Jet engines extra expense

Americans were told “;change”; was coming to Washington—and in many respects it has.

Change in that the government would be more accountable, less wasteful and make every dollar count. According to media reports, President Barack Obama seems to be at least trying to live up to that promise by threatening a veto of the Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, heading his way, because it is clear to his administration that continued funding is wasteful spending (hundreds of millions of dollars) for the foreign-based alternate engine program on the F-35 fighter program, especially since the original engine was selected by the Department of Defense as the best engine for the F-35. This program needs to be stricken from the defense budget.

Please let U.S. Sens. Dan Inouye and Dan Akaka know that the alternate engine program for the Joint Strike Fighter Force is unnecessary.

No time for politics in health-care reform

Republican Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina says if he can stop health-care reform proposals in Congress it will be President Obama's Waterloo: “;It will break him.”;

Clearly, the bad senator from South Carolina believes “;breaking”; a popularly elected president is more important than the health of the men, women and children of his country.

Responsible citizens should fight this blatant attempt to play politics with our health in any way possible, by writing to Congress and writing to friends to make clear what is at stake in the Republicans' power play.

As President Obama said, “;This isn't about me. This isn't about politics. This is about a health-care system that is breaking America's families.”;

Don't blame governor for tax reinstatement

The letter by Victor Meyers (”;Gas tax situation a confusing matter,”; Star-Bulletin, July 20) misplaces the responsibility for the reinstatement of the general excise tax (GET) on gasoline. It was the state Legislature that allowed the GET exemption on ethanol-blended gasoline to expire this past session, not the governor's action. The governor appears to have been consistent in opposing new taxes on our overburdened state.

Where was Inouye during other layoffs?

Sen. Dan Inouye, where was your concern back when Gov. Ben Cayetano conducted a mass layoff of state employees? As one of those laid off, I don't remember hearing a peep out of you—and we went through actual layoffs, not three-day furloughs. Perhaps you are only “;concerned”; when it is a Republican governor who is confronted with difficult choices.

Hard times bring back thoughts of better days

All this bad news of furloughs and layoffs make me wish for happier times—the good old Hawaii of the 1950s when there was dancing under the stars at the Ala Wai Canal, and saimin for only 15 cents. We were in the world of Duke Kahanamoku, Alfred Apaka, Genoa Keawe and Gabby Pahinui and there was excitement when the Lurline came in Aloha Tower.

I need the good old Hawaii in these recessionary times with furloughs and layoffs staring in the face of Hawaii government workers.