Wait for vote on preschools

Since the beginning of the year, there have been several articles about the proposed expansion of preschools.

When Gov. Neil Abercrombie spoke about this last year, his focus was on helping low-income families with preschool costs. Voters will be asked to vote on an amendment related to this later this year.

The state changed the date by which a child must be 5 years old to enter kindergarten, creating a need for preschool expansion.In addition, the state is eliminating a junior kindergarten program currently in place, but wants to create a pre-kindergarten program.It sounds to me like the same program by a different name.Implement the necessary improvements in the existing program. Don’t reinvent the wheel.

The constitutional amendment won’t be voted on until November.Wait for the voters to decide.There is no point in funding a program that may not be approved.Not every voter is in favor of another taxpayer-funded program.

Maureen DeCosta
Pearl City

Homeless need a place to rest

Instead of our "concrete-solves-everything" mayor signinga rushed bill for lunch wagons to park on the streets, he needs to realize that the homeless cannot sleep on our concrete sidewalks but will try, even without their possessions.

Hygiene is impossible for them, since they have been systematically pushed out of the parks and beaches. Now there are manyweary homeless,possessionless peopleplaying musical sidewalks and looking for a place to lie down in the sunlight. Never knowing when the next raid might be, most can’t sleep at night peacefully. They have nothing to sleep on or any alternative to the sidewalks from which they were cleared.

Please do something to help,other thanshouting, "Go away!"

Cassandra Aoki
Kaneohe

Don’t demonize the homeless

"These are not human beings — they are not like us, we are better. They are homeless vermin clogging our sidewalks, our parks and our beaches. They need to be moved somewhere, anywhere, out of our sight, out of our faces. They need to go away."

When a population becomes "the other," that population is at risk for exter- mination. Children are susceptible to the feelings of adults. They look to us for guidance and they may take those feelings to their logical conclusion. This has happened so many times in the past, notoriously in Germany in the 1930s, but even in Hawaii, in our parents’ memories. And even today, here and now.

Is that the world we want?

Joel Aycock
Hawaiian Acres, Hawaii island

Farmers need freedom to farm

Mahalo to the Star-Advertiser for taking a position in support of our Hawaii farmers and their freedom to farm ("State must take lead in GMO debate," Star-Advertiser, Our View, Jan. 12).

Farmers are facing a number of challenges and they need every tool in the tool box to remain viable, and that includes biotechnology. I also appreciated the story by reporter Amy Harmon (a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist) for highlighting the challenges faced by Hawaii Island Council member Greggor Ilagan, who made an educated decision based on science, not hysteria.

Sadly, the anti-GMO activists continue to attack anyone who disagrees with them, including our local farmers. They harass the biotech companies, seed-farm workers and their families, elected officials and even reporters such as Harmon.

Fear-mongering has no place in policy making. It’s time to let the farmers farm. I trust them to do what is pono for Hawaii.

Alicia Maluafiti
Ewa Beach

U.S. does well helping disabled

The U.S. Department of Justice has faithfully and diligently supported the rights of people with disabilities.

Through the courts, the department has succeeded in assuring the rights of disabled folks by pursuing cases filed in support of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I know of no other nation in the world that is as compassionate as the United States regarding this issue.

Thanks to Justice Department employees and management, and God bless America.

Richard C. Jackson
Liliha

Ire against Israel not even-handed

Although the Star-Advertiser has published several anti-Israel letters recently, it has been criticized for daring to run a rare pro-Israel article.

A letter-writer’s attempt to discredit the eminently qualified author, Charles Krauthammer, was pathetically weak ("Krauthammer wrong about Israel," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Jan. 14).

It is particularly ironic thatIsrael’s critics attempt to identify its treatment of the Palestinians with the Nazi genocideof the Jews. At the same time, Muslim Arabs arebusy killing each otherat a rate and in a manner unheard of in Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Where is the outrage over the slaughter of innocents in Syria and Iraq? How can Israel be expected to make peace with theArabs when they are at war with each other? And when they have rejected all previous peace offers andrefuse to recognize Israel’s right to exist?

Carl H. Zimmerman
Salt Lake

Obama visits cut noise in Ewa

It’s a good thing the author of "Find new routes for incoming jets," (Star-Advertiser, Letters, Jan. 11) does not live in the Ewa Plain area, or as I call it, "pre-airport."

You tend to get used to it, excusing yourself for the noise when on the phone or in conversation with a neighbor. We just know to start up the conversation once the plane passes. So far, no plane has dropped mid-air onto one of the thousands of homes here.

In places like Seattle and Los Angeles, it’s like you practically can touch the belly of the plane when it descends right above you. But the coolest thing is when you have the president flying above you to start his vacation. There’s a long silence since no planes are to be near his, then the roar of Air Force One, and that baby-blue belly flies right above you. Super cool.

Nora Santiago
Ewa Beach

Hiking accidents can be avoided

For the second time in three years, Mount Olomana, one of the most treacherous treks on the island of Oahu, has claimed the life of an experienced local hiker.

Accidents are possible, especially on such a dangerous trail, even for the most careful climbers.

Most of our hiking fatalities and search-and-rescue missions are the avoidable results of people — often tourists who aren’t familiar with the terrain — not following basic safety rules.

The Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club has a thorough list of hiking tips (htmclub.org) thatshould be required reading for all visitors and beginning hikers who plan on enjoying our beautiful trails. Perhaps the state should make this information available on incoming flights and at all trail- heads. The majority of these tragedies could be avoided.

Laura Myers
Kaneohe