Djou has served us well during term in Congress

During the recent campaign, much was made of U.S. Rep. Charles Djou’s voting with the Republican Party. Thank goodness he’s doing just that. When it came time to censure former House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel for failing to pay his taxes and other ethical missteps, Djou chose to vote yea with most Republicans (and many Democrats). Unfortunately, U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono followed the Democratic Party line, choosing to merely reprimand Rangel’s misbehavior. More unfortunate is the loss of Djou’s conscientious voice in a congressional delegation that, as in this instance, too often prefers party line over ethical consideration.

Prevedouros was right about rail’s huge cost

Former mayoral candidate Panos Prevedouros was correct when he said that the cost of rail will bankrupt the city of Honolulu.

The latest estimate for the cost of the rail system is now an additional $1.7 billion over the next 20 years.

Great! Let’s send the bill to our children and grandchildren to pay for!

Jobless benefits should not be like welfare

I can’t speak for the people collecting unemployment money on the mainland, but there are many available jobs on Oahu. They’re not glamorous jobs but they are paying jobs. Many people receiving unemployment money in Hawaii don’t take these jobs. Why work for a living when they can get free money (unemployment checks) from the government? It’s like getting a paid vacation.

You have to cut off this government support sometime; otherwise it’s going to be another form of welfare. If an unemployed person can’t find a job in 46 weeks or even 99 weeks, something’s wrong. You have to take that job at Zippy’s, McDonald’s, Walmart, etc., and work for a living. You have to check your ego at the door, develop a backbone, roll up your sleeves, and take any job that you can get.

People in Third World countries would jump at the job opportunities here.

Ride along with HPD before being critical

It’s too bad you don’t ask why one votes one way or another in your daily poll (Big Q: "Have Honolulu Police operations improved during Louis Kealoha’s first year as its chief?" Star-Advertiser, Dec. 1).

Personally, I believe that Chief Kealoha has done an awesome, inspiring job, given what he was handed when he took the reins. The horrible morale left behind by the previous police chief must have been a job unto itself. And now our chief has to try to placate everyone by balancing a budget for which he was not at fault.

For those of you naysayers out there, I throw down this gauntlet: Do a ride-along with HPD, especially with the night watch guys in areas such as Kalihi, Waipahu and Papakolea. And if you’re too scared of that, just imagine how an officer feels coming into a scene that he knows nothing about. Try it before you talk negatively about our police officers and our chief.

Repealing DADT will put U.S. military at risk

The U.S. military is the best and strongest military in the world. Our goal should be to remain that way. Repealing "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" is a social experiment that puts all that at risk. Why mess with the military now?

Inauguration at palace would be bad form

The planners for last year’s 50th anniversary of statehood deemed it would be insensitive to use Iolani Palace to stage a celebratory event for the jubilee. The concern was it would be offensive to Hawaiians who contend Hawaii is still a sovereign nation and Iolani Palace sacred ground.

So wouldn’t using the palace on Monday to inaugurate the next governor of Hawaii be just as insensitive? Why would the state refrain from causing an affront one year, then cause an affront just as egregious the next?

For Neil Abercrombie to start his term with such an insult to the already injured Hawaiian community would be very bad form.