Bonds for rail always the plan

Dave Shapiro is misinformed when he insinuates that the Memorandum of Understanding between the city and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation to issue bonds is a panicked response to the projected shortfall on rail construction ("Ige quietly plods away as Caldwell slams panic button," Star-Advertiser, Volcanic Ash, Jan. 25).

In fact, the city and HART have been working on the MOU for many months. Borrowing has always been in the financial plan. HART cannot issue its own debt. Therefore, the city must issue debt for HART to meet HART’s short-term cash flow requirements.

The City Council must approve the MOU as well as a bond resolution that authorizes the city to issue the debt.

Further, the MOU outlines a process for the city to monitor the financial health of HART. It includes protections to ensure that bond payments are made when due and are paid for by HART, thus protecting both the city and the bond holders.

Nelson H. Koyanagi Jr.
Director, Department of Budget and Fiscal Services

Mayor’s excuses keep changing

If Mayor Kirk Caldwell has any hopes of convincing the Legislature to make the half-percent general excise tax increase for construction of rail effective ad infinitum, he needs to focus his message.

Originally he said he needed it in order to provide for the expected $50 million per year in operation and maintenance expenses.

Later, he said he needed it in order to continue extending the system to the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Waikiki.

Now he is insisting that if he doesn’t get it, then contracts can’t be signed to finish the system that is almost $1 billion over budget, with only 60 percent contracted out.

My advice to the mayor is to pick his favorite excuse and stick to it.

Earl Arakaki
Ewa Beach

Ivory ban will boost poaching

Elephant poaching is wrong, and should be stopped ("Proposals seek to end ivory sales," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 28).

But outlawing the sale of ivory products is not only the wrong thing to do, it will result in more elephants being killed.

First, banning the sale of all ivory is just plain stupid. The ivory in many antique items such as guns, pianos, artifacts and jewelry was legally harvested, long before there was a banto importivory, and banning the sale of those items is not going to bring back the elephant.

But when the sale of ivory is made illegal, it will drive up the price of ivory. When the price goes up, poachers will get more for their products, and they will take greater risks to kill more elephants.

Poaching needs to be stopped at the source. More nations need to spend more resources to stop this senseless killing of elephants.

Wim Blees
Mililani

Doctor shortage due to less pay

The doctor shortage in Hawaii and America is partially due to declining pay.

Few people know that most doctors do not get paid for what they bill; their pay is limited by insurance eligibles. Since the late 1990s Medicare insurance eligibles have been dictated by the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula.

As a result of SGR, physicians have not received a meaningful increase in Medicare pay, and real income has eroded by more than 25 percent.

Other insurance companies adopt the Medicare fee schedule, making the problem worse.

Price fixing always fails because human behavior follows the law of supply and demand. Pay less for goods and services and the supply falls. Simple.

Rhoads Stevens, M.D.
Hawaii Kai

Climate change fuels hyperbole

A recent letter said that "in the opinion of some, any representative in the U.S. Congress who denies the reality of global climate change and the major role of human activity … should be placed on trial for treason" ("Climate change is greatest threat," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 28).

More than31,000 scientists have signed a petition saying they don’t believe in catastrophic man-made climate change, according to the Heartland Institute.Should these scientists be placed on trial for treason?

A majority of U.S. senators agreed that human activity is not a significant causal factor influencing climate change.

They should be commended for protecting Americans from the climate change extortion racket.

Ronald E. Hughes
Aiea