The state will miss a critical deadline in awarding marijuana dispensary licenses (“State misses deadline on marijuana dispensaries,” Star-Advertiser, April 14). Why does this hardly surprise us?

The answer is clear: The state is disorganized and doesn’t take rules seriously. It asked for applicants’ fingerprints for background checks a week before the deadline. This is a novice’s approach to a highly regulated and potentially multimillion-dollar industry with huge social implications.

The public cannot afford to fund a bureaucracy that repeatedly bungles large projects. The Department of Health must be held accountable. Perhaps to mitigate future delays, we ought to investigate if staffers are making effective use of their time. If that means cutting excessive vacation and holidays (which can be double those of the average worker) so they can meet deadlines, then let it be.

Kaiwiola Coakley

Nuuanu

Join efforts to improve rail

With the recent shakeup of Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation leadership, is the rail project heading toward fiscal sanity? Are we seeing the last chapter before ending the rail at Middle Street? Are our elected officials willing to curtail additional taxation, maintain cost containment and appropriate monies effectively? Are our transportation planners able to revise and create a first-class system integrating rail, bus and shuttle van usage?

The coordinated efforts of all advocates can be enhanced by establishing the east end of the rail line at Middle Street. The deletion of the remaining downtown sector avoids undetermined costs, commer- cial business disruptions and traffic snafus.

The abbreviated rail line would allow business as usual with costs contained and hopefully relief for us, the taxpayers.

Les Nakasone

Niu Valley

Doctors should listen to patients

One of the diagnostic tests that Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) says is over-utilized is the MRI.

As a medical student (graduated in 1950, retired from full-time practice 30 years ago), a professor told us that if we listen to the patient, he or she will tell us what is wrong. Often that is true.

About a year ago I was attending a dinner for retired MDs and I was seated with doctors who retired more recently. At one point one of the newly retired doctors said, “Dr. Bacon, you retired before we even had MRI. How did you ever make a diagnosis?”

I explained that we actually talked with the patient face-to-face and then examined him or her. Based on this, we could make a provisional diagnosis and start treatment or order lab and X-rays — including CT scans. Thus we used both the art and science of medicine. Maybe we need to do that again.

Arg Bacon

Kahala

Campus getting too much food

Students at the University of Hawaii-Manoa campus are proud that they have redistributed over 1,200 pounds of excess food to the needy since December 2015 (“UH students deliver unsold campus food to IHS,” Star-Advertiser, April 14). I have a different view.

Donna Ojiri, Sodexo’s general manager of dining services at UH, is obviously getting far more food than the facility needs. I would put her on notice immediately to stop wasting money that can go to other areas. I would give her 90 days to cut the waste.

Diane Tippett

Waikiki

State negligent in helping TMT

The Thirty Meter Telescope project is a big win-win for both the state of Hawaii and Hawaii County. Surveys show that it is overwhelmingly supported by the populace. It would solidify our position as the world’s preeminent astronomical location.

Yet we seem to be on the verge of losing it due to a legal technicality, and the Ige administration does not appear to have any sense of urgency about correcting the problem.

Like the Superferry, we are once again being subjected to the tyranny of a small disaffected minority over questionable cultural claims. The overall public good of this project seemingly is being ignored. If we lose this deal it will be because of either the incompetence or the indifference of the Ige administration and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Kent W. Comstock

Kailua

Sanders can’t beat Clinton

A funny thing happened to Hillary Clinton on the way to her coronation as the Democratic Party nominee — Bernie Sanders, a political opponent who should have been knocked out in the first round.

However, here it is — Round 10 — and Sanders is still giving as good as he gets. Unfortunately for Sanders, he will still lose the nomination because of the archaic system that will award the delegates necessary for Clinton to win the nomination.

In spite of Fox News’ efforts, Clinton is in the best of all political worlds as the Republican Party continues to be the gift that keeps on giving.

Bob Dixon

Makiki

Golden moment to elect Sanders

I’d really like a woman president — but not one who’s sold out to special interests. And not when we have this golden moment in history with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, passionately leading a revolution meant to reclaim our democracy from the super-rich and return it to the people — the only ones to whom Sanders is beholden.

To those who thought he wasn’t electable, take a look at his credentials now. He has the highest favorability rating of any presidential candidate; he won hundreds of thousands more youth votes than Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton combined; nationally, he trounces Trump by double digits, far more than Clinton’s margin; he has no scandals to dog him; he has consistently been on the right side of policy issues throughout his entire political career — no flip-flopping following public opinion; and he always tells the truth, in public or private.

Hawaii voters embraced Sanders. Now the superdelegates should, too.

Andrea Duncan

Kaneohe

Anti-Obama GOP gave us Trump

Donald Trump, whose campaign platform was built on hate and vitriol, is seizing on the disenchantment of certain voters by unleashing bigoted and minority-bashing rhetoric.

Republican leaders expressed outrage at Trump’s politics of ugliness and intolerance. But they were not outraged when he was spreading lies about President Barack Obama’s birthplace and religious faith, or when he questioned the president’s citizenship and loyalty to America. Instead of repudiating his despicable behavior, Republican leaders chose to remain silent. Now they are paying the price of their silence.

In the last seven years, the Republicans spent their time stoking anti-Obama sentiments, instead of proposing solutions to the economic struggles and financial miseries of the average American workers.

It’s not too late to save the country by voting for the Democratic presidential nominee.

Rod B. Catiggay

Mililani