The bill on aid in dying passed the state Senate, 22-3 — then it hit the House Health Committee, where Chairwoman Della Au Belatti shelved it without a vote.

Allowing a committee chairperson to just “say no” without giving our representatives a chance to debate is simply not democratic. Why do these committee chairs have so much power?

Perhaps if the Senate and House met for more than five months out of the year — for the same salary, of course — they might have more time to debate these issues. Oh well, we can only hope.

Fred Fogel

Volcano, Hawaii island

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Even Walmart seats ruined by homeless

The tables and chairs that for years were in front of Walmart, for use by their customers and a sundry of other small eateries, have been removed. Why? Because the homeless were hoarding them during the day, and sleeping on top of the tables at night.

Most homeless people pay little in the way of taxes. We, who do pay taxes, are deprived of the comfort of these tables and chairs. This is one example among probably a thousand that could be expounded upon.

The homeless are infringing too easily, too much, too boldly, on our rights. I, for one, am tired of it, and would vote for the person with a strong stance to rope these homeless in.

Karyn Abe

Makiki

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More questions on Gabbard-Assad link

As details of Syrian leader Bashir al-Assad’s renewed chemical attack on Syrian citizens are uncovered, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s recent visit to Syria should become even more questionable, if not troublesome to Congress and to her constituents in Hawaii.

How does an elected U.S. government official meet and have “unplanned” discussions with as ruthless a dictator and killer as Assad and not be held to account? Democratic Party officials were dumbfounded and silent about her actions, along with her labeling American-backed rebels as “terrorists.” Her trip, unbeknownst to her, was apparently guided by two former terrorists and Assad loyalists, which she later realized and admitted after her visit.

In light of Assad’s recent attack, perhaps Gabbard should evaluate her motives about “truly car(ing) about the Syrian people, about their suffering, and sadly her aloha” and question her astute observation that, “Whatever you think about President Assad, the fact is that he is the president of Syria … ”

Perhaps it’s time to complete her statement: war criminal Assad should no longer be president.

Robert Espinosa

Kapolei

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Stop playing politics on immigration ban

In his commentary, Professor Amarjit Singh said it best in the paper recently, about liberals and their biased opinions (“Uncontrolled immigration brings chaos, danger to host nations,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, April 5).

My letter deals with our attorney general, Doug Chin, who on behalf of the state is suing over the federal immigration and travel ban. Twenty-five students who are mostly not fee-paying themselves at the University of Hawaii-Manoa, but on U.S.-funded grants or NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are a minute number, at best.

Hindering foreign-student recruitment efforts and tourism here — really? Those six countries in the ban do not have a significant presence here or in the other 49 states as tourists or students, so we have wasted $600 an hour of taxpayers‘ money again.

Ask IIE (Institute of International Education), state DBEDT (Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism) and NAFSA: Association of International Educators as to where our foreign students are from, before speculating. AG Chin’s actions are misguided and influenced by certain sectors.

A “Muslim ban” that excludes Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and an overwhelming majority of Muslim countries in the world is not an Islam ban but a reality check. Stop playing party politics.

Berni Chu

Hawaii Kai

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Hurtful, cruel words cutting both ways

So Joel Fischer (“Insensitive ‘rants’ are displacing caring,” Letters, April 10) struggles to understand why the Star-Advertiser published the April 5 opinion piece by Amarjit Singh. Well, I can help him: It’s called free speech and it’s the cornerstone of democracy. Suppression of free speech can only lead to anarchy or authoritarianism.

I may not have agreed with everything Singh wrote, but his article was well-written and intelligent. Yes, he is a migrant, but few people oppose properly controlled and vetted legal migration. He points out the dangers of excessive and uncontrolled migration from countries having very different cultural, religious and behavioral standards to those of the host country.

Fischer asks when the caring disappeared. The ability to care, at least directly, has been taken away by the resurgence of terrorism. Now, the best way to care for humanity is to protect it from this brutal horror.

Vetting of potentially hostile migrants has unfortunately become necessary.

It hurts Professor Fischer to read cruel and hurtful letters. Would this include calling another academic’s essay a “nonsensical rant”? Or calling a majority white population “aggressors”? Or calling the president “certifiably insane”? Those things seem pretty hateful to me.

Elaine KC Sturgeon

Waikiki

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Workforce housing tops workers’ salary

The median income in Hawaii in 2015 was $48,288, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. The Hawaii Community Development Authority’s “workforce housing” in Kakaako is for people making $98,560. What a joke!

Larry Meacham

Wahiawa