Sen. Solomon didn’t deserve criticism

Auwe to the Star-Advertiser for its article attacking state Sen. Malama Solomon because she has a revocable permit for land from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands ("Parcel contains more homes than rules allow," Star-Advertiser, May 7).

The article clearly states that Solomon’s parcel was landlocked by an adjacent 125-acre pastoral homestead lot her mother, Flora Solomon, leased for 99 years in 1997. Since DHHL did not have an easement on her mother’s lot, DHHL’s alterative was to leave the adjacent parcel un-leased, unmaintained and eventually overgrown with vegetation.

It makes a lot of sense that DHHL issued a revocable permit to a party related to the Flora Solomon, as it assures that the senator’s lot would not become blighted.

We should extend our aloha to Malama Solomon for taking care of her parents and for her being a bright and passionate leader for both the Hawaiian community and the state.

Lono Lyman
Manoa

Obama seeming more like Nixon

If President Barack Obama was so influenced by Hawaii, where is his aloha spirit when dealing with anyone who disagrees with him or his policies?

I never thought anyone could make Nixon look good, but Obama comes close. He is more a product of Chicago than Hawaii.

Jim Mazure
Waikiki

Democrats should back Obama plan

Recently, President Barack Obama unveiled the details of his 2014 budget proposal which includes reforming entitlement programs by slowing the growth in federal benefits, including Social Security and Medicare, through the use of "chained CPI," a new yardstick to measure inflation.

By placing entitlement reform on the negotiating table, the president is demonstrating his willingness and seriousness to seek common ground to achieve compromise with the Republicans in reducing the deficit.

However, many Democrats scorned Obama’s Social Security and Medicare reforms as a betrayal of progressive principles. They are not seeing the entire picture. Obama’s proposal also includes new revenues by eliminating tax breaks and loopholes for the wealthy, and job creation through investment in education and infrastructure, which provide "ladders of opportunity" for those striving to reach the middle class. The president’s proposal is not perfect, but it offers a more sensible and balanced approach. Under the Republicans’ plan, the middle class would do the heavy lifting while lowering tax rates for the wealthy.

Democrats should support the president’s proposal.

Rod B. Catiggay
Mililani

Russians warned us about bomb suspect

As Americans, we may not trust the Russians all that much, but we should say "Thank you" this time.

After observing Tamerian Tsarnaev’s six-month sojourn to Dagestan, the Russians warned us a year ago about the future Boston Marathon terror-bomber. But the FBI, the CIA and the Department of Homeland Security ignored them. They went on to overlook Tsarnaev’s jihadist Internet posts.

The bottom line here is that either the White House isresponsible for such stunning fecklessness —or President Barack Obama needs to start firing people and getting things fixed.

Michael P. Rethman
Kaneohe

Pot legalization needs age controls

There is a big difference between condoning marijuana use and protecting children from drugs ("Feds should cooperate with states over marijuana issue," Star-Advertiser, Jacob Sullum, May 11).

Decriminalization acknowledges the social reality of marijuana and frees users from the stigma of criminal records.

What’s really needed is a regulated market with age controls as passed into state law by Colo-rado and Washington voters.

Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical. As long as organized crime controls marijuana distribution, consumers will continue to come into contact with sellers of hard drugs like cocaine, meth and heroin. This "gateway" is a direct result of marijuana prohibition.

Marijuana is less harmful than legal alcohol. It makes no sense to waste tax dollars on failed marijuana policies that finance organized crime and facilitate the use of hard drugs. Drug policy reform may send the wrong message to children, but I like to think the children are more important than the message.

Robert Sharpe
Policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy, Washington, D.C.

Reinvented toilet has many benefits

Last year, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sponsored a competition to reinvent the toilet for users in the undeveloped world who can’t afford modern sewage infrastructure.

The winning designs are more high-tech than composting toilets and provide more useful by-products, such as fuel, electri- city, and clean water — all without water or sewer connections. Thus, reinvented toilets may also have potential in the developed world.

Compared to the cost of replacing or repairing aging sewage infrastructure, it could be cheaper to create incentives for retrofitting toilets in existing homes and apartments in modern major cities, especially if water becomes more expensive.

In Honolulu, we have both aging sewers and increasing water costs, so perhaps we could require all new homes and apartment buildings to include reinvented toilets, to reduce pressure on our aging sewers while also reducing demand for water.

Tom Brandt
Honolulu

Bookstore is reason for shopping at mall

Barnes & Noble was the only reason I visited Kahala Mall.

I would then shop the other stores, but now I won’t bother.

Paul K. Funkhouser
Wahiawa