Let’s bring back opening-day festivities at the Legislature.

Contrary to popular opinion, our elected officials are worthy servants, aiming to improve the lives of their constituents and steer the government to benefit a common good. They are courageous and committed, subjecting themselves to public scrutiny to serve the public. We need to celebrate their courage and commitment.

Celebrating the opening of the legislative session allows us to acknowledge their service and also give them an opportunity to highlight their district and meet their constituents. It is a welcoming atmosphere where constituents can easily become familiar with the Capitol and their elected officials and learn how to advocate for interests and voice concerns so that our legislators may better represent us in the ensuing legislative session.

Our government is for and of the people. Let’s remember that our elected officials are people, worthy of our respect, and our opinions.

Jill Tsuchitori

Manoa

Leaders must back cleaning of Ala Wai

Nainoa Thompson’s urging the cleanup and care of the Ala Wai Canal is a voice of wisdom (“Nainoa Thompson joins effort to clean filthy Ala Wai,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 24).

I would encourage others of his stature in our community — such as George Ariyoshi, John Waihee, Michael Broderick, Haunani Apoliona, Pat Saiki and the like — to join him and the Waikiki Improvement Association. We need to malama the aina here at home.

Mandy Bowers

Manoa

Solar limitations cut off customers

The article praising the 27.6-megawatt solar facility that Hawaiian Electric Co. is going to connect to the grid leaves a sour taste (“Solar farm ready to energize grid,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 22). When rooftop solar programs were stopped, revised or limited because the grid was unable to accept more power from customers, we the customer were cut off.

How many households would it take to generate 27.6 megawatts?

To reach the goals of renewable power, Hawaiian Electric first must reach payroll and dividend goals. It must have figured out that there was too large a cut in its income if customers saved what would be going into its pockets. What were those salary figures again?

Gary Allison

Hauula

Candidate Trump threatens the elite

Donald Trump poses a serious threat to the powerful elite and status quo because he would:

>> Lower corporate and individual income taxes.

>> Reduce crime, poverty and government corruption.

>> Achieve peace through strength instead of endless wars.

Ira J. Chun

Moiliili

Republicans offer only empty promises

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell established an email protocol that Hillary Clinton followed. Republicans are clouding real issues with a bogus story, using the Republican FBI director to ride on the coattails of Donald Trump, because they have nothing but empty promises to offer voters.

These are the same conservatives that promised to bring positive change to the country in 2000, but instead brought us the catastrophic George W. Bush administration that took U.S. into an unnecessary unfunded war that cost us trillions of dollars and the world hundreds of thousands of lives.

In addition they almost drove the American auto industry into a fatal financial collision while they were taking Wall Street for a ride back to 1929.

Ed Burns

Mililani

Presidential choices embarrass country

We have been sailing the Mediterranean since early September.

My husband and I have met dozens of people from Great Britain, the European Union, Australia, Canada and South America, and I must say one thing about the upcoming election and the two candidates for president. The United States is the laughingstock of the world. It is embarrassing to admit we are from America.

It sure is a sad state of affairs.

Mary Kane Agor

Aiea

Rail project playing bait-and-switch game

When anyone agrees to buy a specific product at a specific price, that product and price cannot be changed without the approval of the buyer.

When first offered to the public, the price of the rail transit project was given as $3.6 billion, the largest undertaking ever. Had the public been asked to approve $10 billion, the answer would have been no. To increase the price after approval is, in effect, a “bait-and-switch” fraud.

Whoever was watching the henhouse should have noticed right away that the price was too low, and stopped the project — using remaining funds to dismantle or make use of the structure for some other benefit. To continue and to change the price is fraud.

Ken Chang

Kaneohe

HMSA payment plan unfair to doctors

I applaud the Queen’s Health Systems’ initiatives to support primary care providers in Hawaii (“Queen’s Medical Center treats doctor shortage,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 26).

But as a practicing pediatrician in Hawaii, I am concerned that Hawaii Medical Service Association’s plan to drastically change the way primary-care providers get paid next year will be very detrimental to us, paying us a fixed monthly fee of only about $25 for each patient in our practice. This restricts our ability to take care of complex conditions and disabled patients requiring extra services. And it will make it much more difficult to start a private practice here.

For example, to care for a newborn from birth until age 12 months, a pediatrician will be paid a total of only $300, down an unbelievable 75 percent from what insurers pay today for these services ($1,200, not including any sick visits). This will definitely not attract new doctors in Hawaii to primary care.

Harold Nilsson, M.D.

Ala Moana