ENVIRONMENT

U.S. MAY BE LITTERING LESS, HAWAI'I ISN'T

I guess the experts quoted in the Page One article on Jan. 27, "America's cleaner and littering less, experts say," didn't come out here.

The culture here of littering is disgraceful, mindless, everywhere and constant.

It is truly shameful and depressing.

CANOE HALAU

CLUBS SHOULD PAY FOR ALA MOANA BOATHOUSE

At $907,000 (not including the typical average construction cost overrun of 25-50 percent), the proposed Ala Moana boathouse will provide shelter for 30 canoes at a cost to taxpayers of at least $30,200 per canoe.

That's far more than the city and the state pay for providing shelter to a homeless family.

Furthermore, the 30 canoes can, at most, provide recreation for 180 people (30 canoes times six riders).

Let the club members pay for the boathouse that only they will be allowed to use.

MARCH FOR LIFE

MANY REGRET HAVING CHOSEN ABORTION

I don't feel Ricardo Burgos' Jan. 14 letter was judgmental. It was in support of a pregnant woman choosing life. He didn't judge women who have had an abortion.

As much as anyone would like to think that there is no right or wrong choice, it is simply not the case. For as many babies that have been aborted, there are as many mothers, fathers and associated family members who are hurting from abortion. Many, though not all, regret their abortions or the part they played in securing an abortion for someone. The sad part is that more of us would know this if the media would disclose this information.

On Jan. 22, there was a March for Life here and in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and other cities showing support for life and wanting the end of abortion.

In San Francisco Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and abortion survivor herself, spoke out against abortion.

There, thousands of people marched, many of whom held signs saying, "I regret my abortion," "I regret lost fatherhood," and "Abortion hurts women."

Clearly, they, the victims and survivors of abortion, are saying it was the wrong choice.

HEALTHCARE

INSURERS SIPHONING OFF MONEY FROM DOCTORS

As healthcare in Hawai'i is getting worse, look no further than the managed-care companies.

These companies, like HMSA for example, are in the business of providing healthcare for their members. Hawai'i is losing more and more doctors to the Mainland because companies like HMSA aren't reimbursing doctors enough for their services.

So where is the money going? According to HMSA's 2006 annual report, their cost of doing business amounts to about 8 percent of premiums. In 2006, this amounted to $150 million to $200 million.

Business is very good for HMSA, a nonprofit, by the way.

HMSA and other insurers are siphoning off way too much money away from our doctors and nurses.

We need to figure out a better way of paying for healthcare, and just eliminating the insurance companies would be a great first step.

BOE

QUARREL OVER TESTING SENDS WRONG MESSAGE

What do Hawai'i's hospitals and Wal-Mart have in common?

They both have random drug-testing policies to protect patients and consumers — in other words, the public.

If they can agree to set certain standards and expectations, why can't those who influence and educate the most precious gifts our community has?

Hawai'i's students have enough on their plates already, and issues such as peer pressure, sex, violence, the Internet and drug abuse already weigh heavily on the minds of parents.

Do we really want someone addicted to meth/ice, cocaine, heroin, pot, etc., corrupting or harming our children, or worse, supplying them with these harmful substances?

The longer we inconsiderately continue to quarrel over and meander through this issue of random drug testing for Hawai'i teachers, what message are we really sending to the future leaders of tomorrow? That their safety means less than the sick or consumers?

Instead of squabbling, we need to adopt the same mentality for drug-testing policies that we did for drug dealers peddling their poison near the very places we now harbor many of their clients.

JUSTICE

HAWAI'I MUST BRING BACK DEATH PENALTY

It is time for Hawai'i to stop putting away violent people and start putting them down.

How is it right that Janel Tupuola's killer will live, albeit in prison, while she is no longer with her children or family? Justice won't really be served. In the end, her taxes (and ours) will help pay for her killer's lawyer as well as the expense of feeding and housing the man who robbed her of life.

It is obvious that someone who takes a life won't be let back into society. If we can put down a dangerous dog that attacks and kills, then why do we keep people alive who are no better than a vicious animal?

If our Legislature can help a football team, then certainly they can draft legislation to bring real justice to Hawai'i's victims.

The death penalty just might be the kind of deterrent our society needs.

PASSENGERS

SPEEDERS SHOULD BE FINED FOR RISKING LIVES

In line with Mr. Herman Ventura's Jan. 28 letter regarding adults and children riding in the back of pickup trucks, drivers who speed with passengers in any type of vehicle should not only be fined for speeding or other reckless driving infractions, but should be fined for each passenger whose life is placed in jeopardy.