Traditional flyover was sorely missed

With all the news reports on the Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremonies, I found one story to be very disturbing.

With President Barack Obama coming to Hawaii for the holidays at a reported cost of another $3 million to $4 million, and Gov. Neil Abercrombie racking up tens of thousands of dollars in travel expenses, I found it both insulting and demeaning to not only those who came to Hawaii for the ceremonies and those who have served that neither the president nor the governor would authorize a traditional flyover by the Hawaii National Guard — eliminated due to budget cuts.

The cost of a flyover would have been 3-5 percent of what the president’s trip costs, for an event that had a profound effect on our country.

It’s outrageous that our elected officials are not prioritizing what most people would find offensive, when honoring those who made this country what it is.

Bob Endreson
Kailua

‘People’ in charge don’t represent us

The Nov. 21 editorial ("Public should have access to its data," Our View, Star-Advertiser) starts out with: "A government of the people, by the people, for the people … "

We have not had that for a long time. It has been government of, by and for the politicians, lobbyists, big corporations, CEOs, wealthy and greedy.

This is the "change" that I had hoped Barack Obama could bring about. All of the people at the top of this money/power food chain benefit by perpetuating it.

Fred Metcalf
Kalihi

Cut football if UH can’t meet expenses

Regarding the article "Teams face ax if fiscal troubles continue" (Star-Advertiser, Nov. 27): I strongly agree with Benjamin Kudo, chairman of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents’ Intercollegiate Athletics Committee, that "cutting school teams would be a last resort for us. Unfortunately, we’re prepared to do it, if that’s what’s called for, because our primary purpose is to educate students."

Why penalize successful teams that comply with the fiscal budget? The obvious solution is to eliminate the football program, the main contributor to the UH Athletics Department’s massive fiscal deficit.

After many years of struggle, all indications are that the decline in attendance at games, sponsorship and other sources of income will persist.

What makes a failing product sacrosanct over the top priority of the education of students?

Tony Locascio
Diamond Head

Future promising for UH Warriors

At the end of the University of Hawaii-Army game, it was quite evident that our football team had arrived.

Some of the stimulus was attributable to the sad loss of a comrade. Also apparent was that the coaching staff, from head Coach Norm Chow on down, clearly understood that the game is superseded by life’s events and emotions, by allowing the "missing man" formation on UH’s first offensive play of the game.

At the end of the game, all of the players interviewed exhibited strong support for Coach Chow and his staff. Finally we have a head coach who "gets it," and the future looks promising for building men of character, and the determination to set a solid foundation for the future.

Imua lanakila, Coach Chow.

Tom Sing
Palolo

House homeless at former military base

Why couldn’t the state re-open a closed military base for the homeless people? They would have a place to sleep and eat, plus toilets, showers and all the facilities and amenities that the enlisted men and women had during World War II, as the Japanese-Americans had when forced out of their homes at that time.

It seems obvious that re-opening bases would be far less costly than building new "low-cost" housing. Run it like the military, with those able to share in chores and upkeep.

June Lawrence
Waikiki

Poor get health care even if no insurance

I could not help butchuckle at columnist Froma Harrop’s bleeding-heart spin on the suffering of the uninsured ("Obamacare off to bad start but there’s no need to panic," Star-Advertiser, Nov. 23).

She says that "for every American with a canceled policy, there are 10 uninsured Americans. Many are suffering and will be saved by this law."

Indeed, some have been without health insurance, though virtually no one is without health care, thanks to the half of us who still choose to work, like it or not.

Michael Gilleland
Kailua

Health insurers need deregulation

America needs deregulation of the health care industry across state lines to have a decrease in health care costs.

Why are auto insurance companies allowed to pool risk across state lines but health insurance companies are not?

Allowing health care companies to compete nationally, you would have fewer insurance companies, and there would be increased competition through their ability to offer lower rates. Having fewer, larger companies also means that insurance rates for riskier people would go down because of a larger group of healthy people to offset their risk.

America is heading the wrong direction in providing low-cost insurance to Americans. We need leadership in Washington that can help us move in the other direction.

Russell McGuire
Kaimuki