Governor should not have ruled out taxes

Gov. Neil Abercrombie missed the boat in announcing recently that he would not propose any new taxes this coming session.

One only need look at the increasing number of tents and dwellings of homeless persons on our sidewalks to know something major must be done.

» Our roads are in a sad state of disrepair, causing tire damage and unsafe driving conditions.

» Our schools and public health care facilities are in major need of funds and refurbishing.

» Two major private hospitals are shutting down, depriving area residents of vital health services.

And what about the teachers still without a negotiated contract? For Abercrombie to pledge he would abolish furlough days for teachers and then to institute "unpaid leave days" in their place was a crude and transparent deception.

It’s time for the Legislature to re-open the hospitals, create jobs, repair schools and roads and build much-needed affordable housing.

Massive investments now in these vital areas would help end the recession.

John Witeck
Kamehameha Heights

Budget surplus came from state workers

As someone who not only voted for, but also sign-waved, phone-banked and participated in several get-out-the-vote activities supporting Gov. Neil Abercrombie, I would like to be able to applaud him for his successful turnaround of the state’s fiscal mess.

Instead, I find myself insulted and offended that he did not mention in his remarks that his precious surplus is, in large part, being paid for on the backs of state employees.

Does he not recall that just a few short months ago he was running around the state playing Chicken Little, claiming that the economic sky was falling … trying desperately to justify his plans for what some people believe is the most dramatic salary-and-benefit decrease in state history? Apparently, the governor thinks we are forgetful idiots who will reward him for his "wise" fiscal management.

I am proud to stand with my fellow teachers who are doing a great job of pulling back the curtain and exposing his hypocrisy.

Dennis Tynan
Makaha

Tattoos hurt your employment chances

I have been visiting Hawaii for many years, but hadn’t been back for about four years, and was shocked to see how many local residents have tattoos.

I am vice-president of human resources for a major company. Recently I attended a conference of individuals in my profession and a secret poll was done as to whether we would hire a person with a tattoo. An amazing 92 percent said they would not. There were a few reasons why.

First, for many people, tattoos are associated with low-class individuals. Second, people with tattoos are generally insecure and hence the need for people to look at them through their tattoo. Third, they just look ugly for the most part.

Why people feel it necessary to discolor their body and have something that looks like a McNally’s road map when their skin starts to wrinkle later in life is beyond me.

Lynn Bailey
Carmel, Calif.

Exempt disabled vets from vehicle fees

Have our state legislators turned their backs on our permanently disabled veterans?

Senate Bill 103 and House Bill 1501 propose an exemption of annual vehicle registration renewal taxes and fees for permanently disabled veterans living in Hawaii.

Permanently disabled veterans are those veterans tagged by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as "individually unemployable" or rated as 100 percent disabled by VA rating criteria.

In this year’s session, this bill was shunned by both the Senate and the House. Affected veterans living in Hawaii find it difficult to understand why most other states have provided this exemption and Hawaii continues to deny it.

Disabled veterans do not seek handouts. They do seek fair treatment.

Will these veterans get kicked to the curb again, or will our politicians find it in their heart to give them some help?

Brooks W. Outland
Waianae

‘Constellation of laws’ supports aid-in-dying

Although I reach a different conclusion, I agree with Jonathan S. Durrett’s definition: "Remedial" in the 1909 law means "providing relief" ("Meaning of ‘remedial’ not what writer thinks," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 18).

The law also allows a dying patient to request "any remedial agent or measure." So the law is really about a dying patient’s right to choose the method of palliative relief.

In most hospices, doctors relieve unbearable pain by sedating their patients until death. Alternatively, a lethal prescription of sleeping pills enables patients to achieve a peaceful death if their pain becomes unbearable. Doctors who write these prescriptions hope that they will never have to be used. The intended purpose is to grant their patients control over suffering and relief from toxic anxiety.

Kathryn Tucker makes a rock-solid case: The 1909 law is part of "a constellation of laws" that support aid-in-dying in Hawaii. As a medical doctor, I see no need to check with my medical malpractice insurance carrier, as Durrett suggests.

Robert Nathanson
Waialua

Headline overplayed importance of coach

Boy, what a headline: "CHOW TIME" (Star-Advertiser, Dec. 21).

I thought you were perhaps announcing a new time for dinner or lunch. I had no idea who Norm Chow is. Learning through your article that he is a football coach brought nothing but disappointment in your newspaper.

How can that possibly be a headline? Is this man of such great importance? Why such an emphasis on sports? That sort of item belongs in the sports section.

Jean-Jacques Dicker
Hawaii Kai

UH getting great deal in hiring Norm Chow

A reader commented about football being more important than education at the University of Hawaii because of the amount we spend on football coaches ("UH values football more than students," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 22).

It’s simple: A winning football program makes much more than it costs. Just ask any perennial bowl game schools.

It is embarrassing how much we are paying Norm Chow. He is the best football coach we’ve ever had and will be sure to surpass June Jones.

The reason we are a losing team now is because our current staff couldn’t recruit talent the way Jones did, and now that his recruits are graduated, we are left with the McMackin results (no offense to any of the players).

Norm will change that. I hope his contract includes big bonuses for winning. Otherwise we’ll be looking for a new coach after Norm gets hired away like Jones did.

Brett Phillips
Kaneohe