Why the rush on Inouye center?

Why is the University of Hawaii hurrying to build an Inouye Center?

More pressing problems require its attention.

Dilapidated and unkept buildings need fixing or replacement. Improved student housing and athletic facilities and equipment as well as improved academic subsidies and student health care needs await action.

The late Sen. Dan Inouye should be honored, but not with additional taxpayers’ money. Name an already planned building for student daily use after the senator. Or, simply rename the present library, which already has digital ties to the Library of Congress. Or, convert one of the many empty state-owned buildings.

Further, use private money for this and similar ideas. Presidents have built their libraries with private financing; why not the Inouye endeavor?

Hawaii and the federal government are in financial trouble. Why are the UH and state in a hurry to spend money they don’t have? The insanity is mind-boggling.

Wilbur Luna
Kapolei

Obamacare covers Congress

I’m surprised no one has challenged a reader’s false statement that "our elected representatives … exclude themselves and their staffs from the provisions of Obamacare" ("Congress should fall under Obamacare," Letters, Star-Advertiser, Aug. 19).

The opposite is true. Members of Congress and staff are required to join the same health insurance exchanges the Affordable Care Act makes available to the uninsured public.

A provision allows them to continue to receive the same employer contribution to coverage that they have always received under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

The exchange requirement originated as a political stunt in 2009 by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, who wanted to show that congressional Democrats would refuse to accept the same coverage they were designing for others. The Democrats called his bluff.

Those who whine about a congressional "exemption" are either ill-informed or deliberately deceptive.

David Monk
Kalama Valley

Kailua overrun by tourists

I am a long-time Kailua resident; I have lived, worked and shopped in Kailua for years.

We have been overrun by tourists. They are shipped to Kailua by the busload twice a day in yellow tourist buses, and someone has built a private permanent bus stop for them.

All day long, you also will find three or more white tourist buses in the Macy’s parking lot coming and going.

We have brought this up before the City Council about limiting the number of buses of tourists. It dies in committee because, we believe, the Council is more concerned about making money than the welfare of us Kailua residents.

There are ads in the tourist magazines in Waikiki saying, "Come to quaint Kailua Town and feel like a local!"

We don’t need any more "locals."

Kyle King
Kailua

Bishop fighting for losing cause

Bishop Larry Silva says "to discriminate between heterosexual and same-sex couples regarding marriage is not unjust discrimination" ("Lawmaker changes mind about session on gay marriage," Star-Advertiser, Aug. 23).

Thebishop is fighting a battle that he has already lost but he just doesn’t know it yet.

Discrimination is wrong. It was wrong toput Japanese-Americans in concentration camps. It was wrong to have African-Americans drink from the colored-only water fountains.

The Catholic Church long ago accepted laws that allow what they define as "sin." St. Thomas Aquinas accepted laws allowing prostitution.The government accepted legalized divorce. Both are against Catholic teaching. The bishop is entitled to his political opinion, but so are the faithful.

The latest Quinnipiac University poll found that Catholics support same-sex marriage 54 percent to 38 percent. Other religions support same-sex marriage by even wider margins.

Silva shouldbe warning about priests in the Catholic Church who have been sexually molesting innocent little boys for years.

Walter Mahr
Mililani

Gay marriage should be legal

After having to fly to New York City to get married — as our civil union in Hawaii would not afford me the benefits guaranteed under the strike-down of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) — we now find that several federal benefits still are not afforded to us due to the fact that our place of domicile does not have marriage or recognize our marriage from another state.

Please don’t force Hawaii citizens to move in order to be guaranteed equal treatment under the law.The time for marriage equality is now. Let’s have a special session and bring equality to all people of Hawaii nei.

Doran and Kali Porter
Kaneohe

Gay marriage can wait longer

What the heck is the big rush to push same-sex marriage?

Who has checked to see what the voters really have to say? Before, it was no.

Special session?We have a session starting in just a few months, so why can’t it wait instead of spending extra money for a special session? The economy is still sluggish and I am sure that the monies needed for a special session could well be used for other, more useful purposes to enhance some of the cutback areas we are experiencing.

There already are civil unions here; that should suffice till the next legislative session.

Ben Johnson
Waipahu

Rush-hour plan not working well

OK, let’s just give up on the poorly planned and executed experiment along South King Street of having the mauka "No Parking" rule during the evening rush hour removed.

It was misguided from the onset. Perhaps to the surprise of the state or city, Young Street is the designated bicycle route from the university area into downtown from the east side.

By removing the "No Parking" signs, the commute home time has more than doubled. The added difficulty of having TheBus weaving in and out of traffic at stops, as well as the additional air pollution, make this a failed experiment.

We do not need to be exposed to this experiment any longer as we know that it is a failure.

Rick Conroy
Kaimuki

D.C. shutdown could end well

Washington is all adither over the possibility that the government may face a shutdown if theU.S. House of Representativesdoesn’t go along with the president’s health care plan and refuses to fund it.

What’s wrong with letting the government shut down? It’s been dysfunctional for the past 41⁄2 years.

Perhaps with a government shutdown, reasonable heads would finally prevail and do what’s necessary to get America back on track.

Hamilton Winston
Kailua