Support college of pharmacy

Sen. David Ige is right. We need to invest in maintaining what we have built ("Pharmacy program likely must wait longer for facility," Star-Advertiser, March 16). That includes the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy. Last week I had an eye-opening tour of the various buildings haphazardly housing the students and faculty. Inside the trailers and dilapidated research buildings, are incredibly bright and hardworking faculty and students. Inside the labs were millions of dollars in quality new equipment rusting and walls covered in mold that must be washed by the faculty every month.

These faculty are publishing in top journals, while teaching full time. They have earned our respect and kokua, yet we have them washing their lab walls and dodging dripping rust? We cannot let them go without the building they were promised and deserve. We cannot sacrifice our investment in them and the scientific equipment they use. We should fund their new home. The people of Hawaii deserve it. The legacy of Sen. Inouye deserves it.

Joe W. Ramos
Hawaii Kai

More research needed on GMO

Regarding GMOs, I don’t feel I can make discerning health choices in the absence of evidence. An industry molecular geneticist, focused on the micro, doesn’t possess the kind of training to tell me a GMO is safe. Independent evaluation of safety by experimental biologists with expertise to do well-designed, human, long-term feeding safety studies would help. Without this information, I can’t discern.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of GMOs is based on many untested assumptions about the technology, and our digestion and metabolism of these products. Therefore, I have reason to be cautious. Experience in places where GMOs are labeled shows a minuscule increase in cost. Labeling is a no-brainer.

Mary Barter
Pupukea

Slom wrong on isle cultures

I’m concerned and troubled by a recent article and comments from state Sen. Sam Slom and would like to know who are the "diverse cultures" in Hawaii that do not think it is a crime to have sex with children.

I understand and agree that we need to get tougher on those who would molest our children and that being the only Republican may have been a factor on the 23-1 vote against his proposal, but to say that people in Hawaii, no matter what race, think it’s OK to have sex with children? I don’t think so.

I was born and raised in Hawaii and have never heard of or met anyone who thought it was OK to have sex with children. If Slom knows of these "diverse cultures" he should be targeting them relentlessly with our police department and our Democrats need to take a good look at themselves and help do the right thing.

John Kaleialoha
Mililani

Resume bus for hotel workers

Last year, I collected 639 signatures to petition the city to resume Bus E service to Waikiki. The people of the west side are greatly affected and patiently waiting. W1 is the only express bus that goes to Waikiki, but it is constantly full and packed like a sardine can because it runs at limited times: three times in the morning and three times in the afternoon.

The state depends on tourism and so do we who work in the hotel industry. We need an express bus that runs from morning to late evening because the hotels are open 24 hours. We can’t afford to park in Waikiki and gasoline is sky high. How are we supposed to survive? We have to cut corners by sacrificing to catch the bus.

Geri Padilla
Ewa Beach

City pickups must be timely

Addressing the issue of bulky items left out too early is worthy of action ("City to clear up curbs," Star-Advertiser, March 16). I must say, however, my experience with opala has not been the most positive. On numerous occasions, I have had items left seven to 10 days after scheduled pick up, still on my curb. Many phone calls have been made to inform them they missed our street, or had not stopped by at all.

If citizens will be fined for putting things out too early, maybe a fine should be paid by the city for failure to pick items up in a timely manner. Accountability needs to run both ways.

Pattie Ceci
Hawaii Kai

Contraception bills unwise

House Bill 411 and Senate Bill 1109, which deal with emergency contraception, are making their way though the Legislature. These bills replace doctor and patient choices with government mandated, one-size-fits-all "standards of care," as if patients have no physical, psychological or spiritual differences. Under these bills, medical professionals are treated as if they possess equal levels of knowledge or experience and are required to adhere to cookbook procedures regardless of how antiquated or ill-conceived.

Legislators must amend these bills to exempt facilities and individuals on the basis that life begins at fertilization, as well as accommodating religious objections. No one should be forced to participate in terminating a life. Legislators willing to limit a woman’s health care options and ignore the Constitution’s protection of life and liberty should consider becoming lobbyists for Planned Parenthood.

Mary Smart
Mililani

Red-light cams aren’t van cams

A recent editorial improperly compares the mobile van cams of 11 years ago to red-light cameras ("Case has not been made for red-light cams," Star-Advertiser, Our View, Feb. 24). Van cams were mobile and moved around daily; operators were paid per ticket. They worked, by the way (most people drove the speed limit back then for fear of being ticketed — a great thing!), but those who were ticketed opposed them and forced the program to close.

Red-light cameras are mounted in place and signs warn drivers of their presence. Drivers who run red lights are ticketed, the same as the 3,700 who were cited by police on Oahu in 2012. A car owner who lends the car to someone else who runs a red light has the opportunity to identify the real driver or pay the fine — why is that somehow unfair? If the red-light runner actually kills or injures someone, the red-light runner would be punished. The red-light ticket deters and prevents potential crashes with a financial reminder: Obey traffic laws and don’t put others in peril.

Chad Taniguchi
Executive director, Hawaii Bicycling League

Tent city would be ludicrous

Spending $77 million on the homeless is, in City Councilman Stanley Chang’s own words, a "dumb idea." Considering a tent city near the convention center or on Sand Island is even more ludicrous.

To set up tents for the homeless within the city limits of Honolulu would only create a new garbage dump.

Garbage is what the homeless collect and the city must remove, by the truckload, every time they are relocated.

Chang needs to get his head out of the garbage. If he is so set on setting up a tent city, then do it way, way outside the city limits.

James Robinson
Aiea