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Regarding the ongoing waste-of- taxpayer-money saga between the Public Utilities Commission and Hu Honua Bioenergy’s power purchase agreement (“Court rejects bid to delay approval hearing for wood-burning power plant,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 16), the PUC should simply follow the law.
Per amended statute HRS 269-6(b), the PUC “shall explicitly consider … the State’s reliance on fossil fuels,” including greenhouse gas emissions, in comparison with fossil fuels and only fossil fuels — not versus solar, wind or other renewable-energy producers.
The power purchase agreement was previously approved in 2013 and 2017.
The statute also allows reasonably higher costs than fossil fuels if there is movement away from fossil-fuel dependency. So, Hu Honua need not be the lowest cost producer, although its PUC-approved 2017 price quote stands.
With yet another hearing scheduled for March 1-4, it’s time the PUC follow the law and approve the power purchase agreement before even more taxpayer money is wasted on continued litigation.
Glen Kagamida
Hilo
Coffman book deserved detailed formal review
It’s a pity the Star-Advertiser no longer publishes formal book reviews. Only the indispensable columnist David Shapiro briefly discussed what was surely the most important book about modern Hawaii published in the past year: Tom Coffman’s “Inclusion: How Hawai‘i Protected Japanese Americans from Mass Incarceration, Transformed Itself, and Changed America” (“Lesson from WWII: Fix democracy with more democracy,” Star-Advertiser, Volcanic Ash, Jan. 9).
Had the book been reviewed in the detail it deserved, the Feb. 19 front-page story about Japanese-American incarceration, ironically headlined, “Community looks to learn from the past,” would have read very differently.
As Coffman detailed, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was from the start intent on (and ordered) a mass internment of all Japanese-Americans in Hawaii to the mainland or to Kauai, and was strongly supported in this by the U.S. Navy. But a small interracial group in Hawaii had anticipated this well before Pearl Harbor, and succeeded not only in persuading officials planning to execute the president’s orders to cancel the move for all but those with known ties to Japan, but also to convert the discussion toward the social and political possibilities for a postwar Hawaii.
Roger Jellinek
Executive director, 17th Annual Hawai‘i Book & Music Festival 2022
Kahaluu
Gambling can result in political criminality
“New stain at Legislature could be its worst” (Star-Advertiser, Feb. 14), yet the Legislature toys with a highly controversial sports gambling bill (“Legalized gambling gets renewed push in Hawaii Legislature,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 31).
It is being sold as a highly regulated potential source of tax income with oversight by a citizen’s gambling commission. How will the commissioners be appointed? Most likely by the Legislature. So how has that worked in other states?
Chris Hemmeter arrived in New Orleans in the 1990s after a very successful record as developer of several luxury resort hotels in Hawaii. He lavishly entertained elected officials in his quest to build a luxury casino in New Orleans. The FBI appeared in 1995 with a criminal investigation of former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards and state lawmakers on casino-related charges. Hemmeter filed for personal bankruptcy.
The late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye was ever-vigilant in protecting Hawaii from the stain of any form of legalized gambling.
Let’s follow the lead of this great benefactor. Any form of gambling is surely a bad bet.
Jack Hoag
Diamond Head
Vaccine refusers put everyone at health risk
Refusing vaccination is not just a “personal choice” (“Have tolerance for all, including unvaxxed,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Feb. 18). It is a choice that can have severe consequences, including death. It cannot be treated as merely a social problem (“coexist, with tolerance”).
For those too young to recall, the reason we are not living in fear of smallpox and polio is vaccines. Vaccination clearly reduces the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and accelerates the virus clearance in those infected. Put simply, vaccination reduces the ability of the virus to spread and thereby continue the pandemic. Some may wish to wear a mask and shun others for the rest of their lives, but I doubt that there are many of like mind.
For those who refuse vaccination without a valid medical reason, I trust they will stick to their “personal choice” when they do get sick and not inflict themselves on and endanger others, including long-term dedicated hospital staff.
Gregory Wilson
Waialae Nui
Self-centered approach can lead to tragic results
Every day there are news reports tragically documenting deaths and suffering in families unvaccinated against COVID-19. Miraculously, many of these same unvaccinated become born-again science supporters, urging others to get “the jab” to protect themselves and their loved ones.
They never felt any moral or ethical responsibility toward others until they personally were affected. Imagine how our lives would be if all of us were so self-centered.
Darlene Pang
Salt Lake
No political diversity results in corruption
Your paper reported that two Hawaii legislators, Sen. J. Kalani English and Rep. Ty Cullen, had been charged by federal prosecutors with accepting bribes and were facing 20 years in prison (“Ex-lawmakers plead guilty,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 16). Since this story broke, the Legislature has been considering anti- corruption bills. One proposal by former state Sen. Sam Slom would have prevented state lawmakers from holding campaign fundraising events while the Legislature is in session.
It is worth noting that Slom was the sole Republican in the state Senate before losing his seat in 2020. Republicans only have four Republicans left in the House.
This lack of diversity and accountability makes corruption more likely. Shouldn’t Hawaii voters be ashamed that our corruption has to be exposed by federal prosecutors?
Mark Saxon
Kahului
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