It’s not too late for Oahuans to stop rail

Both Portland, Ore., andSacramento, Calif., whosepopulations exceed that of Oahu, have had light-rail systems in place for many years, and are Oahu’s best arbiters for the reduction of crowded freeways and surface roads.

Promoters of rail here fail to comment on — or marginalize — the burden our children will incur, imposed by politicians who will no longer be in office. The approximate $700 million overrun incurred to date, is obscene.

To paraphrase Johnny Carson: It was so cold the other day that politicians had to put their hands in their own pockets.

It’s not too late for Oahu residents to stop this rail to rack and ruin, and go light.

Thomas Black
Kaimuki

Prosperity is not about splitting ‘pie’

The space limit here prevents properly addressing the levels at which praise for Barack Obama’s farce of a "budget" is misplaced ("Obama budget would help nation," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Feb. 9), so let’s just take two.

First, it is incorrect to conceive of the "pie" that is the American economy as a zero-sum game.

By contrast, access to the pie happens to be enhanced by the success of others, not limited. Success in this context breeds overall economic growth and, thus, a larger pie.

Second, the assertion is made that corporate America and the wealthy have "taken" larger slices of the pie and therefore deserve a higher tax rate. I contend that our current system of already disproportionate progressive taxation is both confiscatory and immoral.

While no system, including that employing the principles of a free-market economy, is perfect, one that punishes hard work and innovation in the name of Marxist re-distribution of income rewarding the undeserving will surely fail.

Joan Rank
Waialua

Hawaii should back ban on ivory sales

The United States is the second-largest ivory market in the world after China.

At the same time, Hawaii is the third-largest market for ivory in the United States.

Hawaii’s close proximity to Asia provides a convenient route for illegal wildlife to be trafficked into the state; 89 percent of all ivory in Hawaii is unknown or likely illegal origin.

House Bill 837, a bill to ban the sale or trade of ivory and rhino horn in Hawaii, has passed out of the House Committee on Water and Land.

We applaud this measure. The U.S. must show the world that we will no longer allow our iconic wild animals to be killed.

As long as there is a demand for ivory, elephants will be egregiously killed for inane trinkets.

Time is running out — we must act now.

Rosalyn Morrison
Program associate, Born Free USA Washington, D.C.

Ching clearly wrong pick to head DLNR

The instant outcry by thousands of citizens against the nomination of Carleton Ching to head the Department of Land and Natural Resources should have given Gov. David Ige pause.

Your editorial outlines clearly why the governor should revisit his choice ("DLNR nominee is wrong choice," Star-Advertiser, Our View, Feb. 16).

Instead, we read that the governor "likes Carleton’s heart."

This is reminiscent of former President George W. Bush stating that he had looked into Vladimir Putin’s eyes and "was able to get a sense of his soul" and that the Russian president was "a man deeply committed to … the best interest of his country."

Rike Weiss
Niu Valley

U.S. has plenty woes without fighting Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to talk to us about the dangers from Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran is a more stable country than many of our allies in the region and could produce a nuclear bomb if it chooses, but why on Earth would it risk the consequences of total annihilation by Israel’s nuclear arsenal if it did use it against Israel?

Now we have the United States, Iraq and Iran fighting ISIS — maybe it wasn’t planned that way but that’s the situation today.Just because Netanyahu wants the U.S. to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities for Israel, do we really need to be fighting Iran and ISIS, too?

Maybe Netanyahu should try getting back to legitimate (not smoke and mirrors) talks with the Palestinians because the Israelis and Palestinians occupy the same land and neither will be moving any time soon.

Andrew Kachiroubas
McCully-Moiliili

Incompetence at UH not fault of students

A university is a community of faculty and students.

They may have an administration to facilitate their interactions, and an athletic program and research facilities to enhance their experiences.

Unfortunately, at the University of Hawaii, these "facilitating and enhancing" areas have been bleeding money at an alarming rate because of poor hiring decisions and incompetence.

Nanea Kalani’s article ("Proposal to delete degree programs is tabled," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 6) fortunately indicated that state Rep. Isaac Choy’s wrongheaded proposal to cut UH costs by cutting classes and programs has been tabled for now.

A much better approach would be to start cutting "facilitators and enhancers," the cause of the money problem.

That way, the university — that is, the faculty and students — will not being punished for the poor hiring decisions and incompetence of others.

Malcolm J. Slakter
Professor emeritus, University at New York at Buffalo, now residing in Makiki