Transparency for Hawaiian Air

Within one week of each other, severe safety and security lapses occurred at Hawaiian Airlines.

First, Federal Aviation Administration Air Worthiness Directives were not complied with regarding the Boeing 767, allowing more than 5,000 flights with defective thrust reversers, including 14 more after the airline was alerted outright.

Then a stowaway managed to crawl into the wheel well of another Boeing 767 at the San Jose airport, exposing a major security flaw. Luckily, he wasn’t a suicide bomber.

On both occasions, the airline spokesperson provided unsatisfactory statements, first refusing to answer why 14 additional flights were knowingly allowed with the defective thrust reverser and, this time, failing to assure the public that this stowaway incident will never happen again.

The airline’s perfect safety record cannot be taken for granted any more. I call upon Hawaiian Airlines to be more transparent and forthcoming, proving its No. 1 commitment to safety — before I fly with them again.

Eva Uran
Naalehu, Hawaii island

Easter message: Help the poor

I disagree with David Figueira and Leonard Withington, Jr. ("Has society become post-Christian?," "‘Aloha Friday,’ but no ‘Happy Easter,’" Star-Advertiser, Letters, April 22).

Your cover story on homelessness in Waikiki was by far a more germane Easter message than another trite, pro forma Happy Easter proclamation. What more appropriate Easter and Christian message can there be than calling attention to the plight of the less fortunate in our midst and challenging our complacency in the face of such a human tragedy?

As Jesus himself said, "Whatever you do for one of the least of my brethren, you do for me."

With those most apposite Easter words, I think it’s time for all of us to step up.

Michael Clark
Makiki

Move homeless out of Waikiki

Your story on Waikiki’s homeless problem was filled with slow, uncertain, possibly successful ideas for eliminating the exploding homeless problem in Waikiki, the economic engine that governs the success or failure of our tourist-based economy ("Down & out in Waikiki," Star-Advertiser, April 20). Helplessness resonated throughout the article.

It made me recall that a couple of years ago, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, dignitaries from all over the Pacific were brought to Honolulu for their meeting.

There were millions of dollars spent on upgrading Waikiki, even including the roads leading there from the airport.

The homeless were swept up and Waikiki was cleared of blight.

For us in Waikiki, and for the tourists, it was wonderful while it lasted. If it could be quickly done then, it could be done again.

The ACLU might complain, but we are fighting for the very survival of our economy.

Move the problem out of Waikiki permanently.

Gordon Wolfe
Waikiki

Inaction fuels homeless crisis

Our Hawaii state and city governments are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs through inaction and a refusal to get serious about housing the poor and homeless ("Down & out in Waikiki," Star-Advertiser, April 20).

The so-called "Housing First" program seems to be going nowhere. Affordable, extremely low-cost housing really can happen if the political will is there.

Tiny cabins on vacant lands, places where the homeless can find refuge away from tourists and business centers, can be built easily and quickly.

Safe housing should be considered one of the most basic human rights.

Hawaii should lead the way there.

David B. Cannell
Waipahu

Every child needs a laptop

Thanks for an excellent editorial, "Laptop project needs support" (Star-Advertiser, Our View, April 14).

Everyone knows the most important time in a child’s development is the first several years of his or her life.

In Uganda and Uraguay, one country gave half its children laptops and the other gave all its children laptops.

A photo of Al Gore in Sierra Leone showed kids attending school outside, on the bare dirt. On the ground were solar panels powering the laptops they were using.

Laptops are probably the closest thing to a silver bullet in education we’re going to get, promising to improve education for children of all economic levels.

Cutting $600,000 would jeopardize the successful continuation of the project. The Department of Education set up the infrastructure for the laptop project, and this is the best use of $600,000 I’ve heard in a long time.

Cutting $600,000, to my mind, would show the Legislature isn’t serious about improving education in Hawaii.

Renee Ing
Makiki

Democrats play same old games

Hawaii Democrats are holding a convention in May and the only candidate allowed to speak to the general assembly is the incumbent governor (who has yet to even pull papers to run for office).

It seems the party chairman, Dante Carpenter, doesn’t have enough time in the schedule to allow the four Democratic gubernatorial candidates five minutes each to address the entire convention.

It is an example of the purely power politics that permeates all corners of the entire political spectrum these days. Shouldn’t the Democrats at their own convention have the opportunity to hear what every Democratic candidate for governor has to say?

It seems to be the same-old, same-old, good ol’ boy politics endorsing a preordained incumbent.

And by the way, shouldn’t "debates" after the primary include all candidates no matter how "viable?" Same smell …

Fred Fogel
Volcano

Yes to GMOs, no to more lawyers

Regarding "Anti-GMO forces get legal backup," (Star-Advertiser, Off the News, April 16), a March 7 news release from the Crop Science Society of America, which represents 6,000 scientists, said: "Research shows food from GM crops safe, no special labeling needed."

Furthermore, the release stated that "GMO crops are an important tool to meet society’s growing demand for food, feed, and fiber."

In its 2013 annual review, ISAAA.org records that GMO crops were grown by 18 million farmers on 444 million acres of land.

Yields and salaries of farm workers increased. Costs of goods to consumers decreased. Absolutely no safety concerns were validated.

So why more lawyers to support the anti-GMO brouhaha in Hawaii, when it has absolutely no scientific basis?

Hawaii’s lawyers make an average salary of $117,080. Hawaii’s farm workers make an average salary of $27,830.

James L. Brewbaker
Kailua