HECO should be customer-owned

I agree with state Rep. Cynthia Thielen’s assertion that Hawaiian Electric Co.’s centralized, for-profit monopoly business model may become obsolete due to technological trends making decentralized independent power generation more feasible and cost-effective ("Making room for more solar in Hawaii," Star Advertiser, Oct. 23). But Thielen doesn’t mention what may be the ultimate solution: a customer buyout of the electric utility, similar to what took place on Kauai.

A customer-owned, nonprofit HECO would no longer have to generate profits for shareholders or pay taxes on those profits. After the buyout was paid for, this money could facilitate more rapid transition to local, renewable energy sources and decentralized generation even if they were initially more costly.

I discussed the feasibility and desirability of a customer buyout in more detail over six years ago in a guest editorial published in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin (archives.starbulletin.com/2007/03/11/editorial/special.html).

Tom Brandt
Downtown Honolulu

Health care costs going up and up

My Hawaii Medical Service Association Akamai Advantage monthly premium for 2014 will increase from $21 per month to $46. This is an increase of over 100 percent. How is this permitted? Obamacare, anyone?

Jim Kozlowski
Waikiki

English language gets no respect

Regarding William Hageman’s article on speech quirks ("Annoying speech quirks can hurt people’s images and vocal cords," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 13), anyone with a modicum of respect for the language would have to agree with his assessment.

However, what my own tired ears find even more annoying — nay, infuriating! — is the overall tendency of young people (say under 40) to squeeze a maximum of words per second into each sentence. The trend is now epidemic, and is at its worst on the telephone. Virtually every pre-recorded message sounds like an imitation of a country cattle auctioneer’s pitch. To judge by customer service personnel’s words-per-minute rate of speech, they appear to be paid by the number of calls fielded.

Garbled messages left by unthinking callers on the answering machine are even more frustrating. The English language is still treated with respect on British airwaves. Fortunately, there is always e-mail.

Giveon Cornfield
Hawaii Kai

Bail out people, not Wall Street

Here is an idea for the new chairwoman of the Federal Reserve: Instead of spending $85 billion per month on propping up the stock market, how about giving 85 million people $1,000 per month? It would practically wipe out poverty and really do something for the economy!

Regina E. Gregory
Makiki

Support other animal shelters

I am very disappointed in the way the Hawaiian Humane Society is handling the lost pets, stray dogs and cats situation ("Stray pets overcrowd Oahu’s animal shelters," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 5). Whatever happened to its commitment to these animals? It is partially funded by the city and lots of private donors, which includes me. It could have found a way to continue this basic service of stray animal pickup.

Since the Hawaiian Humane Society stopped providing these services, the Oahu Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other private shelters are doing all they can to protect these animals. This is without funds from the city or state. They rely on private funds, donated animal food, supplies and pet adoption.

The wonderful volunteers use their personal cars to pick up lost pets and stray animals. They don’t have company trucks or vans. The city and state should fund these shelters. Our good-hearted residents could also help by adopting from the shelters.

Marguerite Akana
Ewa Beach

End fiscal year on July 1, not October

Shame on Congress! Whatever happened to those who used to represent us logically? Maybe we should go back to a time when our government’s fiscal year began on July 1 instead of October.

When difficult decisions had to be made by July 1, all of Congress’s vacations were on the line. With the Oct. 1 deadline, their vacations are usually over and the date poses no threat to their off time. Consequently, we had a government shutdown — mostly for the little guys, as usual.

Joan Connell
Hawaii Kai

Team names insult Native Americans

The Washington Redskins should change their name to "Americans" and keep the logo. The Cleveland Indians should change both their name and logo. They are insulting to Native Americans.

Robert Douglas Maier
McCully-Moiliili

Sidewalk law needs to be more precise

Bill 59, which states that not just anyone is allowed to lie down on a sidewalk, is a good idea, but I think that the bill should be much more specific. For instance, when Bill 54 relating to stored property was first passed in 2011, it was very frustrating for some friends and me because I was required by law to remove my basketball hoop from the sidewalk where it was not doing any inconvenience or harm. I sure hope that the lawmakers of the new bill will be very specific about what is and is not legal.

Joseph Lyons
Mililani