Dump Ansaldo while we still can

The article about canceled train deals for Ansaldo should have been on the front page for all to see ("Dutch, Belgians scrap train deals," Star-Advertiser, June 5).

To be clear, I think the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is an expensive boondoggle that will prove to be a huge burden on the taxpayers without much public benefit. But, since it appears that rail will be built anyway, I would at least like it to be as good as it can be.

The red flags are flying everywhere so far as Ansaldo is concerned, and HART needs to dump them sooner rather than later.

During his long business career, I am sure HART Chairman Don Horner has seen his share of companies that talk big but obviously cannot deliver.I hope he and the HART board will bite the bullet and realize Ansaldo is such a company.

Jim King
Hawaii Kai

Men with poor character at fault

Harry W. Russell’s comment that military women and men should be separated reeks of a time when military readiness depended upon maximizing the capability of only the males, many of whom were undesirable ("Keep men, women in military separate," Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 3).

Illegitimate children have followed in the wake of everywhere our all-male military was during those times. Many of those children were the result of rape.

As a 24-year retired Navy and Army veteran, and the mother of two daughters who also became military women, I can speak with credibility. Men who assault women do not belong in the military. Those are the same men who would assault civilian women as long as they are in proximity. Don’t blame military women — get rid of men who bring dishonor to the uniform.

Kapuanani Virginia Lee Johnson
New Cairo, Egypt

Separating sexes can make sense

Harry W. Russell makes a good point, I think, to suggest separation of men and women in the services ("Keep men, women in military separate," Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 3).

The public paragons of self-control haven’t been very evident in our culture since the 1960s. Of course, the basic of consent is missing in assault cases, but I digress.

When I went through basic training for the Air Force in the late ’70s, the textbooks actually had makeup lessons in them! (The class had been dropped, but the texts hadn’t been reprinted yet.) How relevant is that to a warfighter?It seemed ridiculous to me, but only demonstrates the struggle the male military leaders were having in order to accommodate the integration movement.

Separate military units would ease the apparent tension and could afford the female units a chance to prove themselves. There is nothing like earned respect to eliminate abuse.

Mary Livingston
Waianae

Fair tax would end IRS abuses

Ramesh Ponnuruneglects to acknowledge the solution to the past, ongoing and future abusesto the American taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service ("The real IRS scandal," Star-Advertiser, June 5).

The "Fair Tax," a national consumption tax, addresses and defines each of Ponnuru’s concerns. It abolishes the IRS, repeals the 16th Amendment, is revenue neutral and funds Social Security and Medicare fully.

If enacted, the Fair Tax would do away with filing a tax return, eliminate corporate and personal income taxes and make April 15 just another sweet spring day.

It would let every person in America pay his or her fair share of the cost of government painlessly. It would do away with having to keep receipts and tax records or take time to file a return or pay someone to do it for you. Real tax relief at last.

Bill Kaleiwahea
Salt Lake

PUC should look in the mirror

Any person in Hawaii will tell you that Hawaiian Electric Co. has high rates and poor service ("Commission berates power company for bad service, high rates," Star-Advertiser, June 4).

What is the good of the Public Utilities Commission, on the one hand, to berate HECO for high rates and poor service and, on the other, to approve high rates and poor service?

Who is PUC representing, the people or HECO?

Robert Flair
Kailua