Health naysayers an abomination

Jay Miller calls health care reform an abomination ("Letters," July 16). Mr. Miller is obviously not paying attention.

In 1974 the Hawaii Legislature had the incredible good sense to pass near-universal health care coverage, and for 36 years Hawaii residents have reaped incredible benefits from it. Hawaii has the lowest per capital health care costs in the nation. Can you think of anything else in Hawaii that you can say that about?

We also have the nation’s longest longevity. It is unthinkable that delivering these same benefits to the 49 mainland states would be called an abomination. Mr. Miller’s letter is the real abomination.

Airline costs are too high

I was stunned to learn about airline fees, which are never added to the cost of the ticket supposedly for our benefit to keep flying cost down! ("Airline fees make it hard to shop for the best deals," Star-Advertiser, July 15). What an inane statement. All these fees have made billions of dollars and it’s not going to lower our ticket prices.

We have been trying for months to get tickets for our grandchildren during the Christmas season, only to be told they would cost $850 to $1,100 per person (not including the fees, of course). They have never ever been this high. I’m amazed we have any tourist business at all during the holidays. What happened to kamaaina rates for people who live here and would like to have their children visit, or college kids to come home without having to take out a second mortgage?

We should go back to regulating these airlines, which are doing their best to make flying so expensive and uncomfortable.

Lingle should OK FEIS

Now that the city has completed the Final Environmental Impact Statement for its Honolulu rail transit project, Gov. Linda Lingle should accept the FEIS once her Office of Environmental Quality Control has determined that it meets the legal requirements.

Gov. Lingle’s action regarding the FEIS is unprecedented. If the governor wanted to get involved with the details of the EIS, the proper time was when the draft EIS was circulated to governmental agencies. Instead, at the 11th hour, she has decided to do an analysis of the city’s financial plan.

This is the same financial plan that the Federal Transit Administration has approved. The FTA is expected to contribute $1.55 billion toward the project. If the agency contributing billions of dollars has approved the financial plan, why is Gov. Lingle delaying her acceptance of the EIS?

Respect other views

The majority of us in Hawaii are not in favor of passing the civil unions bill, yet we are now blackmailed, threatened with lawsuits and boycotts, called bigots, etc. when we do not concur with those in favor of it. Let’s look at the other side of the equation. If we passed the bill, how much more business will we lose from the non-gay population (this is a much bigger market) who may not come here as a result?

Respect our views just as much as you expect us to respect yours.

Gays have families, too

Regarding the potential boycott of travel to Hawai’i by gays and lesbians, let us all be reminded these men and women exist very much in strong community. Gay men and lesbians have mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles and, yes, children. They also have friends and colleagues. It seems that every family today has, knows and loves someone who is gay.

The far greater threat to Hawaii’s tourism is not from gay men and lesbians themselves but rather from the entire market of people who may now avoid Hawaii for her politics, laws and culture that legitimize religious-based bigotry, hatred and inequality.