State hospitals’ woes complex

I found Dr. Ali Bairos’s commentary ("Unions are main reason state hospitals are broke," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, April 10) to be deeply insulting and regrettable.

Having been extensively involved in health care issues over the past 20 years, including serving as a member of the task force to create the Hawaii Heath Systems Corp., I’m aware of the challenges and complexities of addressing Hawaii’s health care needs.

Bairos should rest assured that key community stakeholders — including leaders from local health care systems, health insurance providers, government and unions — have been meeting and are already working together to come up with a solution to address the sustainability of quality health care for our rural communities.

If Bairos is truly concerned about Hawaii’s health care, he should approach the issue with an open mind and willingness to collaborate. Blaming the unions for HHSC’s financial woes is not only wrong but counterproductive.

Randy Perreira
Executive director, HGEA/AFSCME Local 152

Churches silent on gun control

I have been amazed at the deafening silence of organized religion on the subject of gun control.

Every religion on the planet has as one of its tenets, "Thou Shalt Not Harm Your Fellow Human Being."

The only purpose for a gun is to put a hole in something; be it a beer can, an animal, or a person. If the major religions still have a powerful voice — and I believe they would if they spoke in unity — they could be the one force that might change hearts and stop this madness. Or does the Second Amendment supersede the commandment that forbids killing?

Barbara Mullen
Waimanalo

Tax credits keep solar affordable

The Star-Advertiser has published another hit piece on the solar industry written by the anti-incentive media darling Marcos Mangelsdorf and Jigar Shah ("Phasing out government subsidies will stabilize solar industry," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, April 18).

Although painting the incentive as a public handout for private industry has become a popular tactic, Mangelsdorf and Shah fail to ask the question that matters most: What can Hawaii’s homes and businesses afford? It is the taxpayer who gets the incentive, and ramping down the incentive ramps up the cost for consumers who want to take charge of their bills.

Reducing the incentive from 35 percent to 15 percent would add approximately $6,000 to the average-sized system. Such an abrupt increase would slow the speed and scale of installations, take away the option of outright ownership for many and push consumers toward cheaper products to bring down the cost. With solar less than 2 percent of the generating capacity in Hawaii, is this really the direction Hawaii should take?

Leslie Cole-Brooks
Executive director, Hawaii Solar Energy Association

Best terrorism is no terrorism

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families of the Boston Marathon bombing.A celebration of achievement and triumph was turnedinto a bloodynightmare by evil unknown perpetrators.

Sadly, this was the second successful terrorist attack on Americans within one year; Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012, and Boston on April 15.

It seems the Obama administration has forgotten the lessons of 9/11 — vigilance, be prepared, collect information and connect the dots.

Althoughthepresident has promisedthe bombers will be identified and brought to justice, that process will neverrival prevention.

Rhoads Stevens
Hawaii Kai

Just report, let readers decide

Your Wednesday issue ran the sensational, eye-catching headline, "A clue emerges" (Star-Advertiser, April 17) and breathlessly reported in its lead paragraph that pressure cookers were used in the attack in Boston.

For sure, all readers hope this story ends in justice being done. But please dial down the emotion and, above all, spare us the hype. Your Tuesday issue, for example, ran a photo of a sidewalk near ground zero smeared with blood and trash. Even though it got my blood boiling, it was not news.

"If it bleeds, it leads" is an editorial policy that sells papers. Unfortunately it also scares people. By sticking to straightforward, unemotional stories, photos and headlines, you can help us keep our fears in perspective. Just give us the facts and let us reach our own conclusions.

Jay Henderson
Waikiki