Lihue airport nene needed to move

The emergency proclamation issued by Gov. Neil Abercrombie to relocate the rapidly increasing population of nene that nest next to the Lihue Airport was vitally necessary to reduce the likelihood of airplane crashes. The need for this action has been questioned by some individuals.

Because of my years of active involvement with nene conservation, the federal wildlife officials charged with reducing the threat of airplane crashes caused by hitting birds requested my advice on their program to increase public safety. I inspected the nene next to the Lihue Airport and verified that the population of nene nesting there had exploded to several hundred birds in recent years.

The wildlife officials responsible for relocating these nene encountered continuing unresolved, long delays in their efforts to relocate these nene. These delays were apparently due to bureaucratic disagreements between the government agencies with overlapping jurisdictions. The emergency proclamation was urgently needed to move the birds to reduce the risk of air collisions caused by the nene.

Paul Breese
Kapaau

Tax Foundation report is biased

What an ironic outrage that the Star-Advertiser would blindly publish more propaganda from the super rich ("1% decried by protesters not all raking in millions," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 30) while Honolulu is trying to hide its poor people from wealthy dignitaries attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference. The takeaway from our busted economy for David Logan of Tax Foundation is that the wealthiest Americans’ income came down while the group’s average tax rate went up.

This "non-profit tax research group" was created in 1937 by General Motors, Standard Oil and other business interests to fight President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s efforts to end the Great Depression. Today, the Tax Foundation is still supported by the super-rich, including the notorious Koch brothers.

Yeah, boo-hoo, the recession hurt the super rich. After taxes the average taxpayer in the top 1 percent had to get along on just $730,000 a year, only $14,000 a week. Should we take up a collection? Hey, we already are.

Walter Wright
Kaneohe

Police buildup for APEC unwarranted

While we wait to hear whether an Iraq vet will need brain surgery after suffering a skull fracture from a brutal attack by the Oakland police, the news here is that the Honolulu Police Department has purchased 25,000 pepper spray projectiles, 3,000 Taser cartridges and 18,000 bean bag ammunition units in preparation for welcoming peaceful protesters to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference. What happened to the aloha shirt-clad police? Is Honolulu gearing up to be the next Oakland?

Peaceful protest is not a crime, subject to arrest and attack. But, it seems that the powers that be are not only frantically applying whitewash to the homeless, potholes and graffiti, but also trying to keep any peaceful protesters unseen.

And all the talk about how we should welcome not being able to drive, park, swim or walk in public places seems to be coming from those who might benefit from the APEC event. Auwe!

Carol Murry
Honolulu

Choice of living, dying never private

Alexandra Avery states that the Catholic bishop’s opposition to death with dignity goes against "a society that is based on separation of church and state" and she wonders why the church feels "obligated to interfere with our most personal decisions: to have or not have a child and to live or die on our terms … it’s a private palliative matter between patient and physician" ("Personal, not religious, choice," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Oct. 27).

The church has never enforced when to have or not have children — that’s China. Let us not forget that 92 percent of this country believes in God. Separation of church and state was adopted so the government couldn’t establish a national religion. Every choice we make does affect others; it is never a private matter. The choice to kill a child or oneself affects that child, the father, the physician, nurses, family members and friends. Avery’s view reflects absolute selfishness to think one can live one’s life in a bubble.

Dennis Muth
Kailua

Medical centers offer expert healing

Regarding the possible closing of Hawaii Medical Centers, I hope something can be done to help them stay around. When my wife had a diabetic stroke, I can’t say enough about the expert care, compassion and kindness that the staff provided to her. I hope they will come out of this and survive and prosper.

Gerald King
Honolulu

Help high school graduates instead

President Barack Obama would provide relief from college-student loans with lower interest rates, forgiveness of debt after 20 years and a 10 percent cap on the loan repayment to the discretionary income of the debtor.

The U.S. does not need more college graduates. When was the last time a college graduate fixed your car, repaired your appliances, fixed your roof, delivered your newspaper, cashiered your purchase at the store, prepared the food for your plate lunch, built your home or fixed your road?

In the U.S. we desperately need more high school graduates, not more college graduates. But that would be a more difficult problem to solve instead of forgiving loans to deadbeat college graduates.

Garry P. Smith
Ewa Beach