Young Brothers gouging public

Ah, Young Brothers is asking for a 24 percent increase in fees because of competition to its monopoly. Whatever happened to looking at its operations to see if it could lower costs? But, no, it turns to the government and the Democratic establishment along with the unions to try and still gouge the people.

All responsible for isle’s keiki

In Hawaii we all are responsible for the raising of each others’ children. The advantage of being from a small state is that our "acts of kindness" are contagious.

To the families who have worked hard to help keep our state from suffering with school closures, thank you. Keep up the good work. It is why I am proud to live here. We, as a community, can help improve the lives of this generation of children and those to come by making our voices heard.

The recent public hearing at Kaiser High School proved not only how well a community can support each others’ families, but also to make a difference in teaching those who don’t really understand the impact of overcrowded classrooms.

School closures will affect not only people’s jobs; it will affect children’s learning. Teachers will have to adapt to a broader range of learning levels and the individualized help will be lessened tremendously.

We have yet to recover from the furlough days, let alone having to deal with classroom reshuffling of children to increasingly crowded classrooms.

Article on Gaza was inaccurate

With all due respect, Col. Ann Wright’s comments on Gaza are myopic and woefully inaccurate ("Gaza victimized by double standard," Island Voices, Star-Advertiser, Dec. 22).

Gaza is ruled by Hamas, a certified terrorist organization, whose oft-proclaimed aim is the destruction of Israel. Hamas is supported and supplied by Iran, whose prime minister has also publicly called for the destruction of Israel.

Imagine for a moment a situation where some terrorist organization south of the border were to begin rocketing San Diego: Would the U.S. tolerate that? Of course not. But that is an exact analogy. The Palestinian West Bank, on the other hand, is ruled by the Palestinian Authority, which is engaged in U.S.-sponsored peace negotiations with Israel. There is little brotherly love on either side, but at least they’re talking. Peace is possible, as is the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Save fireworks for right time

The insane behavior of our neighbors has started.

The last two nights in the golf course area of Mililani, we have been treated to jerks setting off fireworks, including very loud bombs and strings of firecrackers. This noise awakens people already asleep and, of course, starts all the dogs barking.

I understand there is no point in calling the police, as I would be unable to pinpoint where these neighbors are. If they were next door, or even within my sight, I certainly would report them.

Come on, folks, give us a break. Save the fireworks for New Year’s Eve.

Fireworks ban is just a waste

I’m amused by the police chief’s announcement regarding the enforcement of illegal fireworks this year: undercover policemen busting these illegal firework bandits and arresting anyone who breaks the law with fines or jail time.

This is what our world has come to: allocating police resources for a petty crime that happens once a year — and next year they could bust kids for illegal sparklers.

Think about it: Thirty years ago it would be considered a joke, and it still is today.

Civil unions ban deterred visitors

We wrote to Gov. Linda Lingle in June urging her to sign the civil unions bill, right after we returned from a wonderful vacation on Kauai. We try to vacation in Hawaii often, in part because of the state’s support for gay rights. Because of her decision to veto the civil unions bill and her cowardly reasoning that it should be voted on by the people, we will not be returning to Hawaii until equality for gay couples is granted. Hopefully, Gov. Neil Abercrombie will undo the harm inflicted.

Gay spending power is estimated to be about $750 billion in the U.S., and we vote with our dollars. My family had decided to take a vacation, and when Hawaii was suggested, my husband and I quickly vetoed that decision. Instead, we had a wonderful vacation in Spain, a country that grants marriage equality to gay couples and treats everyone equally. We spent almost $20,000 for vacation there, money that could have been spent to stimulate Hawaii’s economy.