Let’s take another look at Medicare

Thank you for the timely commentary by Caroline Poplin regarding Medicare for all ("With ACA in trouble, Medicare-for-all worth second look," Star-Advertiser, Nov. 18).

Much criticism is printed these days about the Affordable Care Act, which is usually labeled "Obamacare" by its opponents, thereby shifting responsibility for its faults from Congress to the president.

Who remembers today about the "public option" proposed by the president but opposed by the Congress?

Who remembers today that the ACA was written by the Congress at the behest of the highly profitable medical industry?

Yes, by all means, let us take a second look at "Medicare for all." Medicare works, is effective, popular and has a proven track record.

Build on it.

Lloyd J. Soehren
Nuuanu

Absent legislators betrayed voters

Issues like gay marriage make me glad that I am not an elected official.

It takes courage to go on record on controversial issues. It takes courage to be a good legislator.

My representative did not vote, even though she was in the building. I had no representation because she had no courage.

If state Rep. Rida Cabanilla had been there, how would she have voted?

Christopher Lewis
Ewa Beach

TSA ‘Pre-Check’ seems pointless

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has been promoting "Pre-Check" at the Honolulu interisland terminal.

The purpose is mainly to give frequent fliers who choose to go through a "pre-check" process a way to ease through the security checkpoints more quickly without some of the normal hassle, thus saving time.

You pay $100 to go through this process, providing documentation of citizenship and allowing the Customs and Border Patrol to examine your background.

The more people who sign up, the better it is because over time the security lines become faster for everybody with less hassle.

Recently, TSA decided to change the start hours from 4:20 a.m to 5:15 a.m. Now the very high percentage of commuters who have paid the money already and take the first couple of flights in the morning are denied accessibility to Pre-Check.

Now, many regular commuters I see say, "Why bother signing up. It’s not open when I fly."

Chris Shively
Kaneohe

Brower just doing what city does, too

Maybe I’m confused, but I don’t see a big difference between the actions of state Rep. Brower and the laws that allow city staff and the police to confiscate and destroy personal property left in parks or on the sidewalks.

If anything, at least Brower was only one individual (admittedly armed with a sledgehammer) as opposed to a whole crew of city people or gun-carrying police officers.

One might argue that when the city crews and police do their sweeps, they give people the option to pay to have the city store their belongings for up to a month, during which time they can "buy back" their property by paying a fine.

Honestly though, pretty much everyone involved knows that this isn’t a real option for most of the individuals targeted by these laws.

When Brower destroyed what may or may not have been private property, he was vilified, but when the city does the very same thing on a grand scale, there’s no public outcry?

I don’t get it.

Alika Campbell
Kailua

Blame job exporters for homelessness

The Star-Advertiser suggests positive steps need to taken for homelessness, instead of a sledgehammer approach ("Hammer won’t ease homelessness," Star-Advertiser, Our View, Nov. 20).

But the causes of homelessness weren’t discussed.

One is the trickle-down effect of exporting jobs and factories to foreign countries. Those who support these policies only see quick profits and are missing the big picture and its ripple effects.

Americans who lose their jobs used to patronize businesses and paid taxes that supported government expenses.

This resulted in many government programs that helped the needy being cut, creating more homeless.

Businesses that catered to those who lost their jobs fail, resulting in more unemployed, with many moving to Hawaii.

Job exporters behave like they’re in a hot tub, but are like frogs simmering in a stew on the stove.

They don’t realize that everybody’s goose will be cooked, as more good-paying jobs evaporate, causing more businesses to fail.

Stephen Burns
Mililani

Talking with Iran is better than war

I strongly support diplomacy with Iran.

Diplomacy is working and it would be reckless to shatter negotiations by increasing sanctions on Iran and putting millions of lives at risk needlessly — not just Iranian lives but our lives here at home.

We have already created enemies in the Middle East due to our drone attacks and wars.We don’t need to continue to push young men and women into terrorist groups to seek revenge against us.

Do the right thing and continue the negotiations.

Carolyn Knoll
Kailua