Marriage not basis of society

The comments on gay marriage by Petty Officer Jeff Priela and attorney James Hochberg expose both humanitarian and self-serving views ("For better … or worse?" Star-Advertiser, Insight, March 24).

Priela discussed real, 21st-century American issues affecting many gays and lesbians.

Traditions change with time and experiences. Commonly accepted values are sometimes discarded in favor of new ideas as we open our eyes to injustices inflicted on our citizens.

Hochberghas argued several untruths. To the contrary, marriage is not the fundamental building block for all of human civilization. Civilization is based on culture, science, intellect and government.

Protecting marriage is not society’s time-tested way to bless children with both a mom and a dad. We all know of gay and lesbian couples, and single moms and dads, who have reared wonderful, loving,productive children. The uniqueness of marriage is not the reason itwas established. For many centuries, and still today in many countries, marriages are pre-arranged, often for economic reasons.

The enemy of marriage is divorce, not the legal status of the couple down the street.

Garrett F. Saikley
Robert D. Carpenter
Hawaii Kai

Ban smoking at our beaches

Finally, a City Council that wants cleaner Hawaiian beaches ("Bill to ban smoking on E. Oahu beaches," Star-Advertiser, March 21).

Hopefully our current mayor will agree with the wishes of the majority.

Alvin Wong
Pearl City

Hawaii sticks it to businesses

The letter from Charles Prentiss leaves out one important detail ("Raise business taxes to pay for road fixes," Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 21).

While quick to point out his master’s degree in public finance, he neglects to tell you business property tax rates are already three times residential ones. You pay $2,500 on your $750,000 house, but the business owner pays $7,500 for his $750,000 property.

Hawaii is among top five worst business climates year after year with its liberal "stick it to business" mentality.

As you now see in California, businesses that can simply move to a more business-friendly state, taking their tax revenues with them and leaving a larger burden for the general public to shoulder.

Erich Wida
Kaneohe

Fix roads right this time around

I’ve been following your investigation into the sad state of our roads — a lot of technical stuff, making it all sound logical.

However, the H-2 and H-3 have virtually no potholes or cracks. The H-3 is 15 years old and much of the pavement is even older. The H-2 is even older than that. Heavy trucks use them every day. Yet, when you enter or exit these freeways, you are back on Hawaii’s Third World roads.

Is there something different about the specs required to get federal highway money? Maybe the mayor and the governor should compare them. Clearly, there are ways to make our roads last longer.

Kudos to the mayor for trying to find road repair money, but let’s not waste it.

Brian Barbata
Kailua

Tax applies only to soda drinkers

Andrea Gall-Krasnick completely discredits her argument when she states that each year millions of people lose hundreds of pounds (do the math) and get healthy ("Laws not needed to fight obesity," Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 23).

She fails to fully recognize and acknowledge that in previous years those millions of people gained millions of pounds and cost society untold millions of dollars in productivity, health care costs and increased insurance rates for all.

That incomprehensible loss simply doesn’t disappear when the obese "made their own personal commitment to make healthier food choices and exercise regularly."

As founder and owner of Aloha Friday Beverage Co., she may be blinded by the fact that easy access to cheap sugar-filled drinks is one of the reasons we are currently in the midst of an unprecedented obesity epidemic poised to capsize our health care system.

No, you can’t tax people to be healthy, but if you’re healthy, you don’t need to worry about any type of soda tax.

Pat Kelly
Wilhemina Rise

Red-light cams are hidden tax

In regards to your readers’ comments about red-light cameras in Hawaii, I would like to share my experience with this technology because I believe this is not about safety but about generating revenue.

Once installed, the city can, as is done in my city, change the timing of the traffic lights in order to effect a higher rate of red-light violations.

Also, the red-light technology is made available on a shared-revenue basis with the manufacturer; my municipality pays $20 of each violation back to the owner of the technology, who I am sure is motivated by the revenue stream and not the traffic-safety issues.

My city takes in almost $35 million annually for digitally recorded traffic infractions, which is no small amount. This is categorically a hidden tax and a slippery slope you may want to avoid.

Bob Winfield
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Don’t pave over Hawaii Kai site

It was heartwarming to learn that the residents of Hawaii Kai prefer natural open space to more shopping options.

It was depressing to learn that the landowner links paving over paradise to put up another shopping center with providing Hawaiian culture and building community.

Most sad is Foodland’s relentless action to force-feed its business upon that community when just three miles down the road it already has a store, Foodland Aina Haina.

Evangeline Yacuk
Hawaii Kai

Sequestration is going to hurt

Starting April 26, all of Hawaii’s 20,000 defense federal workers will feel sequestration with mandated one-day-a-week furloughs and an immediate 20 percent pay reduction.

The result will be less state income tax revenues paid by Hawaii’s professional working class, less spending by furloughed workers and their families on dining, entertainment and shopping, and more second-job seekers looking to augment their pay.

Sequestration’s across-the-board cuts will soon have devastating implications for defense-related businesses and workers. As funding contracts in the coming months and years, these businesses will shrink or fold and be driven to lay off workers.

Going forward, we need candid answers. Are our congressional leaders doing all they can to prevent sequestration? Are our state leaders ready for a smaller budget? Are our businesses ready for less consumer demand? Is our job market ready for more job seekers? Are our defense businesses ready for cuts?

Christopher Nagelvoort
Kapahulu