GOP should fix mess it created

Ever since the Republicans took over the House, starting in January2011, they have passed two minor bills.

In the meantime, they have threatened to shut down the government or default on our debt seven times.

They were gleeful about this actually happening as they came out of their conference meeting on Sept.28. Now that it has actually happened they blame their opponents.

I can understand why the Democrats will not negotiate now, because they have been trying to get the Republicans to negotiate for the past six months. Republicans have just stalled until there was a shutdown.

Republicans should own up to their mess and fix it. Put the already agreed-upon continuing resolution up for a vote without delay and without any preconditions.

Sandra M. Barker
Hawaii Kai

Boehner agenda shames America

As much as the pecking order of power goes to the speaker of the House after the vice president, Republican leader John Boehner is abusing his power.

If he’s so sure that the majority of Republicans will not approve an end to the shutdown, he should call his own bluff and have them vote to end this fiasco.

Boehner’s personal agenda is holding back rational and moral Republicans who want to do the right thing.

As the hegemonic country of the world, America has been put to shame by this economic standoff.

Han Song
Kaneohe

News building worth keeping

David Cheever and Robert Fox ("News Building boasted quality architecture and journalism," Star-Advertiser, Keep Hawaii Hawaii, Oct. 6) articulately argued for requiring changes to the planned 801 South St. towers, where a nonconforming, 10-story parking garage would overwhelm a mere remnant of the Advertiser Building.

It’s said that newspapers are "the first rough draft of history." There, decades of history were written by Advertiser and Star-Bulletin journalists. The building incorporates a sense of history, it was a pleasing workplace and has an agreeable streetscape, all uncommon in present-day Kakaako.

During my 27 years as an Advertiser journalist, it was a pleasure to walk up the curved staircase, pass that bright stained-glass front window and go to work covering the news.

"Workforce housing" in Kakaako is good public policy, but not every development should be approved without change. The Hawaii Community Development Authority should send the developers back to the drawing board for changes to save this structure. Leaving its leftovers crammed into a corner shows how little we value Honolulu’s past.

Gerry Keir
Manoa

Infrastructure might be lacking

I would agree that affordable housing is much needed for first-time home buyers ("Tower B condo is sorely needed," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Oct. 5), but it’s not necessary to cram between 2,000 and almost 4,000 people into one area.

The Hawaii Community Development Authority should reconsider the impact of too much density in one corner lot.

It’s been claimed that the sewage system and other infrastructure are adequate to handle majority of the projects approved by HCDA in Kakaako. The truth is, here and now, the sewage smell in the One Waterfront Plaza area four years after Keola La‘i was built has become a major problem for the residents in that area.

HCDA shouldn’t rush to approve before studying the problems of traffic and infrastructure, including sewer lines.

Ken Kojima
Kakaako

Opposing views healthy for U.S.

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid has repeated that since President Barack Obama ran on a platform of change (Affordable Care Act) and then won the election by 5 million votes, Republicans should follow his vision for the country.

Does Reid recall that Obama also ran on closing Guantanamo and marriage being reserved for a man and woman?I also wonder if this logic applied when Ronald Reagan beat Walter Mondale by 17 million votes and captured 97 percent of the electoral votes?

Having opposing views is what makes our country great, not capitulating our ideals.

Kris Schwengel
Hawaii Kai

Marriage right belongs to all

Victor Hugo, the great French poet and author, stated, "Nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come." This certainly applies in Hawaii for same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage, in the state of Hawaii, with religious exemptions, will go the way of the other U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Canada, many states in Mexico, many South American countries, most of Europe and South Africa. Even some Asian countries are considering it. Our conservative leaders should look to the future, when same-sex marriage will be commonplace everywhere in Hawaii and the rest of the world.

If legislators vote against same-sex marriage, how will their legacy stand the test of time? How will they feel 10, even 20 years after the vote, to have to say they voted against the equality of their fellow men and woman? What will they say to their children and grandchildren?

Jack Law
Kaimuki

Japan, Finland do learning right

Adults in America lag far behind those of other countries when to comes to math, reading and problem-solving skills ("U.S. adults score poorly in tests of math, reading, problem-solving," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 8).

Hawaii is in a unique position when it comes to education, in that it is the only state with just one school district, making it easier to make changes statewide.

The governor should send a delegation of members from the state Department of Education, the Board of Education and the Hawaii State Teachers Association to Japan and Finland, two countries near the top in those skills, to find out how they educate their people. It would mean making some drastic changes in our education system, on all levels.

Are all parties involved willing to change their standard operating procedures for the good of the people of Hawaii?

Wim Blees
Mililani

Carissa Moore deserved more

One of Hawaii’s own won a world championship title in a sport Hawaii is known for and a little article about it gets buried on Page C5 ("Moore wraps up ASP world title," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 6).

Why don’t we celebrate the successes of our athletes? Instead, the Sunday paper spent the first four pages of the sports section on our football team’s loss.

Carissa Moore won a world championship — not a single game or contest, but the whole yearlong surfing tour, and you guys can barely print it. Not even a teaser on the front page of the sports section.

Where is the encouragement for female athletes? What does she have to do, win a world title?Oh wait, she did.

Ian Yee
Nuuanu