Defense bill bloated by pork

Wow! Our GOP/tea party-controlled House of Representatives, with plenty of Democratic support (including Hawaii’s delegation) just passed a $601 billion "defense" bill, far beyond what the Pentagon and president had asked for. The bill includes massive amounts of spending on obsolete programs, which is kind of like buyinganoverweight child two Big Gulps.

The majority of our current Congress members were elected on their dogmatic promises of smaller government, lower taxes and even lowering the national debt, LOL.

The late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye called himself the "king of pork." He saw his job as getting Hawaii its fair share or more. The difference is that Inouye was honest.

Daniel Laraway
Kapahulu

Stick to facts on Japan radiation

It is perplexing reading letters like "Fukushima disaster is real Pacific threat," (Star-Advertiser, May 26).

It is unfortunate that people turn to social media to source information they deem authoritative rather than trusting sources such as the World Health Organization.

It is a myth that Fukushima continues to "gush out radioactive water since 2011, poisoning marine waters and fish, making them unfit to eat."

According to the UN Scientific Committee on theEffects of Atomic Radiation, it was confirmed that no person in the Fukushima prefecture would be exposed, through the environment or food, to more than 10 millisieverts in their lifetime.

This is one-tenth the level at which health effects are known to become likely. Therefore, no measurable increase in cancer rates is expected from radiation exposure in air or food.

Most food collects radiation, Brazil nuts being the highest.Had a Brazil nut come from waters near Fukushima, there would be a public outcry, yet people don’t think twice about eating them.

Elaine "KC" Sturgeon
Waikiki

We need more public restrooms

Recently I witnessed a scene that filled me with shame for calling Honolulu my home. I was completing a transaction in a downtown office when a woman carrying some belongings (just as anyone might) entered the office and politely asked if she could use the bathroom. The receptionist denied her entry. The woman quietly said, "Then I will have no choice but to use my towel."

This caused the receptionist to immediately pick up the phone to call security. I couldn’t bear to see what would happen next, so I left. Why won’t our government provide public toilets, as every other civilized city does? Can anyone say, "Pay toilets"?

All across Europe, people pay approximately 50 cents per use, and the toilets are kept spotless. Even downtown executives or government officials may find themselves in dire need when least expected.

Pam Chambers
Kakaako

Help homeless help themselves

Finally a letter to the editor regarding people who have no permanent homes that truly makes sense ("Involve homeless in maintaining park," Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 26).

It reminds us of our spirit of aloha and our sense of ohana between all of our residents. And it came from an Australian visitor!

Have we forgotten "E komo mai" (you are welcome here)? Or does that apply just to people who can line our pockets?

Have we thought to invite people without permanent homes to be part of the solution? To ask them what they believe they need?

I remember one family with small children waiting in line on the beach for food. When I spoke with the father, he told me he worked two minimum-wage jobs. He said he could pay rent or buy food, but not both, so they stood in line for food.

Must we prove letter writer Peter Moore wrong when he says, "Most in Hawaii support sharing and giving as a basis of the wonderful culture"?

The Rev. Barbara Grace Ripple
Kaneohe

Wealthy Waikiki can help poor

Recent statements by real estate and tourism industry officials regarding hotel investments being threatened by homelessness highlights the widening economic divide in Waikiki.

Waikiki hotel owners enjoy record revenues, but many Hawaii residents can’t make ends meet. Waikiki hotel room prices are now among the nation’s highest. Kamaaina families can’t afford vacations in their home state, making it easier for hotel executives to sell timeshare units to out-of-state investors.

Waikiki property owners contribute to the problem by increasing rental space prices. They say they are doing what the market can bear. Others call it greed. Recently, an entrepreneur shuttered her Waikiki shop, even though her franchise business was the second-highest grossing in the nation among her peers. Success could not overcome the staggering rental expenses.

Industry officials and the homeless must face each other and resolve their problems, laying the foundation for ending the economic divide in Waikiki.

Carlino Giampolo
Kakaako

Keep arches, lose the pool

The Big Q poll asked what should be done with the Natatorium ("What should be done with the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium, now named a ‘national treasure’?," The Big Q, Star-Advertiser, May 22).

Well, of the 4,252 people who answered your question, 90 percent wanted the pool razed to create a beach and to move the arches.Only 10 percent wanted full restoration.So what does this tell you?

An estimated $69.4 million is what it will take to fully restore the memorial. How much will it cost each year for the upkeep of the pool? Do we really need a pool?

Demolishing the pool doesn’t mean the end of the memorial.The arches are more important, a true symbol of a memorial.

The area will always be remembered as the Natatorium.Our World War I vets would be very pleased with the new beach.

Fred Gartley
Kaneohe

Grizzly bears belong in wild

Having just returned from a trip to Wyoming, my home state, I was heartbroken and angry to read, "Show at 50th State Fair offers a glimpse of grizzly life" (Star-Advertiser, May 24).

These majestic creatures, or any wild animals, should not be on display for human entertainment or "educational" reasons.

Unless an animal is endangered or injured, it is archaic and cruel to take them out of their natural environment, showing them at fairgrounds, festivals or sports shows, caged and restricted in small areas. One can learn about these wild animals from books, videos or the Internet.

Or take a trip to the mountains of Wyoming, Montana or Alaska, where you can see them in their natural wild habitat, roaming free.

The article states that the grizzlies were donated when they were young. Even if this is so, it is wrong to move them around from place to place, being exploited.

Susie Eubank
Diamond Head