Morita should be rehired to lead PUC

I have supported Gov. Neil Abercrombie since I heard him speak shortly after moving here almost 20 years ago.

I thought him to be a straight shooter in line with my views.

However, if he does not reappoint Hermina Morita as chairwoman of the state Public Utilities Commission, it would be a deal breaker.

A strong environmental coalition is paramount to the future of Hawaii, and Morita for decades has been a knowledgeable and strong supporter of the environment and the belief that environmental efforts create jobs.

Her leadership of the PUChas been fair to all parties and in line with what’s legal and in the best interest of Hawaii’s future.

To not reappoint her would proclaim that Abercrombie’s words are hollow and he cannot be trusted with our future.

Kathy Harter
Downtown Honolulu

Churma set bar high for FilCom leaders

In addition to what has been written about Rose Churma ("Outgoing FilCom president is ready to travel and relax," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 22), she has done much more beyond showcasing Filipino culture and the arts.

Under her creative leadership, the Filipino Community Center has become a vibrant forum for discussion and resolution of issues affecting Filipinos in Hawaii — immigration, employment, financial literacy, health, entrepreneurship, citizenship and leadership, family, women and youth, disaster-relief efforts and Philippine-American relations, among others.

She also has developed and presented educational programs on the diverse ethnic groupsthat are highly represented in Hawaii’s Filipino community for the benefit of younger generations.

Above all, Churma elevated the status of FilCom as an international model for articulating Philippine interests in today’s global community, where Filipinos have a sizable presence. She will be missed.

I hope the next FilCom president will continue to build on these invaluable gains under her tenure.

Belinda A. Aquino
Moiliili

Hallelujah, the train is going to be built

At long last, the courts have concluded their review of the environmental studies done for the Honolulu rail transit project and determined that the city did everything by the book.

The people of Kapolei can now breathe a sigh of relief.

For Leeward commuters, salvation from the unbearable traffic congestion was hanging in the balance, while we waited on the court decisions. I hope the project can now move ahead without further delay.

When completed in five years, the rail project will improve the quality of life for thousands of families who will get to spend more time doing the things they like and less time stuck in traffic.

Hallelujah!

Maeda Timson
Kapolei

Safety ultimately falls on motorist

With deference to the doctor commenting on the responsibility of pedestrians in encounters with motor vehicles ("Pedestrians take crosswalk safety for granted," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 9), the responsibility weighs infinitely heavier on the operator of the lethal vehicle, without an iota of doubt.

Boris Netupsky
Waikiki

Raising wage floor honors aloha spirit

Hawaii is home to more than a million people, and many are living at or below the poverty line, forcing parents to take two or more jobs.

Add to this the fact that many large companies are only hiring part-time workers. In this way companies such as Walmart do not have to pay temporary disability insurance and other full-time wage-earner expenses.

We need to take care of our local population and raise the minimum wage to a living wage.

President Barack Obama set the target at $10.10. Is that too much to ask?

Let’s honor the aloha spirit and live by our state motto, "Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono."

Dorothy Trinidad Hunt
Kaneohe

War deaths tarnish Johnson and Bush

Maureen Dowd’s column was right on in focusing on the true legacies of two of our more recent presidents ("LBJ kin, like W, wish war hadn’t tarnished them so," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 20).

Lyndon Baines Johnson will never escape the onus of Vietnam, just as George W. Bush will forever be remembered for Iraq and Afghanistan.

Johnson took the 2,000 military advisers in Vietnam during the Kennedy administration and turned them into a force of 500,000-plus, at one time declaring, "I will not send American boys to die on foreign soil."

He missed by 53,000.

Bush used the esteemed Colin Powell, retired general and secretary of state, to sell his "weapons of mass destruction" lie to both the United Nations and the American public.

That death count now stands at more than 6,000.

Both deserve their legacies — of sending so many young Americans to their deaths in other parts of the world.

Chip Davey
Downtown Honolulu

Is there a way to tag time-share sellers?

It was wonderful to read the story that the tagging of 340 Australian sharks has now provided advance notice of their presence ("Sharks tweet warnings to Aussie beachgoers," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 24).

Might it be possible to also "tag" the timeshare salespersons in Waikiki?

Stu McDonald
Waikiki