Of course it costs more to visit Hawaii

Oh, here we go again ("Hawaii trip by Obamas cost nation $7.78M just for flights," Star-Advertiser, March 27).

President Barack Obama comes home to Hawaii with his family for the holidays and the abacus is flying like mad.

When the other presidents went home for the holidays, usually where they were born, did the news splash across their hometown newspapers about how much wasted money us poor taxpayers were putting out?

Lucky for those presidents, their homes or holiday retreats were in the continental U.S. Obama’s birthplace, Hawaii (eat your heart out, Donald Trump) is the farthest from the White House and therefore more costly to get to. Give it a break already.

Kandi Heleloa
Kaneohe

Obama’s vacation not really news

President Barack Obama’s $8 million Christmas:Is this news or the report of a conservative "nonpartisan" group out to spoil a well-deserved vacation by our president?

The president who went to the mat to provide affordable health care to every American regardless of pre-existing conditions?

Are we one nation or a collection of selfish individuals?

Should the president fly coach and leave the government out of control in Washington?Of course not. He has to take his staff with him.

Would the public be interested to know that the president’s "Christmas present"cost every American 25 cents apiece?Perhaps good reporting should do the math and cut out the sensationalism.

Jack Gillmar
Palolo Valley

Hobie Alter was watersports giant

Like the ocean waves that continue to roll in, the name "Hobie" will forever be etched in the minds of surfers around the globe.Hobie Alter, the godfather of modern surfing, now joins the late Duke Kahanamoku as a true giant of the sport they both loved so much.

Alter didn’t just pioneer the production of lightweight surfboards and catamarans. His influence on the multi-billion-dollar industries of surfing, sailing, movies and fashion was a bright light for millions of people worldwide for more than half a century.

RIP, Hobie. As long as people ride waves, sail seas, watch surf films and wear T-shirts, you’ll not be forgotten.

Denny Freidenrich
Laguna Beach, Calif.

Beware of doctors who accept ‘gifts’

The Food and Drug Administration has revealed once again that billions of dollars in "gifts" have been given to health professionals.

Various doctors in Hawaii received their share to the tune of $4 million or more. And this is not guesswork. The drug companies themselves provide the FDA with this information.

If you are interested in seeing if your own doctor has his hands out to the drug companies, simply check http://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/. And once you find that he or she indeed receives such gifts, how can you put any faith in your next prescription? Is it the best prescription for your medical problem or what the drug company wanted him or her to prescribe?

Now we can lump doctors in with politicians as the lowest of the low, not-to-be-trusted professions.

James L. Robinson
Aiea

Prostitute issue put HPD in a bad light

Disturbing in so many ways — that is how I felt after reading "Police end fight over sex with prostitutes," (Star-Advertiser, March 26).

A few of the troubling issues:

» The revelation that police officer/prostitute sex is nothing new for the Honolulu Police Department.

» The obvious disdain some officers and legal authorities have for prostitutes.

» The incredibly slow response of HPD to finally publicly agree to "(reverse) their objection to a potential change in state law that would make it illegal for officers to have sex with prostitutes," as quoted in the article.

This HPD decision was made after it first argued against the change,which naturally brought on much national scorn.

What legal mindset within HPD ever thought having sex with prostitutes, which is illegal, would be legal for them?

HPD claimed that simple semantics led to the core of the controversy. Perhaps. But it also appears the controversy uncovered a shameful and immoral abuse of power.

Disturbing.

Kim Osborn Mullen
Kailua

Enforce noise rules against mopeds now

David Vornholt hit it right on the nail with his very descriptive letter ("Mopeds somehow evading noise rules," Star-Advertiser, March 27).

Living on the rural side of the island, we get our share of the local moped riders in our community. But what really tops it off arethe weekend warriors who terrorize us with groups of moped ridersdoing the circle- island cruise.

These groups of moped riders sometimes number from a few up to more than 30, riding two side by side,revvingtheir engines, honking their horns and illegally customizing their ride for more power and sound effect.

They love to patronize the local gas station, where a few fill up while the others rev their engines and do loops around the premises, while the neighborhood must deal with a deafening 10 minutes of pure noise.

Yes, the riders should be fined for any infraction and an annual check should be required. Enforcement is needed now.

Mari Hartman
Sunset Beach