Social Security does not keep up with inflation

If you get Social Security, as I do, you know the federal government has been cheating us on increases for inflation.

For two years, the feds told us "no inflation," and gave us no increases in our Social Security checks. But we saw prices going up — sometimes way up.

Now they tell us we will get a 3.6 percent increase. I think price increases have been much greater than that.

Now some politicians want to cut down on the already-small size of our Social Security increases. They say that when there are price increases, we can find a cheaper substitute item to buy. Sometimes we can. But what does that do to our standard of living? I think it makes it worse. Substitute purchases are often not as good.

And I would like the politicians to tell me some cheaper substitutes for gasoline for my car, or electricity, or for my car registration tax.

Mark Terry
Wahiawa

Pro Bowl helps Hawaii without inconvenience

The Pro Bowl is an event for fun, sun, and football. The television coverage around the island is priceless. The players, their family, friends and fans not only bring their cash but pay taxes, do good works, provide funds for civic projects and really seem to enjoy the whole experience.

I believe this is called the aloha spirit. No road closures, no beach closures, no obnoxious press conferences, no mass display of security, no need to plant anything, no need for coat and tie, only a positive attitude that the Pro Bowl is much more than a football game. Money will be donated, money will be spent, skin will get a little pink, cars will be rented and, oh the pictures that will be taken and shared.

Are you ready for some Pro Bowl?

Dunning Sewell
Aiea

Honolulu showed it can host top events

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting was a rehearsal for Honolulu to be confirmed as an international diplomatic meeting venue. Honolulu was upgraded from economy class to first class.

It was naive and provincial to espouse that APEC world leaders and delegates were coming to Honolulu on a junket travel vacation to hang out on the beach of Waikiki with their spouses and families while on official government expense accounts. Delegates attended non-stop meetings in dark rooms and had little time to see the light of day; extreme security made souvenir shopping an unreasonable expectation.

I do believe delegates will one day return to Honolulu incognito wearing the APEC 2011 aloha shirt gift with pride.

Fredrica "Ricki" Cassiday
Honolulu

Kudos to U.S. for finally talking with Myanmar

What a relief to note that Myanmar, a place where time has stood still for too long now, finally appears deserving of a wider media coverage sans the ad nauseam dose of "Burma" bashing ("Myanmar welcomes Suu Kyi and Clinton," Star-Advertiser, Nov. 19).

What years of coddling by neighboring competitors China and India coupled with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations cohorts’ preference to look the other way seemingly could not achieve, the United States, with just a handful of well-placed and well-timed moves — naming of a special envoy and preparations for a secretary of state visit — already is helping paint a public portrayal of a new and improving Myanmar.

I am surmising that such moves in no way are meant to condone any alleged military brutalities or any ongoing denials of basic human rights for Myanmar’s citizenry. All such practices will remain the elephant in the room. But the U.S. willingness to sit in the same room with Myanmar’s government is a good start to influencing who and what remains in the room.

Wylma C. Samaranayake-Robinson
Honolulu

Anti-Ansaldo letter railed on without facts

While I don’t have a dog in the fight, it pains me to repeatedly see letters to the editor published with erroneous facts. William Kibby’s short letter is wrong on every count ("Ansaldo treated with kid gloves," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 10).

First, there is a procurement process in the Hawaii Revised Statutes that the state and the counties must follow, as was done to select a rail vendor. Included in the state procurement law is an appeals process, which was also followed. How is this "treated with kid gloves?"

Second, the fine Ansaldo paid was to the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, not the city, as Kibby states.

Finally, the letter claims that one bidder was rejected for requesting a clarification when, in fact, the bid was rejected for containing a condition when the request for proposals specifically said conditions could not be included in the bid.

To some, the facts simply do not matter.

Hal Barnes
Kailua