Teachers’ tax credit deserved approval

The Legislature has deferred indefinitely Senate Bill 573 to pay teachers back for their out-of-pocket expenses that they generously provide to children for a positive, respectable learning experience ("Lawmakers flunk teachers’ tax credit," Star-Advertiser, April 26).

It’s is not enough that the teachers have to scratch and claw for a pay raise and are depicted as the villains, only to have other unions jump on board when the smoke clears to get their guaranteed raises? Now the state tax director, Fred Pablo, says that nothing would prevent teachers from "duplicating tax credits" or using it as a "back-door pay increase for teachers."

Really? Is that what your teachers taught you in school?

Do the right thing and reimburse the teachers.

Bruce Black
Diamond Head

Require deposits on wine bottles, too

Recycling is the best method to reduce waste from entering our environment.

Now that the HI-5 deposit fees for beverage containers are in place, it’s time to add glass wine bottles as well. Currently, glass wine bottles do not participate in a deposit fee, yet can collect a refund of the fee, albeit at a reduced amount.

It’s time for the glass wine bottles to participate in the HI-5 deposit fee at an equal rate with the other beverage containers.

Michael Nomura
Kailua

Politicians should consider everyone

If today’s politicians in Hawaii were in Congress of the past, minority groups would still have no rights.Simply put, they are selfish, lack imagination and serve the majority of voters so they can get re-elected.

The minorities of today are people who smoke, people who drink and people who don’t want a political invasion of their rights in their homes.

When politicians are running for office, they don’t say, "Don’t contribute to my campaign, don’t signwave, don’t come to my political rallies, if you belong to one of the above categories, because I cannot help you."

Politicians forget that these minorities pay taxes, and some might be in the higher tax brackets, too. They deserve to use facilities that their taxes paid for.

When considering political decisions, politicians should consider everyone.

Paul Nakata
Kalihi

Pot prohibition seems very unfair

Marijuana should be legal.

Prohibition doesn’t work. It didn’t work for alcohol. It just created an underground industry and it destroyed too many lives and families through arrests.Additionally, it redirects and ties up the limited resources of law enforcement agencies and the judiciary.

One of the major beneficiaries of keeping marijuana illegal is the private prison industry; it keeps them supplied with prisoners and cheap labor. Don’t stigmatize our children because they’ve been caught with a joint, while others pour themselves a drink, light up a smoke, pop an antidepressant and embrace their right to own a semi-automatic firearm.

People should stop being pompous moral judges over the smoking of a joint. And remember, according to Pew Research, almost 50 percent of all adults have used marijuana.

Chuck Cohen
Kalama Valley

Chang stands for Democratic values

I am writing in response to John Kawamoto’s letter that mistakenly referred to me as a Republican candidate for Congress ("Hanabusa could weaken delegation," Star-Advertiser, Letters, April 30).

I appreciate the discourse in this important election, but I’d like to take this opportunity to reiterate that I am a proud lifelong Democrat. While I am humbled to call people from across the political spectrum my friends and supporters, it is important to me that our community knows I am a Democrat because of the values that I stand for: that our duty is to fight for the quality of life of all the people in our community, and that our best days as a state are still ahead of us.

I’m campaigning to bring a fresh vision to Capitol Hill, and I look forward to having many conversations with people of all political beliefs on how together we will make a better future for Hawaii.

Stanley Chang
Honolulu

Nothing done about problems near Ilikai

To help the image of Hawaii for tourists I suggest that, first, remove the piles of stuff and two homeless men who sleep and sit daily, one at each bus stop, at the corner of Hobron Lane and Ala Moana.

Second, on this corner put the incredibly ugly power poles and lines underground. The one on The Modern Hotel side is in the middle of a very narrow sidewalk and tourists in this heavy walking traffic area must go into the street to pass each other.

It’s been this way for many years, with no improvement.

Susanne M. Lenz
Waikiki

Single-payer system best for health care

Obamacare won’t last forever because health care costs will continue to rise dramatically. Eventually people are going to cry "uncle."

So what is the solution? I propose a single-payer system with a very high deductible. Single-payer would be the big buyer to keep down catastrophic-care costs. High deductibles, coupled with a health savings account, would bring the power of the free market to keep down routine care costs. Thus we would marry the best cost-control ideas of the left and the right and produce bipartisan support.

Further support would come from businesses that would no longer have to pay for health insurance. Those who couldn’t finance the deductible themselves could buy private insurance to backstop it. This idea can work.

Lloyd Lim
Makiki