Neighbors were notified

Lyn Stobie suggests that neighbors were not adequately notified of Aloha Kai’s proposed project on Atkinson Drive ("Developer failed to tell neighbors," Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 3).

However, the city’s corporation counsel has confirmed that Aloha Kai indeed complied with all notification requirements under the Land Use Ordinance. In addition, the city Department of Planning and Permitting and the Planning Commission both recommended granting the zoning change needed for the project.

Stobie said the proposed Aloha Kai condominium will affect her view. Unfortunately, there is no legal basis for protecting views from future development.

It is important to recognize that there are always risks in real estate, and that if pre-existing views were protected, most of urban Honolulu — including Stobie’s apartment — would not exist today.

Steve Graef
General manager/ senior project manager, Group Pacific (Hawaii) Inc.

Integrity seems in scarce supply

Does integrity matter anymore? Look at recent examples of bad behavior.

Mark Sanford, the governor of South Carolina, was missing for six days. Even his wife didn’t know his whereabouts; he was meeting his mistress. He just got elected to the U.S. House.

Former Congressman Anthony Weiner was sexting online, denied it for several days, then finally admitted that he had in fact tweeted explicit photos of himself to six women over a three-year period. He has a good chance of becoming the next mayor of New York City.

Eliot Spitzer, former governor of New York, spent about $80,000 for prostitutes over several years. This activity came to light when his bank reported some suspicious money transfers. He is running for New York City comptroller, the chief fiscal officer of the city.

Whatever happened to Martin Luther King’s phrase, "the content of their character?" Should we consider that in our elected officials?

John Berry
Makiki

Racism lives, even in Hawaii

I strongly believe Christopher Deedy will not get a fair trial in Hawaii.

If the trial was in a federal court, this would be fair and impartial. This is Hawaii’s version of the George Zimmerman/ Trayvon Martin trial.

I am hoping this trial has the same result with the self-defense verdict as did the Zimmerman case.

When an officer of the law, federal agent or anybody is threatened for their life, both physically and with verbal racial slurs, self-defense is clearly the proper verdict.

Be prepared for an outrage if Deedy is cleared of all charges.

Racism is alive and well. We may have a black president, but people will be people, and racism remains the silent, subliminal bigotry that never seems to go away, even in the so-called "Aloha State."

James "Kimo" Rosen
Kapaa, Kauai

Story on family was a good call

I agree with Diane D. Ackerson about the Christopher Deedy murder trial coverage ("Trial coverage too sensationalist," Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 13).

If I read nothing more about it until it’s settled, it would be fine.

However, I was enchanted with the article about the family of Tammy Nguyen, who died in a horrific shooting ("A mother’s love," Star-Advertiser, July 10). That did deserve front page. I enjoyed reading about how well they’re doing and their trip to Vietnam to meet their mom’s parents.

More like that!

Deborah Aldrich
Haleiwa

GMO fears lack scientific basis

In reference to Libby Yee’s letter about her concern over GMO (genetically modified organism) safety while supporting Hector Valenzuela’s stand against GMO crops, I offer my personal story ("Valenzuela right about GM crops," Star-Advertiser, July 6).

I have been eating GMO papayas daily for some 15 years since they were introduced and prefer them over the non-GMO variety. The Rainbow papaya is an excellent, high-quality fruit and so is the GMO sweet corn, which I prefer over the non-GMO variety.

I am a retired senior citizen in very good health, working out daily at the gym doing weight and cardio training, going to yoga classes weekly and swimming daily in the pool and ocean, preparing myself for ocean races.

These products are supposed to be bad for you, but I am a living example of the fallacy of this myth.

Yee does a great disservice to the citizens of Hawaii by promulgating scare tactics without any solid scientific data.

Allen Teshima
Makiki