WE CAN ALL HELP TO PREVENT INFESTATION

While researching the brown tree snake for my social studies class, I found out that a lot of people do not know what the impact on the environment would be if there was an infestation in Hawai'i.

In Guam, the overpopulation of the brown tree snake is responsible for causing the extinction of nearly every native bird species there, affecting plant and tree germination, interrupting electricity service, taking over houses and businesses and even biting people. Some snakes have been found to be hiding in airplane and ship cargo and even in airplane wheels.

Hawai'i inspectors have been doing a good job in looking out for this potential problem. The people of Hawai'i can help by reporting any sightings of the snakes or other invaders to the authorities. This can help prevent the use of traps and the use of harmful sprays from taking over our beautiful Islands.

It will also save many taxpayer dollars. For more information go to: www.fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/bioeco/btsnake.asp.

'SNL,' TOURISM

AIONA SHOULD WORRY ABOUT COASTLINE INSTEAD

If Lt. Gov. Aiona is concerned about people being deterred from visiting the Islands, he should take a drive along Farrington Highway toward Makua Beach. I have driven out there the last few days and was totally shocked seeing not only villages of shoddy tents along the beach, but abandoned burned cars, tires, bags of trash, mattresses, not to mention everything else that people have discarded along the highway.

If the lieutenant governor thinks that visitors will be influenced by an "SNL" skit, just think what tourists are telling people back home about how the state doesn't clean up the beaches and roads leading to one of the most beautiful beaches Hawai'i has to offer. It's a disgrace.

HOMELESSNESS

LAWS NOT THE ANSWER TO DEAL WITH PROBLEM

Homelessness is not a crime. Laws targeting the homeless are not the answer. These people battle rain, cold, sickness, hunger and other hardships.

Most are not intimidated by laws, fines, courts, arrests or even prison. Prison represents three hot meals, clean bedding, medical assistance, programs and a roof over their head. Many have been in prison. When released, most return to the parks and streets.

According to a Hawai'i Homeless Service Utilization Report in 2007, statewide, there were 12,000 to 15,000 homeless at some point in the year; an estimated 9,792 on O'ahu alone. Over 33.5 percent of adults who accessed shelter programs were lifetime residents of Hawai'i; 6,000 are homeless on any given day. The numbers are higher now.

Enforcing laws against the homeless will become a criminal justice nightmare. How do the police cite a person with no address — or ID, even? How do the courts collect a fine from a person with no money? How much will it cost the state to accommodate them in prison? How much time, money and manpower will be spent in the process? Laws are not the answer.

HEALTH INSURANCE

TAXING HMOS WOULD ONLY HURT SUBSCRIBERS

In your March 11 article titled "Legislature keeping its tax-raising options open," you did not mention HB 1749, which taxes HMOs like HMSA and Kaiser for selling health insurance.

I hope legislators realize this is not right. If HMOs are taxed, they'll just pass the cost to me, and I'm already unemployed and have to pay for my own health insurance. It's already difficult enough trying to scrape money together to pay for health insurance. Please don't make me pay even more.

WAIALUA LIBRARY

CLOSURE WOULD BE TRAGIC, ESPECIALLY NOW

Tourism's down, revenues are plunging; it's rumored the DOE will soon start making cuts in the state library system.

Yet libraries become more, not less, important in a depression. They're the only free source of information and entertainment. For many, they're the only way to connect, via Internet, with the rest of the world.

It's bad if any public library closes, but it would be a tragedy if, as many fear, O'ahu's smallest library, Waialua, is closed. It's received several awards for excellence. Its many outreach programs enrich life for the whole North Shore community. It serves the largest area of any library on O'ahu.

Honolulu residents can drive in minutes to one of 10 or so libraries in the urban area, but if Waialua closed, it would take local residents a full half-hour to reach a library. When gas prices rise again, as they surely will, this will be prohibitive.

Cuts may have to be made, but on behalf of all local residents, I beg you, please, please spare Waialua library!

STEM CELL RESEARCH

LIFTING BAN GIVES MILLIONS HOPE FOR CURE

March 9, the day that President Obama signed an executive order lifting the federal ban on embryonic stem cell research, was a day of hope for me and my family.

My daughter Natasha, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2001, has lived in fear of complications for eight years. She was so thrilled to learn that there's real hope of a cure in her lifetime.

The president's decision provides a balance to our scientific research efforts that has been missing since 2001; scientists can and should be able to pursue the promise of embryonic stem cell research while ensuring that this research is conducted within strict ethical guidelines.

Furthermore, I think that it's a good idea for the organization charged with stewarding our research efforts, the National Institutes of Health, to be in charge of developing these guidelines. The NIH has been given this same responsibility throughout its history in order to remove this important process from the whims of politicians. Politics has no place in science.

With President Obama's executive order, the lives of millions of Americans like my daughter stand a better chance of seeing a brighter tomorrow.

CIVIL UNIONS

EQUALITY VIGIL DREW MANY MORE THAN 400

In the interest of fair and accurate reporting: there were definitely more than 400 people at the Family Equality Vigil at the Capitol, Saturday the 7th. I counted 1,327 people as of 8 p.m. (when I stopped counting), and more were arriving, despite the rain. And people came out in their own cars, by TheBus, on foot, and on their own.