Taxpayers already pay for trash pickup

More and more I find myself turning to the news for my daily entertainment. The latest laugh was provided by Mayor Kirk Caldwell, telling us that Oahu residents need to be charged $10 per month for trash pickup.

The press release makes trash pickup sound like a gift the city has been lavishing on us for years — although it costs $50 per household to pick up the trash, they only want $10.

I’m pretty sure that the cost of trash pickup has been paid by the taxpayers on Oahu and not by elected officials. If they need to raise taxes to run the city, then they should stand tall and ask for a tax increase. Asking for additional fees is just a childish way of not taking responsibility.

When will the taxpayers and citizens of Hawaii wise up and vote poor performance out of office?

Tom Moody
Manoa

Abolish tip credit if wage is increased

Certain businesses are legally allowed to steal 25 cents per hour from the current $7.25 an hour minimum wage law ("Battle over wage heats up," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 13). It’s the so-called "tip credit," which amounts to legal theft.

If or when the minimum wage is increased, this tip credit should be abolished, but if it is not, the employees affected should at least get a tax credit to cover the amount of the tip credit.

James Robinson
Aiea

Hanohano should show compassion

Many people do not appreciate hearing blunt and honest comments or opinions from others.

Granted, state Rep. Faye Hanohano’s comments reflected what has been known, felt and said both privately and in public for many years in the islands.

However, any ethnic and racial words should not be included.

While she personally disagreed with what the student said, being an elected official she should have kept her opinion to herself and nicely thanked him for taking the time to come and bring the issue to the committee.

She should act and think without bias and with more compassion toward others before commenting.

Sadly, she hasn’t learned from her previous episode.

Geneva Lowe
Pearl City

Training did little to teach lawmaker

So it turns out you really can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

State Rep. Faye Hanohano proved that adage when she decided to berate and belittle a Hawaii Pacific University student because the student was from the mainland ("Souki sorry about colleague’s conduct," Star-Advertiser, Feb. 15).

I guess all that training she did with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after her first racist tirade did little to change her prejudices. Maybe she should go back to her old job as a prison guard; but then again, prison guards have a lot more class than this lady.

I doubt anything will happen, though, because she will pull her Hawaiian card and everything will be swept under her muumuu.

Ed Mehmel
Makiki

Include public input in Chinatown plans

We need affordable rental units downtown.

The city is proceeding with the development of the 1300 block of River Street, which was purchased in 1992 for $6.7 million. The proposed affordable senior housing with a low-rise community center has real potential to change the slum and blighted area to new vibrancy.

The city is issuing a request for information (RFI) to integrate the needs and concerns of the community stakeholders and the qualifying active older adults for the residential units. Public involvement will lead to better decisions and greater acceptance of the project, whether the residential units are for rent or for sale. The RFI process will create a sense of community ownership and enhance the credibility that the decision-making process is transparent.

The best and highest use of the property, resources and tax dollars will serve the long-range needs of the growing senior population with safe, affordable rentals.

Sandra Pohl
Chinatown

UH athletes provide good PR for state

The recent articles and discussion about the University of Hawaii-Manoa athletics department budget deficit needs to be put into proper perspective.

Our athletics programs are the front page of our university and in some cases our state. The publicity and goodwill that our student athletes and athletic programs generate when they play, travel and appear on national or local TV has tremendous value that should be taken into account by the university and state government leaders.

Any deficit should be viewed as low-cost advertising for the state and UH. I would bet that if you add up what the state and UH actually spend on advertising and goodwill trips by politicians and administration officials, it is probably much more than the $2 million deficit projected this year.

Ken Fong
Niu Valley

‘Honorable’ title must be earned

"The Honorable" title, which we as a nation automatically bestow upon our members of Congress as an entitlement of office, is outdated and should be eliminated.

Members of Congress are neither honorable nor dishonorable until they each prove otherwise, and that should be decided by each individual American in regard to each Congress member.

Bill Russell
Mililani