Make GET surcharge for rail permanent

OK, Hawaii, enough is enough. Let’s be happy and move forward.

Rail is here to stay whether we like it or not, so live with it.

Extend the rail tax indefinitely to help pay for the operation. We pay it now, so it won’t seem like a new tax.

Hold down the property tax increases. My taxes increased 49 percent this year. We seniors on a fixed income cannot afford these types of increases.

Take care of the homeless, once and for all.

Build the Thirty Meter Telescope. “God” won’t object, and I cannot see the Hawaii mountain gods objecting, either.

Have a state lottery with half of the proceeds going to education for our children, but have multiple winners, not just one big winner.

There is a solution to every problem. We just need to think, discuss and compromise.

Toby Allen

Hawaii Kai

HMSA mandate seems insulting

Hawaii Medical Service Association has been my health insurer for 37 years, the same amount of time that Dr. Christopher Marsh has been my physician. I trust him completely when it comes to my health.

Now I’m supposed to trust a faceless person at a mainland company to decide whether I should be able to take a test recommended by my doctor (“Not what the doctor ordered,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 24)?

I’d like to know how much HSMA is paying Magellan Health to “save” money.

Susan Canite

Kapolei

Hawaii’s soil needs to be replenished

Genetically modified corn seed and chemical companies such as Monsanto and Syngenta are the real threat to Hawaii’s agriculture future.

Any farmer will tell you that after more than 100 years of commercial agriculture, our soil needs help.

The GMO companies promise that they can solve world hunger, but somehow never Hawaii’s hunger.

There is only one way to save agriculture in Hawaii: We all need to work together to replenish our soil and curb our need to use herbicides and pesticides. We need to recognize that imported chemicals and practices will never make us sustainable.

We have only enough land and water to either feed ourselves, or save the world with GMO seeds. What is the greater good for our children and future generations?

Daniel K. Anthony

Kaneohe

Veteran designation not honored by all

Last year, I received an email telling me that if I took my Army discharge document to the Department of Motor Vehicles licensing division, I could have my veteran’s designation imprinted on to my driver’s license.

I received a new driver’s license with the veteran’s designation imprinted on the upper right-hand corner.

Since then I have gone to stores that award a 10 percent discount to all veterans. However, some stores honor it, and some don’t. The ones that don’t show me a sheet that show copies of approximately four veterans’ cards, the only ones they will honor. The Hawaii drivers license is not one of them. The accepted cards on the sheet are only of the most recent wars, starting from the Gulf War.

Whose brainchild was it to make the veteran’s designation available on the drivers license, and why was the message not made clear to all of the stores that would honor veterans?

Gary H. Watanabe

Ewa Beach

Honolulu airport is an embarrassment

I arrived home from an international trip and was appalled at the horrible condition of the international arrival area at our airport.

Dirty, stained carpet and walls. No signs directing the way; instead, there were paper arrow signs taped up. The immigration area had two unsmiling ladies loudly asking if you were a U.S. resident or visitor and directing you to a line. Again, no sign.

The first impression of Honolulu was what looked like a Third World airport. I just can’t believe we don’t care about having nice things for our residents and visitors. I’ve seen so many beautiful, welcoming airports around the world. Ours should be much better than it is.

It’s an embarrassment.

Heidi Hong

Aina Haina

Loud motorcycles help with safety

It seems as if there is a letter once a week from someone complaining about loud motorcycles.

As someone who drives a large commercial vehicle, I can see a benefit of loud motorcycles. Even if I cannot see the riders, I can still hear them and know where they are on the road.

I can see riders using the exhaust sound as a safety feature, as they must feel nearly invisible to many other drivers who are not paying attention when they are behind the wheel.

If the Honolulu Police Department would enforce the laws on the books, maybe it could start with the one about using cellphones while driving.

As for the people complaining about loud motorcycles, tomorrow it will be sirens from emergency vehicles, and so on and so forth. Remember, we live in a large city; but I hear Montana is nice, quiet place.

Mike Wilcox

Makiki

Sanctuary plan was wasted effort

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, as a “single species” sanctuary, is unique by design — let it be.

The sanctuary has neither the remit nor the resources to implement the changes proposed to its management plan (“Plan to expand whale sanctuary scrapped,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 27).

Unfortunately, the effort involved in the seven-year process was sadly misdirected.

More’s the pity because valuable time and resources were diverted from the whales to a colossal paper chase.

Bill Friedl

Kailua