Based on two straw men — a dropout teen and a Congolese immigrant — Cliff Slater argues that small businesses are barely profitable and they cannot hire someone who can’t be “profitably employed” (“Minimum wage has pernicious effects” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Dec. 21). As a result, taxpayers, not small businesses, should directly subsidize these workers.

What? How about some facts?

Seventy percent of all minimum-wage workers are over age 25; many are trying to support a family. While the minimum wage in Hawaii will reach $10.10 in a few years, our cost of living, the highest in the U.S., currently requires a minimum wage of $34 at 40 hours a week, to afford rent for a two-bedroom apartment. Further, our effective tax rate on the poor is the highest in the nation.

How wide does the income gap need to be before the haves have no one to clean their house, manicure their lawns, or serve their kids hamburgers?

If we all have to pay a little more so that we can all live with dignity, so be it. Hawaii needs to move, quickly, toward a $15 an hour minimum wage.

Peter Walker Burns

Kaneohe

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Here’s list of best economics books

It was nice to see the column on the illogic of minimum wage laws from Cliff Slater (“Minimum wage has pernicious effects” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Dec. 21).

Perhaps for balance you included a column that day from Noah Smith recommending a number of books about economics (“Economic explained, plainly,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 21). From the list and description of his titles, it doesn’t seem one would learn much economic science.

The best book on general economics is “Economics in One Lesson” by Henry Hazlitt, followed by Mexican author Faustino Ballve’s “Essential of Economics.” The most pleasant read is “The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible” by Hawaii Pacific University professor Ken Schoolland. The most comprehensive work is “Human Action” by Ludwig Von Mises.

People remain unaware of the negative effects of John Maynard Keynes on the science of economics. As a result of his influence, modern economics has become little more than charts, graphs and illogical nonsense. Reading the authors I have recommended will help one see through this confusion.

Tracy Ryan

Chairwoman, Libertarian Party of Hawaii

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U.S. has come far; now comes worry

In 2009, we were on the verge of a depression, the auto industry disappearing, gasoline cost more than $4 a gallon, and unemployment was heading to 10 percent. Troops were dying in Iraq. Some 11 million more of our fellow Americans were without health insurance. Osama bin Laden was alive.

Since then, the auto industry is thriving, gas is under $3, unemployment is under 5 percent, and we’re not involved in a ground war in Syria. The government’s out of our bedrooms. All at little cost to any of us.

For 2017, Donald Trump is stocking the swamp with the banking alligators who got us into the recession and the neocons who got us into Iraq. The nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t think the environment needs protection. The nominee for secretary of state has business ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Republicans have promised to repeal Obamacare, stripping millions of their health insurance. They’ve promised to privatize Medicare and Social Security. We will inaugurate someone who asked the Russians to hack Americans.

I think our anxiety is well-founded (“Progressives feeling what rest of us felt,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 20).

Garry Francell

Waialae Nui Ridge

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Seek Trump’s aid in finishing rail

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation should exploit President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for infrastructure investment by inviting the Chinese to invest their trade surplus in a rail extension from Middle Street to the Trump Hotel in Waikiki.

The terminus would be above the parking lot at Fort DeRussy. Not only would Waikiki hotel workers arrive within walking distance of their jobs, but tourists would be whisked from the airport — reducing bus, van and taxi traffic to and from Waikiki.

The least-complicated route should follow the center lines of Nimitz Highway and Ala Moana Boulevard.

The Chinese are today the world’s master rail builders. As an inducement, building the extension would promote Chinese tourism and investment in Hawaii.

With Honolulu’s full-employment challenge and expensive condo develop- ment, the Chinese could bring their own workers to finish this project.

Fred Gamble

Waikiki

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School bus’ stop sign means stop

After reading about the 8-month-old child killed in a crosswalk in Waimanalo (“Infant’s hit-and-run death rallies community,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 7), I am surprised that there haven’t been more tragedies due to the blatant disregard of school bus stop paddles.

I am a school bus driver for special-needs children in Waipahu. Every day I pick up and drop off special- needs children, and every day when stopped with the stop sign extended, I can barely get out of the cab of my bus without someone almost hitting me.

I go to put down the wheelchair lift for the child, only to have at least 12 cars a day disregard the law and proceed right through the paddle.

I actually had a driver ask me, “Is it really necessary for the stop sign to be out if the child is in a wheelchair? It’s not like he is going to run in the street.”

If something is not done soon regarding this matter, there is going to be another tragedy.

Patricia A. Weil

Ewa Beach