No rich buyout for Chief Kealoha

The task before the Honolulu Police Commission is very simple — give Chief Louis Kealoha his retirement pension and benefits (“Police chief to retire,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 7).

There should be no golden parachute or buyouts for the remainder of his contract.

The commission failed to discharge its public service by acting for too long as a booster club and cheerleader for the chief.

We want him gone. The commission has expanded powers to clean up its mess by finding a capable, trustworthy next chief, and to be accountable to the taxpayers to safeguard our public safety.

The commission should refrain from hiding indecisiveness, cronyism and politics with unnecessary executive sessions. The public’s interest is above the police chief’s.

Chu Lan Shubert-Kwock

Chinatown

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Taxpayers gouged on state pensions

It is not the taxpayers’ problem that the state employees’ retirement system has a $12 billion shortfall (“Nest egg shortfall tops $12 billion,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 10). Before I retired from the private sector, I had to save and manage my own financial future.

The state employees and the unions that represent them should have been managing their own retirement money. As taxpayers we should not have to cough it up for them.

The same goes for the rail transit shortfall. The people who are responsible for the shortfall should have to find another way to take care of it — perhaps out of their own pocketbooks.

Quit gouging us.

Margy Behling

Kapahulu

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Eliminate waste in government

The forecast for a state tax revenue shortfall has lawmakers and bureaucrats scrambling for reasons and excuses to explain it (“State tax take falls short of forecast,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 5).

But more disturbing, they are trying to find different ways to collect more taxes. They blame everything except their own wrongdoing. Have any of these people considered reducing the state’s wasteful political expenditures?

How about eliminating the many dubious tax credits? How about eliminating the useless department deputy director positions, and the many politically exempt (non-civil-service) positions? Unlike director positions, deputy director positions are not subject to Senate confirmation.

There are other unnecessary and wasteful political expenditures that the lawmakers could identify and eliminate, if they really were sincere. Slush funds that have no transparency or accountability are a good example.

What would the private sector do if the expected revenues fell short of expenditures?

Hamid Jahanmir

Ala Moana

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Let’s give Trump chance to succeed

It just amazes and perplexes me to read about and watch on the news the continued protests, marches, boycotts, commentaries and public forums on anything and everything Donald Trump says or does.

These are primarily Hillary Clinton supporters who cannot get over the fact that Trump will be the next U.S. president. I would agree that it is both unbelievable and scary at the same time, but the fact is, it’s a done deal and it’s going to happen.

Let’s stop this anti-Trump noise, move on and give him a chance to fulfill his campaign promise to make America great again.

Wouldn’t we do the same if Clinton had won?

The only thing more disturbing than this Trump diatribe is the almost daily killing of unassuming, innocent people by mentally disturbed or ISIS-connected individuals. Unbelievable and scary, but a fact.

Peter Yamashita

Kailua

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Support agencies opposed by right

I am sure many of us are trying to figure out how to deal with the unexpected victory of Donald Trump and the flood of right-wing legislation that might come along.

One response is to give whatever support is possible to likely targets of his wrath, such as, to name a few: Planned Parenthood, American Civil Liberties Union, LGBT support groups and immigrant support groups. It would send a message if these groups suddenly had millions of new members. We need to be active to save what progress we have made.

Alvin Murphy

Manoa

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Be vigilant about use of pesticides

I was pleased to read the Star-Advertiser’s article regarding a rally for tougher laws regulating the use of pesticides and herbicides in Hawaii (“Rallying for tougher laws,” Jan. 7).

Does anyone remember Agent Orange? It was made by one of the companies that is in Hawaii doing GMO seed research and produces the popular Roundup weedkiller containing glyphosate. GMO seeds produce plants that are not harmed by the herbicide. Yet this weed killer is toxic to humans.

Think about that with your next bowl of cereal.

Chris Jansen

Mililani