Climate change denier Cal Thomas should take a cue from New York’s attorney general, who is investigating ExxonMobil for decades of deceit on whether the Earth is warming, and why.

Thomas’ recent syndicated column claimed "a growing body of evidence from climate scientists that the Earth isn’t warming" ("Obama gives China a gift by killing Keystone pipeline," Star-Advertiser, Nov. 10).

In 2013, the body grew all the way to two scientific studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Two out of 10,885, according to geochemist James Lawrence Powell.

Throughout the 1980s, ExxonMobil’s own scientists confirmed global warming, its potentially catastrophic effects and its main source, fossil fuels. Then, over decades, ExxonMobil paid $25 million to merchants of doubt. Now everything living on Earth is paying an incalculable price. Google Cal Thomas. He’s practically a spokesman for ExxonMobil.

Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists believe that human- caused global warming is happening. But that doesn’t matter if you’re an ideologue. Or, if denial is part of your job.

Brodie Lockard
Kailua

There is no chance rail will be halted

Hardly a day passes without another letter in the Star-Advertiser bemoaning the rail project and calling for its abridgement or cancellation.

Recently I drove to Kapolei to observe how the project has progressed. I saw several miles of completed pillars and the span they support that will carry the trains. And there were several miles more of current construction activity along Farrington and Kamehameha highways extending into Aiea as far as the Pearlridge shopping center.

Yes, the rail project is far from complete. But the progress made thus far is impressive. And there is no going back despite the higher cost projections, which are not surprising considering the high pace of construction activity.

Writers continue to call for a shortening of the rail line, stopping at Aloha Stadium or Middle Street or Aala Park. These proposals are recipes for failure — and their supporters may want it that way. People won’t ride the train unless it takes them where they want to go — downtown or beyond to Ala Moana Center.

Opponents of rail should get over it. Rail is a reality that can’t be ignored.

Carl H. Zimmerman
Salt Lake

Solar tax credits have helped regular folks

Jeff Davis was spot on when he said "solar is dead" ("Solar won’t last beyond 2016," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 18).

Where are all the left-wingers who moan and groan about "tax breaks for the rich," but when it comes to giving regular people the opportunity to save a little on their electricity and their taxes, they fold like the cheap political suits they are.

Maybe the Democrats just want to wipe out a few thousand good middle-class jobs from the solar industry to make more people dependent on government. I’ll bet that’s it.

Jack M. Schmidt Jr.
Kailua

Killings in Paris showed selective grief

Along with a multitude of other people all over the world, I was horrified at the random killings in one of the world’s favorite cities: Paris.

But, we all ought to stop and think back to about 13 years ago when George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld rained "shock and awe" upon the innocent men, women and children of Baghdad.

How many were killed and wounded appeared to be of no particular interest. One was left with the feeling that Iraqis were considered to be a lesser breed. Were these some of the carelessly sown seeds that can lead to endless wars?

Ed Sullam
Aina Haina

U.S. needs to counter ISIS recruiting efforts

To stop people from joining ISIS, the U.S. needs to spearhead a multimedia campaign that would be embraced by every free nation.

The campaign would include all the social networks, TV, radio, signage and ads embedded in video games and movies.

It would target the disenfranchised who think that dying for ISIS is a noble deed.

It would focus on the fact that the handlers, leaders and recruiters live a pretty good life and do not go along on the raids, use suicide vests and are in no hurry to visit Allah.

If we are to get rid of ISIS, we need to combat their strategy with a better one.

Terry Joiner
Waialae

Health care costs seem to still be increasing

David Brooks quotes President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, saying the annual rate of health care prices for the past five years have gone up only 1.6 percent ("Health care trends show costs rising more slowly," Star-Advertiser, Nov. 9).

If that’s true, how does Obama or the council explain the present high cost of premiums, and the galloping increases coming up shortly? In some cases, based on income, up to a 40 percent increase?

Somehow I smell the odor of dead fish coming out of Washington.

Art Todd
Kaneohe

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR – SYRIAN REFUGEES

Refugees won’t assimilate abroad

We have a growing homeless problem that we cannot figure out how to solve. Now we want to take in thousands of refugees who don’t speak English and have no papers or citizenship and take care of them financially (“Ige welcomes refugees,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 17)?

Would someone explain to me why Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and others have offered to take in zero refugees? Saudi Arabia could take in millions. They have the real estate, the money and the religion so they could assimilate, which they will not do in Europe.

If and when we could eliminate ISIS, will the refugees return to Syria? Probably not. Life is terrible there and Europe is so much nicer. Do we want this problem here?

Scott Brooks
Kuliouou Valley

Terror not among American values

Gov. David Ige welcomed Syrian refugees into our state, notwithstanding opposition to the president’s plan to do so by none less than two very high-ranking Democratic U.S. Senators: Chuck Schumer of New York and Dianne Feinstein of California.

More than half of U.S. state governors also object to permitting Syrian refugees into their states. Ige’s contrary reasoning? He bases his welcome of Syrian refugees on his understanding of American values.

Whatever the governor believes American values might be, we know our values are the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Bringing Syrian refugees to Hawaii carries with it the risk that the refugees may include hidden terrorists we are not capable to uncover. It goes without saying that welcoming terrorists into our state violates our American values.

The governor needs to justify his position with a different reason.

James Hochberg
Aina Haina

Feds may not provide support

Gov. David Ige has said he is willing to accept Syrian refugees. I suggest that he and his Cabinet review this issue cautiously. The federal government, even though it promises support, cannot be counted on to live up to its promises.

Look at the Micronesian situation. We are not being reimbursed fully for the migrants’ health care and other costs as promised. Additionally, we should spend our energies to combat our homeless problem before embarking on another adventure to bring in more
potential homeless folks.

