New Jersey’s governor shows way for Carlisle

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, has stopped the largest transportation project in the nation, a new tunnel under the Hudson River from New Jersey to New York City.

This project, decades in the making, was originally expected to cost $8.7 billion, but estimates recently escalated to as much as $14 billion to complete.

Christie stopped it because it would cost too much, and he refused to raise taxes elsewhere to fund the cost overruns, making him very unpopular with the construction workers unions and Democrats who supported it. Bravo.

I think leaders in Honolulu should get the courage, like Gov. Christie, to stop the rail project, which the majority surveyed will not use and will cost more than the original projected costs.

I hope Mayor-elect Peter Carlisle and the next governor take a hard look and have the courage to stop something we just can’t afford. 

IRS will make out well from new filing rules

You should have received a notice telling you that the Internal Revenue Service will no longer mail tax forms to citizens.

The purported justification is that most people file electronically. However, this will save the IRS $10 million a year.

If keeping the refund checks owed to hard-working and retired Americans who fail to file after not being reminded by the annual receipt of their tax booklets is saving tax money, then that makes sense.

Millions of Americans will fail to file taxes properly because they lack access or the ability to use the technology that the government is forcing on us. And that will result in tax discrepancies in the billions, not millions, of dollars.

Resign-to-run law returns to haunt Dems

A decision made by the leaders of the Democratic Party establishment 32 years ago has come back to bite them.

At the 1978 state constitutional convention, they pushed through an amendment requiring office-holders to resign in order to run for other offices. It was widely recognized at the time that the measure was aimed at Frank Fasi, the establishment’s nemesis and perennial mayor of Honolulu, to discourage him from running for governor.

Fasi never won the governorship, but now the resign-to-run amendment has adversely affected the establishment candidate for governor, Mufi Hannemann. Without that law, Hannemann would have been able to keep his position as Honolulu mayor, with two years remaining in his term. Now, of course, he is out of office.

To make matters worse for the establishment, Kirk Caldwell, Hannemann’s former chief aide as managing director, lost the special election for the remainder of Hannemann’s term to Peter Carlisle, who appears to be highly independent and no friend of the Democratic establishment.

Thus the 1978 amendment has cost the establishment twice in the same election. Fasi should be smiling in his grave.

Expired political signs should be taken down

Campaign signs that began blanketing Oahu back in February mercifully have been disappearing from the landscape in recent days, thanks to the conscientious efforts of many candidates and their supporters.

Numerous campaign signs understandably remain for the races that still must be decided in the November general election.

But more than two weeks after the Sept. 18 primary, residents are complaining to The Outdoor Circle that campaign signs and huge banners for some candidates remain posted in their neighborhoods long after the races are pau. The list of guilty candidates includes both winners and losers. Regardless, it is clear that some of those who were all too eager to plaster their names and faces throughout the community have forgotten their obligation to clean up now that the election is over.

We ask the guilty parties to please clean up your act before you give politicians a bad name.

FROM THE FORUM

Readers of the Star-Advertiser’s online edition can respond to stories posted there. The following are some of those. Instead of names, pseudonyms are generally used online. They have been removed.

"’Five-0′ crew fights crime wave on film set," Oct. 6: I’m sorry, but you bring these fancy shows over here to film on a beautiful but hard-times-stricken island, with plenty of struggling families, many of whom work on these sets as crew, they see millionaires (actors, directors, producers …) benefiting from their homeland and literally their labor and hard work, so they think those people aren’t going to miss a few things from the set. They feel it’s owed to them …isn’t it? Who cares! The show has been No. 1 every week since it’s debut and looks like it’s going to stay that way, so let some things slide.

And there you have it: the common justification for dishonesty and lack of integrity — "You have something I don’t, so it’s no big deal if I take it."

I suspect it was actually Steve McGarrett who lifted the items. He seems like an impostor and acts like he is above the law.

"Number of medical marijuana users in Hawaii jumps," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 7: Wow, 8,000 card holders and still no legal place to buy it. Come on, people, this is a gold mine waiting to be open. Who will be the first one to have a place? This is a great start-up business for some smart person with a good lawyer and some capital laying around.

This article falls under "Gimme Break." From Medicaid fraud to marijuana fraud. Did they also get handicap signs for their surfboards?

"Cocaine arrest ruining Bruno Mars’ best week ever," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 7: Little Elvis, how disappointing.

Does anyone else see this as a publicity stunt or is it just me? Not many would know he had an album out without this "other" news.

"Chinese dissident who spent time in Hawaii wins Nobel Peace Prize," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 8: Liu would be the first with Hawaii ties that actually did something honorable to deserve the award.

"Hawaii ties"? The man was a guest here for three to four months. I’m getting sick and tired of Hawaii’s seemingly desperate attempt to latch onto anyone’s or anything’s success in order to label them or it as a product.

This is a wonderful news for a wonderful guy. It seems that his Hawaii ties are more than a visit. It was supposed to be a short-term seminar-professor stint which he cut short to go back to China to participate in the ’89 movement when it erupted in March that year. Hawaii should be proud that we hosted such a wonderful scholar and he chose the University of Hawaii among other renowned schools.

"Police recover urn stolen 10 days ago," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 6: I’m happy for the Watanabes. The thief had a chance at redeeming himself by turning the urn in. But he didn’t; it took the police to recover it.

To the Watanabe family: I grew up in Manoa Valley and have fond memories of the "Vegetable Man" that would visit our neighborhood. I lived on Pinao Street. My mom would send me to buy meats, vegetables and I went willingly — because the vendor sold "good kine" candy, too! One cent, five cents … my quarter bought lots of candy. Ah, those were the days! I did not know the vendor’s name then. Now I know even more. What a loving family. God bless you.