Not everyone lives close to our beaches

Kelly Blanchard suggests that Lanikai beachgoers should walk or ride a bike there ("Lanikai sidewalks are not for cars," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 16).

She seems to think it’s OK that property owners try to keep the rest of us out of their neighborhood by placing rocks and obstacles on City and County property so no one can park by their houses.

Not everyone lives close to the beach in Hawaii. After a long day at work, I’m not always down for a 9-mile bike ride so I can take my daily swim.

Just as many Kailuans object to Target (low-cost goods for those on a budget) and seem fine with Whole Foods (food with prices so high it’s known as "Whole Paycheck"), it’s clear that many feel Kailua is for the monied.

The day we agree that people in high-end neighborhoods can try to prevent taxpaying citizens from using our public beaches, we have turned the corner to becoming a community that is only for the elite.

Tina Shaffer
Kailua

Definition of ‘fair’ needs explanation

David Chappell’s recent letter concerning the super-rich and income taxes was typical of liberal platitudes ("Super-rich goal is control everything," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 15).

He claims that the "economic elite" do not pay "their fair share of taxes." However, a little research shows that the top 1 percent of wealthy pay 37 percent of the income taxes. The top 25 percent pay 85 percent. Conversely, the bottom 50 percent pay only 3 percent of total income taxes.

Now, I am not a member of the super-rich nor do I know if the above figures are fair or not. But please do not use such sweeping general phrases like "their fair share" without defining what that means. If 25 percent of the people paying 85 percent of the taxes is not fair, what is?

Rich Greenamyer
Mililani

Don’t raise taxes; close loopholes

Like so many Americans, I am fed up with what our elected officials in Washington are doing to us.

Congress should authorize a Works Progress Administration-like plan that would put millions of unemployed back to work fixing bridges, highways, school buildings, parks and other facilities that have been allowed to deteriorate along with our government.

That could create the jobs, reduce unemployment costs and fix our country.

It worked before and it could work again.

We also need to cut many programs, but not from Social Security, which we have paid into for all of our lives and now depend upon to subsist.

We don’t need to raise taxes. We need to eliminate loopholes that allow corporate America to pay no taxes at all.

I pay more tax each day than General Electric pays in a year. They pay none at all, but can spend $2 billion to build a factory, creating jobs in Beijing.

Keith Haugen
Nuuanu

Royalties help AARP fight for its members

AARP is open about the royalty revenues we make from branding products and services ("Royalties play big role in finances of AARP, bankruptcy case shows," Star-Advertiser, Aug. 15).

These revenues help to fund efforts that fight for access to affordable health care for all, as well as other programs and services that improve the lives of Hawaii’s people.

If anyone doubts who we’re advocating for, take a look at the numerous instances where we fought against efforts that could have presented financial windfalls to AARP.

For instance, AARP led the fight against a Social Security privatization plan in 2005 that would have diverted trillions of dollars into the private financial market, despite the fact that AARP brands financial services.

More recently, we strongly opposed a budget plan passed by the House of Representatives that might have presented opportunities for AARP to strengthen its finances, since every older American would be forced into private Medicare plans, like the kinds branded by AARP.

Our focus in both instances was on protecting health and economic security for nearly 150,000 Hawaii members and Americans of all generations.

Stuart Ho
State president, AARP Hawaii

Governor should return to his roots

Three cheers to teacher Justin Hughey who wrote about Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s failure to bring a "New Day" to education ("Abercrombie’s ‘new day’ doesn’t apply to teachers," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Aug. 12).

As a huge fan of Abercrombie, I was among the first on Maui to suggest that this former college professor run as the education governor because of his respect for and understanding of the need to treat teachers well and reverse the ill-conceived policies of the do-nothing-but-harm Lingle administration.

I ask Abercrombie to return to his roots and truly become the education governor we thought he could, and would, be.

Norm Bezane
Lahaina

Don’t allow board to raise water rates

Despite a scathing 2006 audit of the Board of Water Supply, there is continuing mismanagement and squandering of water funds on an investment in the University of Hawaii Medical School’s cooling system; using a costly in-house legal office instead of the city’s corporation counsel; the funding of 21 percent pay raises and bonuses; and outrageous compensation for contract executives.

These problems need to be fixed internally by the board, not passed on to ratepayers via a 70 percent rate increase over five years.

Beverly Kong
Hawaii Kai