, maybe we shouldn’t want the Legislature setting our moral valuesor trusting the teachers to teach them.

I can hardly wait for the "moral" indignation on this subject.

Doug Worrall
Kahuku