GMO crops save Third World lives

James Brewbaker is correct: "GMO crops are an important tool to meet society’s growing demand for food, feed, and fiber" ("Yes to GMOs, no to more lawyers," Star-Advertiser, Letters, April 23).

However, I have come to realize many of the anti-GMO, anti-vaccination elitists don’t want to save Third World lives because part of their misinformation is that saving Third World lives leads to overpopulation.

Bill and Melinda Gates, major contributors to saving lives in developing countries, try and debunk the myth that saving lives causes overpopulation. With data, they have shown and have said: "The planet does not thrive when the sickest are allowed to die off, but rather when they are able to improve their lives."

The Gates Foundation promotes the use of GMO crops to improve the standard of living in developing countries, and the development of many of those GMO strains were developed right here in Hawaii, according to the Gates Foundation.

It’s easy to be anti-GMO when you have enough money to feed yourself.

Alan Gottlieb
Kapolei

Council displays dismaying inaction

I’m dumbfounded, disgusted and disappointed. The City Council Committee on Public Safety and Economic Development, chaired by Carol Fukunaga, proved once again why so many are disenchanted with "politics as usual" in Hawaii.

The saddest part of what happened on Tuesday was that our youth came to testify and saw our city government "in-action." Or maybe it was the best thing that could have happened.

Fukunaga and her committee took the easy way out and deferred the hotel condo conversion bill once again, thus ignoring nearly 6,000 constituents, 27 state legislators, 69 small businesses, numerous community groups and a neighborhood board who all publicly supported Bill 16. Is this what our youth have to look forward to as they come of age and look to engage in our political system? An unresponsive City Council?

As a community we need to stay engaged this political season to ensure our interests are met today, and not "deferred" to the next generation.

Joli Tokusato
Nuuanu

HMSA raises rates, cuts reimbursement

As Hawaii Medical Service Association announces its double-digit rate hike, it is perhaps fitting to look at a 30-year history of its treatment of the doctors who actually care for Hawaii’s sick and injured ("HMSA pursues 12.8% rate hike for small businesses," Star-Advertiser, April 8).

HMSA justifies annual rate increases far above inflation, citing their increased expenses. Understandable. What should be known is that at the same time, they have been ratcheting down reimbursements to the doctors who provide the care to well below the Consumer Price Index.

Hawaii’s doctors are now reimbursed at some of the lowest rates in the country, in spite of our 35 percent cost-of-living premium. Is there any wonder why the doctors we train end up moving to the mainland?

Ronald Kienitz
Kailua

Waikiki remains a beautiful place

My husband and I were blessed to be able to spend our 40th anniversary in your beautiful state. We took an inter-island cruise and spent several days on Waikiki Beach. Even though it has changed, it is still paradise!

We appreciate all the beaches being public, but all the high-rises, and more to come, take away from the natural beauty. Also, as we walked the strip along the beach, we could not understand why the homeless are allowed to sleep on the sidewalks and beg for money.

And it seemed hard to find good Hawaiian music like we heard 40 years ago when we honeymooned there. We did enjoy the Royal Hawaiian Band at the Royal Hawaiian Outdoor Center and a show there with the Polynesian Cultural Center entertainers.

In spite of all the changes, we enjoyed our stay there tremendously and look forward to returning sometime soon.

Gene and Jill Elliott
Rising Sun, Ind.

Case wasn’t booed at Dems convention

In his effort to bolster his petty and false arguments that the Hawaii Democratic Party stifles speech ("Democratic Party finds a way to stifle speech," Star-Advertiser, On Politics, April 22), Richard Borreca resorts to blatant falsehoods to bolster his arguments.

Regarding the Daniel Akaka v. Ed Case U.S. Senate campaign in 2006, Borreca writes, "Case was allowed to speak (at the state convention), but much of his speech was drowned out by boos from the Akaka loyalists."

As president of my precinct, I was a delegate at that convention, and I can state categorically that the Borreca statement is false. There was not a single boo! Either way, really shoddy journalism.

The only visible opposition to Case’s speech was the man who stood up near the front of the audience and turned his back to Case during his entire speech. I know. I was that man.

Joel Fischer
Waialae-Kahala

Hawaiian Air crews should check planes

Instead of treating the aircraft stowaway incident as a PR "problem" and claiming some mealy mouthed "bystander" status ("Airline was ‘bystander’ in saga of stowaway teen, CEO says," Star-Advertiser, April 23), wouldn’t Hawaiian Airlines president and chief executive Mark Dunkerley be better advised to launch a protocol whereby every flight deck crew would be required to conduct an exhaustive pre-flight external inspection of the aircraft — including wheel wells — before taking off?

It’s now obvious that whatever passes for airport security is woefully unprepared for such a task.

Thomas E. Stuart
Kapaau, Hawaii island