Tax surplus should go back to taxpayers

I can’t understand why more people are not enraged by our elected officials who continue to tax us into poverty.

It has been reported that our state has a surplus of more than $800 million.

A surplus of that magnitude should have every overtaxed citizen in this state screaming for tax reform.

Now, instead of reducing our taxes in lieu of the surplus, our self-serving elected officials are proposing taxing Internet sales and the pensions of “wealthy” taxpayers.

These thieves should be reducing the general excise tax, vehicle registration, property taxes and other bloated taxation tools.

Unfortunately, it is doubtful the overtaxing scenario will ever change here.

The Socialist Republic of Hawaii will continue to increase taxes because those in public office do not serve us, they serve themselves.

If they truly served us, they would look for ways to return our hard-earned money instead of new ways to confiscate it.

Jim Austin
Aiea

Caldwell’s legacy rests with bus ads

Let me urge everyone who cares about Honolulu’s beauty to write and call Mayor Kirk Caldwell and every member of the City Council to block the bus billboards.

The mayor’s proposal to instantly create more than 500 billboards in Honolulu for the first time — and to have them moving everywhere on Oahu — will make our city far less attractive to visitors, and, more important, put an unnecessary ugliness in front of all of us who live here.

We all pay taxes for public art and beautification and preservation. Should we toss that all away for a little cash for TheBus?

This isn’t about money. This is about a drastic shift in public policy that would degrade our beautiful city in every sense.

Caldwell will be remembered as the city leader who brought moving billboards to Honolulu unless he reverses course, and I hope he does.

If he does not, let the people of Honolulu be remembered as the community who stood strong against this desecration and stopped it.

Walter Wright  
Kaneohe

Don’t follow trend of legalizing pot

Legislators will be addressing legalizing marijuana this session, which will affect the future and quality of life in Hawaii.

Colorado and Washington state just legalized pot and Hawaii must not copy-cat another mainland trend.

Proponents will argue that pot is no different from alcohol, but this is far from the truth. Pot usage by inhalation and consumption will be almost impossible to control. Auto accidents caused by cellphones, texting and pot usage while driving will increase drastically and the police will be challenged 24/7.

Substances that impair your ability to think, reason and physically react under normal circumstances will always be a detri-

ment to our society. Legislators should consider the dangerous consequences that will occur in the state, from our youths in schools to adults working in critical jobs throughout the state.

Hal Omori
Mililani

Snowden did wrong but result was good

Edward Snowden broke the law, an important law. We should not send a message that this is OK. 

If he is convicted, he should be punished.

However, all Americans should be glad that there are people such as Snowden out there who are willing to sacrifice their futures when they see almost certainly illegal behavior in the very highest places. 

Snowden might have been able to accomplish what he intended with less collateral damage if he had acted more subtly.  But maybe not; perhaps it took a huge disclosure to get and hold our attention.

He does not, in my opinion, deserve a pardon. But neither should he be excoriated. 

More importantly, the society that produced him deserves

kudos for continuing to produce watchdogs and a way for them to be heard through the press. 

Perry White
Pacific Heights

Kudos to Kauai for taking on Big Agra

Big Agra’s suing the County of Kauai is just another example of the corporate exploitation of local lands, controls, populations and environments.

The three companies — Syngenta, DuPont Pioneer and Dow AgroSciences — contend the county held secret meetings to pass ordinance 960, which puts more controls and exposures on Big Ag.

Meanwhile, Congress and the president are fast-tracking the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership — which is all about corporations’ rights over local and federal government laws and controls — with limited public knowledge and much secrecy.

If Big Agra is to gain back its callous, profit-oriented controls, it will be a very sad day for Hawaii and the nation. It lacks disclosure and responsibility.

We were all glad to see Kauai step up to the plate, to challenge and reverse the weak controls and regulations that were, and are, abused by the rogue entities.

Let’s hope the judicial system does what is right for the people.

Mary Ellen Greenberg
Manoa

What do homeless say about plight?

Has anyone ever asked the homeless for a solution?

It appears that all sorts of bright minds have so far been unable to come up with a working solution for homelessness here in Hawaii.

Has anyone ever put together a committee of homeless people from the various groups identified (situational or transitional, episodic or cyclical, and chronic) and asked them how best to resolve it? If not, why not give it a try? If so, what did they say and why was it not considered?

Terry Joiner
Waialae-Kahala