Burial protocol not followed

I am a Native Hawaiian whose ohana has a long and illustrious genealogy dedicated to our Hawaiian culture and values. But what is the appropriate protocol for interments at Mauna Ala?

My research presented different views; however, several Hawaiian sources declare the decision should be by our Hawaiian community and not by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).

Our Hawaiian community upholds the sovereignty and sacredness of Mauna Ala, the Royal Mausoleum. Self-determination mandates that all Hawaiian issues must be evaluated by ka po‘e Hawai‘i.

Why is DLNR not following the law?

Engage the people first.

Juanita Brown Kawamoto
McCully

Article on JPAC was insulting

I was very disappointed to see that you chose to place The Associated Press’ very poorly written article on JPAC on your front page ("Bumbling mars effort to tally, ID missing GIs," July 8).

Completely devoid of facts or evidence, it not only insults the hundreds of military and civilian Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command personnel who have spent countless hours toiling in the worst conditions imaginable trying to bring our MIAs home, it adds to the anguish of families who have waited so long for closure.

As a former member of JPAC (2007-2010), I can tell you that nothing in the story sounds like what I witnessed, which was dedicated professionals doing their best to accomplish a very tough mission.

I know in this day and age that facts are a mere inconvenience for most news outlets, but I have come to expect more from the Star-Advertiser.

What you should have done is taken the allegation and started an in-depth investigative report to determine its truthfulness.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Dan Wilson
Mililani

Time for JPAC to pack it up

As I noted in my critical commentary last year, I was forewarned by a then-local four-star general that JPAC is considered by politicians as politically "untouchable" ("JPAC’s honorable mission no longer worth the cost," Island Voices, Star-Advertiser, Nov. 14, 2012). This is because a few get energized when threats arise to JPAC’s funding, no matter how expensive and irrelevant its efforts may be.

As I wrote then, I have no quibble with the notional nobility of JPAC’s mission or the quality of the lab’s forensic experts. Rather, the problem is that unidentified remains are ever more remote in both venue and time. The former makes JPAC expeditions outrageously expensive. The latter makes attempts to recover ancient remains increasingly irrelevant.

Over the next few years, JPAC should wind up its efforts and go out of business. Subsequently, the military’s Graves Registration bureaucracy should contract out the occasional need to identify remains as needed. Unfortunately, the federal government — and Hawaii’s delegation is a leader in this — is increasingly unable to prioritize its expenditures as federal budget deficits run wild.

Michael P. Rethman
Kaneohe

Teachers should get big raise, too

Congratulations to the State of Hawaii Police Officers union (SHOPO) for its recent award of a 16.8 percent pay raise over the next four years. I am deeply appreciative of all that our police departments do to keep Hawaii safe.

However, I see a major discrepancy between the police’s raise and the recent change in pay for Hawaii’s public school teachers. After two years under a "last, best and final offer" that cut wages by 5 percent and increased health care costs, teachers approved a contract this April that gives a nearly 10 percent raise over the next three years.

Teachers also provide for the health, safety and future of a community. I know too many teachers who work second jobs to pay their bills. I personally am leaving teaching, in part because I do not see it as a sustainable or financially secure career choice.

In the future, I hope our state better supports our teachers and recognizes their significant contributions to their community.

Eva Ruskiewicz
Mountain View, Hawaii island

Sickout by cops was shameful

Shame on the East Honolulu police officers who staged the recent sickout.

This job action is prohibited by union contract, and rightfully, as it jeopardizes public safety and places undue burden on officers who do the right thing and come to work.

East Honolulu taxpayers are better served by police officers spending their discretionary time visibly patrolling or addressing chronic speeding like that which occurs on Luawai Street. Parked congregated out of view at Kahala Mall or elsewhere does not serve the public interest.

Bravo to the East Honolulu patrol captain for demonstrating engaged and accountable leadership. This leadership style almost always comes at a personal cost — and sometimes a professional cost.

I hope this captain is receiving the support of the "fourth floor" at HPD.

Ron Bode
Kaneohe

Tinted windows of cars too dark

I don’t recall the law limiting the darkness of vehicle window tints being repealed, but it must have happened, right?

Nearly every day, I see a car or truck with windows so dark the driver cannot be seen at all. It doesn’t take a detective or a light-meter to see this; it is plainly visible to anyone on the street. Why is this rule being ignored now?

The inconsistent application of laws regarding vehicles is widely accepted when it comes to tires projecting beyond bumpers and "off-road use only" exhaust systems — and we all pay the price for the noise and increased danger of thrown debris. But when officer safety and basic vehicle operation are com- promised, I’m surprised that nobody seems to care.

Dan Weyant
Kaaawa