Voters support civil unions

The voters of Hawaii have spoken.

Hawaii residents overwhelming elected a governor who has a voting record of 100 percent for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. He has also stated he would sign a civil unions bill. Voters have re-elected many House and Senate members who supported, petitioned and signed HB 444.

Conservatives wanted a referendum on civil unions, and they got it — just not the one they wanted. Do we have to endure another tedious and gut-wrenching emotional experience with a new round of hearings? What new information could possibly come to light?

The Democrats are back in control of the state of Hawaii after an ineffective eight-year Republican rule.

It’s time to put this bill to a vote, have our governor sign it, and allow Hawaii to dwell among those states and nations who abhor discrimination and disallow religious bullies to thwart the business of a civil government.

Haleiwa could use a hotel

My family lives in town and we love taking staycations to the North Shore. Turtle Bay is great but there are no restaurants or shops in walking distance outside their grounds. I would love to be able to hang out and walk around Haleiwa without having to get in my car at the end of the day. If my only option is an illegal short-term rental, then I pass.

In his Island Voices article, Randy Rarick said what most North Shore residents are thinking but are afraid to say because they don’t want to go against the emotional rhetoric spurred by all the anti-development groups ("Proposed Haleiwa Hotel would be community asset," Star-Advertiser, Nov. 7). Their herd mentality would follow their group into a wrong decision instead of taking a less popular, pragmatic road.

Congress gets Social Security

This is to correct the inaccurate and outdated information from Don Chambers regarding legislation to include Hawaii’s congressional delegation in Social Security ("Some laws don’t cover Congress," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 8). Members of Congress have been subject to Social Security for the past 26 years. The 1983 amendments to the Social Security Act required federal employees (including members of Congress) to participate in Social Security effective Jan. 1, 1984. Please let’s put this non-issue to rest. 

Cable TV should be ‘unbundled’

Recent news reports speculate about the influence of the Internet and the poor economy as reasons why cable companies are losing subscribers. How about this reason?

People are fed up with the greed of the cable companies through their use of "bundling." This is analogous to the record companies that charged $18 for a compact disc when all you wanted was one or two tracks. Steve Jobs of Apple Computer, with his iTunes, broke up that scam and brought back the "single." People were willing to pay the reasonable fee of a buck for a track.

Cable companies can reverse their fortunes by "unbundling." It would let us pick only the stations we want and it’s pono.

EIS delays in Makua Valley driven by environmentalists

The editorial comments alleging the Army has ignored the Environmental Impact Statement process are not correct ("Army case shows again why it’s unwise to ignore EIS rules," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 31).

The Army has proven to be an exceptional environmental steward of Makua Valley, and has made reasonable attempts to comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act while facing the most difficult task of preparing and certifying its young soldiers for combat.

Rather, this protracted EIS action is due to the filing of legal actions to achieve Earthjustice’s uncompromising goal: ending the continued use of this established combat training range on behalf of people seeking the return of the land, at a time when the nation is at war on two fronts.

Has a federal or state agency filed a complaint alleging the Army is violating the NEPA? Has the Environmental Protection Agency or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service filed a complaint that drainage specifically from the valley is contaminating the limu, fish and other marine life in the ocean?

The Army should be allowed to resume training. Our soldiers, Marines and National Guardsmen and their families deserve nothing less for placing their young lives at risk.