Ron Miko
Kahala

Muslim countries won’t open doors

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain have not taken in a single refugee from Syria. 

They are mainly Muslim countries that do not allow religious freedom. Yet they are afraid of even taking in Muslim refugees. 

Maybe we should ask why. What do they know that we do not know? Are we, in trying to be so merciful, allowing our tolerance to be trampled on?

Cynthia Lebowitz
Waikiki

Ige’s courage should inspire

Since 9/11, we have been governed by fear. Gov. David Ige has taken a stand informed by our values, not by fear. I commend our governor for this courageous act of leadership. We must act as good citizens and proceed inspired by those same values.

Thomas Spring
Kaimuki

Community has power over fear

We strongly support Gov. David Ige’s statement of humanity toward refugees fleeing ISIS and state-led violence in Syria, and condemn the viral anti-immi-
grant backlash that has ensued. 

We remind the public that Ige does not decide where refugees are resettled by the federal government, and that he lacks the legal authority to bar legal refugees from entering the state.

Hawaii always ranks among the 10 jurisdictions to receive the lowest number of refugees. In the past four years, only six have been resettled here. There is no basis for anxieties about a massive influx of Syrians, or about strains on the state’s fiscal resources and limited housing supply.

Syrians are victims of war, not enemies in wait. Like the thousands of us who have integrated into new places, Syrians will strengthen their next home.

We should take this opportunity to assert the power of community over fear.

Khara Jabola-Carolus
Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights/FACE

Hawaii has been open to refugees

The widespread knee-jerk reaction in Hawaii against Syrian refugees coming here is disgusting.

When my wife was 17 years old, she and seven other family members fled Vietnam the day the war ended and Saigon fell.

In those days, Hawaii families opened their homes to Vietnamese refugees. Her family was too big for that — so Kawaiahao Church took them in, housing them in the social hall for months. We had homeless people then as now; we had some of the highest-
priced housing in the country; but we didn’t say then, “Oh, we’re too rich to have refugees here.”

What was the difference then? The people of Hawaii and their open hearts, that’s what. Imagine a Christian (or Buddhist) church in
Hawaii opening its arms to Muslim refugees from Syria.

That’s the kind of message we need to send today.

Walter Wright
Kaneohe

FROM THE FORUM

Readers of the Star-Advertiser’s online edition can respond to stories posted there. The following are some of those. Instead of names, pseudonyms are generally used online. They have been removed.

“Power lines could snarl rail work” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 16:

>> The so-called professionals running the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation and the consultants who have been paid millions of dollars should have had the Hawaiian Electric Co. situation worked out years ago, but it seems the people driving the HART train were asleep at the switch, like they have been on so many other issues.

>> We are building for the long-range future. Adding rail infrastructure and relocation of utilities, if needed, will be an upgrade to modern facilities. Even if it costs more, there is value gained.

———

“Leeward residents, officials call for traffic cameras” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 16:

>> C’mon, guys. The Leeward coast gets stuck with the “temporary” homeless camp, all our garbage, Hawaiian Electric’s smokestacks, terrible roads, and a blind eye to homelessness. The very least the state can do is install the same traffic cameras we have everywhere else.

>> Cameras will do nothing to solve this problem. All it will do is allow us to see that traffic is backed up. How about a real solution to the problem — an alternative route that bypasses Nanakuli for commuters?

———

“Ige welcomes Syrian refugees” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 17:

>> Gov. David Ige should be removed from office and Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui should be sworn in as Hawaii’s new governor, forthwith.

>> Syrians are not likely to come here anyway as few Syrians live here and there is no community to sponsor them. Ige may have known that.

———

“Landlords will talk of letting the homeless rent property” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 17:

>> Why would any landlord ever consider this? The rental market is so hot there should be no vacancies. We have multiple rental units and there is a waiting list with vetted alternates should any current tenant break their lease.

>> There are plenty of non-homeless people who need rentals!

———

“Telescope work blocked” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 18:

>> The state and the University of Hawaii followed the law and procedures and permits. Everything was proceeding as normal; it’s just that the protesters decided to protest years after this project was planned and approved. Even OHA initially approved it but this year backed down on their approval because they got slammed by the protesters.

>> If the state did indeed follow the law and procedures and permits, TMT has nothing to worry about. But I would not bet on that.

———

“Support, criticism flood Ige for his stance on refugees” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 18:

>> Despite a general desire to show aloha and be accepting of all people, the governor needs to think about the cost of living in Hawaii, the lack of inexpensive travel between states (and islands), the lack of affordable health care and the lack of affordable housing in Hawaii before he announces a policy that sets in motion events we cannot sustain. Policy makers must deliberate before they speak.

>> Good points, but the governor cannot stop relocation of people to Hawaii, if they are in the U.S. legally. However, the federal authorities should avoid sending refugees here for the reasons mentioned.

———

“China has shipping to cripple U.S., warns HPU report” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 19:

>> The argument could be made the Jones Act actually facilitates the “sea strangulation” theory by prohibiting ownership and use of foreign-built vessels on U.S. routes unless an exemption is requested. Want to grow the domestic shipping industry and provide more security? Then deregulate and eliminate the Jones Act.

>> The Hawaii Pacific University report ignores the fact China lives on exports. Cut off its biggest customer, the U.S., its factories start to close, people lose jobs, the economy tanks, people start to riot. It’s not something China is going to do.

>> But, but, but … the Jones Act provides 500,000 jobs, according to our Hawaii congressional representatives.

>> If we depend on foreign flag ships to carry the military load now, what is the guarantee of delivery on schedule?