Kudos to Inouye for earmarks

Contrary to your editorial on congressional earmarks (”;Inouye should heed wind shift on earmarks,”; Star-Bulletin, March 15), U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye should be applauded for his hard work in bringing federal dollars home to improve the quality of life for Hawaii's people and to protect Hawaii's unique environment.

His earmarks are bringing much-needed traffic relief to drivers in Ewa and Kapolei in the form of the new North-South interchange, North-South Road and new Kapolei Interchange. His earmarks are also preserving one of the last remaining wild coastlines of its kind in the United States. This involves the protection of Kahuku wetland and dune habitats that are critical to the survival of rare and endangered animals and plants. Among them are the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and four endangered water birds found only in Hawaii.

There is nothing wasteful in Sen. Inouye's earmarks. Every single one of them is essential for the good of Hawaii and its people.

Federal Reserve was root of financial crisis

We don't need a new federal effort to oversee banking and the financial markets as is being proposed by Sen. Chris Dodd (”;Bill would ride herd on finance markets,”; Star-Bulletin, March 16).

This is part of a continuing attempt by pro-big government types to shift the blame for the financial meltdown from government actions to the private sector.

It was the Federal Reserve System that was at the root of the problem by pumping cheap money into the economy, causing a bubble in the housing and equity markets. It was the government-created loan organizations that were “;too big to fail”; that led much of the economy into recession.

In a free market economy, the misjudgments of some banks are overcome by the good judgment of others. In the highly centralized and controlled system we have in the U.S., mistakes by the central bank hurt everyone.

We have had nothing close to a free market in the financial world for a hundred years. Over-centralization of power into the hands of quasi-government agencies influenced by political agendas has caused problems. Turning to more government regulation will make things worse.

Government should stick to issues of disclosure and fraud and leave banks and investors to succeed or fail based on their own judgment.

Maybe city, too, should charge fees for camping

I recently read that the state is increasing fees for camping in the parks and want to make a suggestion: If the city is going to continue to allow illegal camping in our city parks, maybe it, too, could establish camping fees such as the state's.

The monies raised could be used to rehabilitate the parks that have been ruined by the illegal camping. It would also assist in offsetting monies lost from tourists who say they are not coming back because of this mess in our parks.

I am confident that the city will be much faster at enacting this fee than it has been at than fixing the problem.

Same-sex bill in D.C. didn't achieve much

Tambry Young writes that HB 444 should be passed based on the fact that Washington, D.C., recently passed a same-sex marriage bill (”;House Bill 444 deserves a vote,”; Star-Bulletin, Letters, March 15). That action was quite curious to me in light of the fact that Washington, D.C., is not a state but instead is politically subservient to Congress. And since the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage, just what did the same-sex marriage law provide to those who take up the opportunity? Article One of the U.S. Constitution provides for the federal district, distinct from the states, to serve as the permanent national capital. HB 444 certainly gains no support or momentum from the passage of the law in D.C.

Legislators should vote on civil unions bill

I agree with Tambry Young and join her in asking the state Legislature to take a vote on HB 444, HD1 SD1 relating to civil unions.

When lawmakers were installed, they took an oath to uphold both the U.S. Constitution as well as the Hawaii Constitution. It is said that lawmakers propose and the majority disposes. That is un-American.

If we are a Judeo-Christian community, it is our expectation that legislators uphold their oath.

Christian charity (love), hope and faith — this is perhaps what Jesus and St. Damien would expect us to do; not to turn our backs on or shun a minority. The right thing to do is to uphold the equal rights of all our residents in the pursuit of happiness and protection of the law.