Don’t tell doctors how to prescribe

Regarding your editorial, “Regulate opioids to curb misuse” (Star-Advertiser, Our View, May 1), the last paragraph says it all: “The best deterrent to opioid abuse … is a conscientious prescriber and a careful patient.”

This is what we have right now. The government has no business telling doctors how to practice medicine.

There are more than enough safeguards and protocols in place now — especially with the Hawaii Prescription Monitoring Program in place.

Having more hoops to jump through ultimately will cause more patients to suffer needlessly. Doctors will be reluctant to prescribe these legitimate, pain-relieving medicines. Older people especially will be hurt by this. Our Hawaii legislators would do better to concern themselves with more pressing problems like homelessness, energy efficiency and education.

Senate Bill 505 is a knee-jerk reaction to a mainland problem.

Paul Gutekanst

Kealakekua, Hawaii island

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Hannemann caught between rail, TAT

Did anyone else revel in the irony of watching pro-rail and former Mayor Mufi Hannemann squirm and try to attack the proposal to increase the transient accommodations tax (TAT) to help fund the remainder of the rail project?

As the current president of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association, it’s Hannemann’s job to do what’s best for Hawaii’s hotels. It’s too bad he didn’t take that same approach for taxpayers when he was enthusiastically proposing the rail project a decade ago.

Now he’s caught firmly between a rock and a hard place. Bachi, Mayor Mufi!

Pat Kelly

Kaimuki

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Keep rail behemoth out of downtown

Yes! John Tamashiro’s letter is a light in the darkness (“At this point, end rail at Middle Street,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, April 29).

Stopping the rail transit project at Middle Street may disappoint all who are making a profit — contractors, construction workers and, of course, all those who have their finger in the pie.

By trying to explain our need for such a monstrosity, politicians and others are citing large mainland cities. But we are, comparatively, a small island — an island that has been bombarded with pile-driving, heavy cement concrete structures, putting extreme pressure on the place where we all live, work and play.

Notice how many and how often underground pipes are breaking. It cannot all be blamed on age. Notice how much of our roadways are cracking. Notice the gargantuan size of the columns that are to support even more weight when the actual trains are on them.

Ben Cayetano is correct. End the rail at Middle Street to avoid the behemoth that would further obstruct any still-existing views in the Ala Moana area.

Joan Huber

Diamond Head

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Name rail for Inouye, not Honolulu airport

I am still scratching my head at the name change from the Honolulu International Airport to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

If it ain’t broke, why fix it? Mainlanders and foreigners will never be able to pronounce Inouye, plus it will be constantly misspelled. It makes more sense to say, I’m going to Honolulu International rather than than Daniel K. Inouye Airport.

How did this happen without a public ballot? I’m sure the name change will cost millions.

I have the perfect compromise: Name Honolulu’s rail transit system after him. Inouye was a staunch supporter of rail and one of the main reasons the project was born. It just makes more sense to name rail after the late great legend, Daniel K. Inouye.

James “Kimo” Rosen

Kapaa, Kauai

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Look locally for new DOE superintendent

Mahalo to the Star-Advertiser for printing Caroline Oda’s letter to the editor regarding the superintendent of education finalists (“Reopen search for DOE superintendent,” Star-Advertiser, April 30).

The Department of Education is the largest single budget item in Hawaii. Oda’s warnings should not be ignored by the governor and the Board of Education.

There are large challenges that will face the new superintendent. Nonetheless, huge educational advances have already been made by our DOE in recent years that have been recognized nationally. Surely there must be someone here locally who not only has a proven educational record and is qualified to lead our DOE, but also has a great aloha for our keiki. Please reopen the search.

Cal Chinen

Kaneohe

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Town hall meeting isn’t Gabbard rally

On April 28, I received an email broadcast highlighting U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s “town hall” meetings throughout our state.

I know for sure that she was vigorously challenged on the legitimacy of her trip to Syria and her meeting with Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad. Yet her report on the town hall meetings reiterated her position against President Donald Trump and the U.S. missile attack on the Syrian airbase from which planes were launched to attack chemically the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun.

A town hall meeting should be where the members of a town can express their opinions, but the email report turned it into a Tulsi Gabbard rally.

The report was totally positive, stating her perspectives and achievements rather than what were the townspeople’s opinions and concerns. This is a classic example of fake news.

Whitlow Au

Kailua

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Stevie Wonder’s words ring true

Nearly two generations ago, Stevie Wonder penned an iconic song whose lyrics expressed (purportedly) his outrage at the nefarious behavior of President Richard Nixon.

Now we’re in the early days of another hubris-driven administration sometimes operating outside the rules. Look up the lyrics to “He’s Misstra Know It All.” Stevie Wonder’s words are as true now as they were then:

“He’s a man / With a plan / Got a counterfeit dollar in his hand / He’s Misstra Know-It-All”

Better yet, get the song. An anthem for troubled times.

Ron Kodama

Mililani