New marsh trail is preposterous

With all the alarm in Kailua caused by the state’s preliminary plan for the area around Kawainui Marsh, one especially preposterous plan provision has been overlooked.

There is a new trail along the Puuoheo Ridge overlooking the Hamakua part of the marsh above Kailua town. Apparently insensitive to the start of the trail next to Hamakua Drive homes, unfazed by the experience at the Haiku Stairs’ base, and unaware of "Pillbox" trail visitors throwing rocks that breaking windows and solar panels on homes below, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources is proposing this trail.

Worse yet, the trail end is down the steep slope that was recently stabilized by a state Highways Division slope-remediation project that covered it with anchored fencing to stabilize rock falls. No wonder it has refused to establish a "marsh plan committee" requested by the Kailua Neighborhood Board.

Chuck Prentiss
Kailua

Actually, there was a flyover

A few letter writers have complained that there was no four-plane "missing man" flyover on Dec. 7 at the Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony.

Any criticism should be directed atCongress for agreeing to "sequestration" — former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said "there may be a more stupid way to cut the budget, but I can’t think of one."

In any case, the ceremony was held and there was flyover: a 1944 SNJ-5 aircraft piloted by Bruce Mays of Pacific Warbirds did a fine job.

As the emcee for the event, I was impressed by the dedication and professionalism of U.S. Navy and National Park Service personnel and volunteers, and by the care and respect given to the Dec. 7, 1941, survivors and families.The speakers and participants made it a special, heartwarming day of patriotism and remembrance not diminished by the SNJ-5 flyover. And that respect and remembrance is what Dec. 7 is all about.

Robert S. Sandla
Hawaii Kai

Good dentist obliges parents

My heart goes out to the Boyle family and I pray for afull recovery for their daughter, Finley ("Girl in coma after overdose during dental work," Star-Advertiser, Dec. 13).

I just told relatives about my experience with pediatric dentistry here, about how I was asked to sit in the waiting room while they worked on my two children who were under age 5.

My instincts kicked in and I walked past the dental assistants and found my children. One was totally alone while the dentist worked on another child.

I was not made to feel welcome, and I felt challenged in my decision to sit and watch while they worked on my children.

I immediately found a family dentist, a father of five boys who never asked that I wait outside.

We need to heed Ashley Boyle, Finley’s mom, and question the practice of pediatric dentists who don’t allow parents to sit with their children, and, of course, to question or get a second opinion if a procedure seems more invasive.

Valerie Thomas
McCully

Income disparity a threat to U.S.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, income inequality has grown considerably over the past few decades.

The report found that household income grew by 275 percent between 1979 and 2007 for the wealthiest 1 percent of the population. For the rest of the top fifth, it grew by 65 percent. By contrast, the bottom fifth saw its income grow by just 18 percent.

Some economists blame the widening income gap on economic and tax policies, which heavily favor the rich.

Chronic income inequality is a social illness that hinders economic growth, promotes class warfare and threatens democratic principles. Above all, it is an impediment to the fulfillment of the American Dream.

Finding a solution to this problem requires collective efforts; therefore, Republicans must join President Barack Obama to reduce inequality by raising the minimum wage, abolishing tax breaks and loopholes for the rich, and passing the president’s "fix the infrastructure" job initiative.

Rod B. Catiggay
Mililani

Minimum wage needs increase

I wholeheartedly support raising the minimum wage to at least $10 per hour.

Someone who works for a living should earn more than someone — excluding the disabled and the elderly — living on "entitlements." Otherwise there is little incentive to work at all.

In a recent article, The Economist pointed out that our "generous" state of Hawaii doles out $45,000 per year per family in welfare spending. This sum includes cash, food stamps, medical benefits and subsidized housing. If you do the math, a minimum wage earner, by contrast, would earn $15,080 annually, which is below the poverty line.

Living on entitlements for a protracted period creates a subculture of dependency, and little or no desire to re-enter the work force unless the "pay" is better.

Pradeepta Chowdhury
Hilo

Waikiki marred by board rentals

Other than the beach near the Hale Koa Hotel, the footprint of surfboard rental vendors on Waikiki Beach is excessive. They occupy too much sand, surfboard wares are spread out, and canopies of vendors’ offices are oversized.

Can’t most of those surfboards be stored elsewhere and brought to the sand as needed? Can’t they use a much smaller "office" tent?

Wherever I laid my towel, I was walked over by someone hovering about a surfboard vendor. These ven- dors take up too much space.

Surfboard rental vendors should be positioned closer to the roads to move their obtrusiveness off the beach. They should have much smaller office tents and be allowed much less area for the display of their wares. And, staff should be required to carry the heavy stand-up boards to and from the water, for the safety of all around.

Robyn Scheuffele
San Diego, Calif.

High-rises will dissuade tourists

Another high-rise?

This beautiful place, stolen from the Hawaiians, is rapidly being destroyed by greed. Our politicians do not have a conscience to stop this nonsense.

The wake-up call will be too late when the tourists bypass this island for other destinations.

Ursula Jacob
Wilhelmina Rise