State had plenty of time to inspect

If there are only 45 nursing homes in the state, how could there not be time to inspect them all within a 15.9-month time period ("Failed," Star-Advertiser, June 29)?

Forty-five divided by 15.9 equals 2.8. The article didn’t mention how many employees are doing the surveys, but it looks like even one or two should be able to do the 2.8 surveys per month, including the on-site visit and computer input.

The lame excuse about transferring from a paper-based toa computer-based system is unacceptable. How long has the state had computers? Give me a break!

Our kupuna took care of us. Shouldn’t we be confident that they are being taken care of in a nursing home with the same level of care?

Lani Johnson
Salt Lake

TV stations need to cover forums

I am shocked that there is only going to be one televised forum covering the candidates for Congress in the 1st Congressional District in the upcoming primary, on the PBS show "Insights" on July 10.

This congressional seat is vacant and there are numerous candidates. How can busy Hawaii families be expected to compare so many relatively unknown candidates?

The lack of coverageis a disgrace on local broad-castjournalism. I am talking about KHON, KITV, KGMB and KHNL. Even if they are too lazy to sponsor debates themselves, there are already scheduled forums — cover them.

If they don’t want to lose precious advertising money, air them at 2 a.m. We have DVRs. But they should do the job they are licensed to do.

Richard Manetta
Wilhelmina Rise

Hawaiians have history at marsh

In response to Betty Connors, I still say, "Read the plan" ("Read the plan and be alarmed," Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 28).

Be alarmed that Hawaiians could be excluded from the Kawainui-Hamakua Complex Master Plan.

To characterize the united Hawaiians of Kawainui and Kailua as "various interests" whose presence on the perimeter of the wetland — just 6 percent of the land in question — will negate the work done on flood control, wetland preservation and protection of endangered waterfowl indicates a lack of understanding and comprehension.

Teaching students to steward the land is an essential part of the cultural presence that is need-ed. Disregarding the legiti- mate rights of the host culture to educate future generations in place-based centers, and steward a culturally and historically significant resource that settlers have repeatedly damaged and threatened, may not be personal racism, but it is disrespectful. Denying Hawaiians a permanent, living cultural presence at Kaiwainui is structural racism.

Kathleen Sassi
Kaaawa

Marsh plan about tourism

Everything wild doesn’t have to be tamed or exploited.

The Kawainui-Hamakua marsh project in Kailua is clearly a development enterprise posing as a conservation endeavor. We have been, thus far, presented with a plan to attract tourists.

Where is the plan conceived to attract aboriginal wildlife and indigenous plants, providing them with sanctuary from marauding humans?

Who will maintain the proposed parking lots, buildings and exposition areas? The same overburdened state Department of Land and Natural Resources currently controlling the rampant salvenia clogging the waters?

The bungling Army Corps of Engineers that disrupted acres of marsh to develop dysfunctional ponds with no reliable water source?

The current development proposal will be better dumped instead of tarnishing the forefront of our intentionally suburban Kailua Town.

Stann W. Reiziss

Kailua

Another vote for electrics cars

I totally agree with the lady who owns a Nissan Leaf ("Electric car has met all expectations," Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 24).

I have had my Chevy Volt for two years now and only use about a quarter-gallon of gas per month.

I have a 50-mile driving radius and if I run a little short, the gas engine kicks in. I keep two gallons of gas in the gas tank for backup, which I hardly ever use.

Paul Nash
Kaneohe

U.S. complicit in toppling queen

A recent letter to the editor was written in such a way as to promote the idea that Queen Liliuokalani was deposed by Hawaiian residents who acted without U.S. government support ("Queen overthrown by Hawaii residents," Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 30).

Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, the American minister to Hawaii, John Stevens, at the request of the "Hawaiian residents" involved in the overthrow, summoned one company of U.S. Marines and two companies of armed U.S. sailors to support the overthrow and subsequent imprisonment of the queen. These forces were deployed from the USS Boston, a Navy warship and the equivalent to a flight of F-22 fighter jets today.

As the letter stated, the U.S. government in Washington was unaware that the overthrow took place, but the presence of the USS Boston in Honolulu Harbor and the deployment of armed forces begs a different conclusion.

Steve Holmes

Palolo Valley

President not getting credit

President Barack Obama is not getting the credit he deserves for his policies in the Middle East.

We hear only the bashing by the GOP. First it wanted to arm the rebels in Syria, then it wanted airstrikes against ISIS. Obama said no to both. It never supported Obama’s decision to push Syria’s president, Bashar Assad, to surrender his chemical weapons, the last of which was received recently. Obama was right on all counts.

Now former Vice President Dick Cheney wants a "do-over" in Iraq, which Obama was against the first time around. This relentless mudslinging is gradually swaying many Americans to be anti-Obama. Our congressional delegation should be more vocal and defend our native son.

Ray Horita
Palolo Valley

PRP smear was given free rein

Thank you for your story on the background on Pacific Resource Partnership’s smear of former Gov. Ben Cayetano, and thanks to his lawyer Jim Bickerton for helping to make it public.

It is not only mainland consultants Ben Tulchin and Martin Hamburger who should be held accountable, but the people who hired them, and perhaps more important, all of the public officials who could have stopped it and never lifted a finger.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie could have stepped forward and asked that the rhetoric be toned down. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz could have stepped up to the plate and shown some integrity, not to mention Kirk Caldwell. Now we sit back and watch them try miserably to distance themselves from this disgrace.

Gerri Pedesky
Nuuanu