The national conversation about health care reform may be taking place in Hawaiçi, but it’s with the volume turned down.
There needs to be a way to turn it up, whether or not the state’s D.C. delegates opt for the town-hall format favored in other states through the August recess.

In the House, U.S. Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Mazie Hirono held public events on the reforms earlier, before the House committees voted on proposals. But U.S. Sens. Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel Akaka have not followed suit now that the issue is a live topic for the Senate.
There’s nothing wrong with that choice, per se, but it does seem odd, a deafening silence amid all the chatter elsewhere, that there’s not yet been a broad invitation for comment.
Of course, many voters haven’t waited for an invitation and have burned up phone and e-mail connections with their concerns. The senior senator has fielded questions at frequent public appearances, his spokesman said; Akaka’s staff said their boss had scheduled forums on Veterans Affairs, the committee he chairs, long before the health care debate had reached a boiling point.
Health care reform is a confusing issue on several fronts, especially so because the proposals are moving targets. But voters still have views worth expressing on several key points. What should be done to control health care costs, which gobbles up a larger share of household budgets every year? Should Hawaiçi keep its own employer-mandated system, or not?
Both senators are accepting input on the issue, so The Advertiser is posting their contact information to make feedback easier for the public.
Voters should take them up on the offer. These next few weeks present the opportune time to leave an imprint on the final bill, which is sure to have impact for years to come.

GET INVOLVED
The focus of the health care reform debate is now on the U.S. Senate, where a bill has not yet emerged.
Hawaiçi voters can contact Sens. Daniel Akaka and Daniel K. Inouye by e-mail through the “contact” links on the Web (akaka.senate.gov or inouye.senate.gov); or by phone: Akaka at 522-8970; and Inouye at 541-2542.