Pin tax shortfall on vacation rentals
The hotel tax shortfall article is no surprise.
With the island covered in illegal vacation rentals that mostly pay no tax, did our officials expect anything else?
A few of the rentals pay the general excise tax, but very few, and most do not include their incomes on their state or federal income tax returns. Why would they bother? The transient accommodations tax is a dead giveaway that they are doing vacation rentals.
This problem is completely out of hand for those of us trying to find a regular rental. Now the state is feeling the tax bite. Maybe it will wake up.
Barbara Williams
Haleiwa
Police should stop speeding on Piikoi
I would like to express my dissatisfaction with probably a small handful of police officers who speed recklessly up Piikoi Street at all times of night.
I look to my police department as a source of help; anytime, anywhere heroes; a fellowship for justice. I want to feel pride for them.
When individuals of our police force habitually drive above the posted 25 mph limit up Piikoi, they are putting the public, those they have sworn to protect, in unnecessary danger.
May I ask with kindness that members of the Honolulu Police Department please slow down when they drive up Piikoi? I can especially hear the Dodge Chargers at night, every night.
Please, think of our keiki and our elders — anyone whom we as a society need to protect. Be the example.
Ira Kirk
Ala Moana
Hawaii could use a furniture superstore
I read a story about a business that connects local shoppers looking for unique furniture to Ikea, and wondered why Ikea hasn’t considered Hawaii as a viable location ("Getting IKEA items to isles is basis of Kalihi business," Star-Advertiser, TheBuzz, April 30).
I’ve been to Ikea and loved the experience of having everything for your home in one place in a comfortable environment. I wonder why a similar concept hasn’t been introduced here.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a City Mill, Home World, Simply Organized and other home specialty stores under one roof? The super indoor furniture mall would feature a major furniture and home improvement store anchoring it along with specialty concessions for kitchen, bathroom, flooring, window treatment, etc. Just think, anything and everything you could buy to build, furnish and decorate your home all in one place.
Now, if only the Wo and Ai families could get together to make this dream a reality.
Steve Fukunaga
Ewa Beach
Let’s all admit that none are perfect
I simply do not understand all the brouhaha about racism surrounding the remarks of Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Sterling’s racist remarks are repugnant, but they were uttered in a private conversation. To hold him publicly culpable for private remarks violates his rights to free speech, privacy and association.
Are we so sure that other NBA owners would pass the litmus test of never having made homophobic, anti-Muslim or other offensive comments in private conversations?
To quote the 2004 Tony Award best musical, Avenue Q, "Everyone’s a little bit racist, it’s true. But everyone is just about as racist as you! If we all could just admit that we are racist a little bit, and everyone stopped being so PC maybe we could live in — harmony."
Lisa Llamas
Kunia
Teachers mired in awful mandates
The morale of thousands of Hawaii teachers and administrators is now at rock bottom.
Educators are being smothered by so many good-sounding government mandates that actually make teaching more difficult.
Teachers are mired with mindless paperwork and unworkable polices. Bureaucrats in our state and federal government keep packaging more and more useless policies and programs in the name of educational reform. They have become the cause of, not the answer to, a sick school system.
Despite these sapping mandates, teachers have made progress in improving our schools.
It is time for an educational renaissance. Replace the voting members of the state Board of Education with classroom teachers. Almost all are parents with children and know what works.
Stop embracing federal programs for the money; they actually cost the state more money.
Find a schools superintendent with many years of classroom experience.
Last, give educators the needed space, time and rights to grow their teaching passions.
John Di Virgilio
Ewa Beach
Michelle Wie is good role model
It was nice that pictures of a winning Michelle Wie graced your newspaper after so many years of negative coverage by local and national media ("Wie at last," Star-Advertiser, April 20).
She deserved it. She is the only Hawaii player on the three top-level professional golf tours and has a world ranking of 13.
Everyone expected the child prodigy to go out and set the golf world on fire. Instead, she played poor golf while attending Stanford University, since her emphasis was on scholastics rather than golf.
After winning the Lotte Championship, she took part in two charity events that night. She has generously given money to junior golf. She has inspired many youngsters to take part in junior golf and now many of them are getting college scholarships.
Two teenage champions, Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson, independently said that Michelle was the player who helped them become successful.
She is an excellent role model for American youth.
Barbara F. Bonnardel
Kailua
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