There are reasons why massive government boondoggles take on a life of their own, according to the libertarian Cato Institute.

Among them: questionable congressional pork-barrel spending, bloated civil service and union bureaucracies, corrupt managers rewarded for longevity rather than performance, incompetent unionized workers who cannot be fired, and low-ball cost estimates for rapid approval of contracts for public works projects.

“In the world of civil projects, the first budget is really just a down payment,” said former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. “The idea is to get going. Start digging a hole and make it so big, there’s no alternative to coming up with the money to fill it in.”

Three articles in the Star-Advertiser confirm the Cato Institute’s observation of an unholy alliance between corrupt public officials and organized special interest groups (“Tightening the screws,” Sept. 20; “‘Build rail better’ devolves into just build rail somehow,” On Politics, Sept. 20; “Attorney tackling big cases driven to change the system,” Lee Cataluna, Oct. 4).

Arthur Warren
Keeau

Pharmacies should dispense medical pot

We keep hearing about all the people who are being qualified to dispense medical marijuana.

All other prescription drugs are dispensed by pharmacists.

It seems reasonable that medical marijuana should be dispensed by these same pharmacists instead of random people who happen to apply.

Alice Costales
Mililani

Constitution doesn’t talk about expansion

In all fairness, I again put pen to paper to pose the following question to those who cite the U.S. Constitution as the ultimate authority to oppose re-constituting an independent and sovereign Hawaiian nation:

What articles and amendments in the Constitution and Bill of Rights authorized and justified America’s foreign territorial expansion beyond the western boundary of North America?

Walter Akimo
Hilo

Extra lane on H-1 was a wonderful idea

Finally the state did something right.

I couldn’t believe how smooth the traffic flow was on the H-1 last Monday at 7:12 a.m. eastbound.

It took me only 15 minutes to drive from Kaiser Hospital in Moanalua to the Punahou exit.

Thanks to the state Department of Transportation for the extra lane. I hope the department has more great ideas.

Patrick Carvalho
McCully

Stop running articles that criticize the pope

After reading Maureen Dowd’s column (“Pope opens the church, but keeps women at a distance,” Star-Advertiser, Sept. 29), I wonder why so many non-members choose to attack the pope and the Catholic Church.

Why don’t they attack Judaism, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism?

And why does the Star-Advertiser give space to such slanted opinions?

It is my hope that your readers will wonder also.

Ted Swanson
Makiki