Workers of America — unite!

In an act of solidarity, most workers are enjoying today’s Labor Day not working, and marking the end of summer with some grilling.

We have President Grover Cleveland to thank for declaring the first Monday in September a national holiday in 1896, amid growing awareness of the labor movement. This federal declaration came on the heels of state actions: Oregon in 1887 was the first to institute a state labor holiday, followed by others like New York, Massachusetts and Colorado.

No laborer is free while others are oppressed?

Jobs are the focus of a debate between Honolulu’s heavily regulated taxi drivers and the emerging "ride sharing" industry, represented specifically by Lyft and Uber, whose unregulated, independent contractors drive their own cars and provide service at competitive prices to consumers who obviously like the new transit option.

Some cab drivers are complaining that if they have to follow the extensive rules for operating taxis, then so should the drivers for Lyft and Uber, who use smartphone technology to connect passengers with drivers and have a different method than traditional cabs in how they collect their fares.

Fairness is an issue, but rather than extend the heavy regulation to the innovative newcomers, perhaps it should be re-examined as to how much of that regulation should be applied to anyone at all.